Leaving Our Fingerprints

Age

17

Date

05/03/2021

Location

Delray Beach / Florida / USA

When did the impact of COVID-19 first occur to you? How did your reaction to COVID-19 change between then and the first case in your town?

The impact of covid first occurred to me when my dad got it when he was visiting Brazil for work. Previous to that, I had not known anyone who had gotten the virus and did not know the repercussions.

How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?

My life has changed drastically in all senses, starting with the distance learning experience, which has completely changed the way my school does everything. Also, a lot of my friends had to go back to their native countries and have been stuck there since then, thus, I have not been able to see them for over a year now.

How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?

I am feeling anxious and on edge all the time, the only way I found to relieve stress was to start going to the gym, it has really helped me with my mental health.

What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?

A lot of people became very cautious and took the necessary precautions introduced by the WHO and/or the CDC. However, since I live in Florida, a lot of people still do not take the virus seriously. In fact, a few weeks ago there was an anti-mask protest in my city.

Are you a business owner who has had to close? If you are still open, how have you had to adjust how your business operates?

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Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?

n/a

Are you an employee who has been laid off or furloughed? Were you able to get unemployment? Were you able to retain your health insurance?

n/a

Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?

n/a

Do you have children at home? How’s it going?

n/a

If you’re a student, was school canceled? Were you able to complete your studies online? Do you think you’ll be back on campus in the fall?

My school was not cancelled but it changed a whole lot since the start of the pandemic due to the distance learning model. It was extremely hard for me to complete my studies because it all felt so optional when in fact it was not. Furthermore, I was not in a very good place mentally due to the consequences of the pandemic. I will certainly be back on campus in the fall.

How are you using social media, the Internet, or digital platforms during the pandemic?

Social media has become a part of my routine and I hate it, it makes me feel useless and even exploited because I know I should not be scrolling mindlessly on social media yet I still am.

Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?

Yes, I had to postpone a spring break vacation to Brazil, my home country. I was going there to see my family whom I have not seen in nearly 2 years and a lot of my friends that I also miss a lot. Instead of going to Brazil, I stayed in Florida and did nothing during my spring break.

Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?

I had a french bulldog but he died during the summer of 2020, the year the pandemic started. This took a heavy toll on me since I had to process my beloved pet's death as well as everything else going on with the novel COVID-19.

What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?

I noticed that because of these trying times, people became physically distant, however, they were much closer emotionally speaking. Everyone was going through the same thing and I feel like people got hit with a wave of empathy.

Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?

My dad contracted COVID-19 when he was in Brazil, I am not able to describe in detail what it was like since I was not there to support him.

If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?

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What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?

I wish I knew how important it is to master the skill of managing your own time, which was hard for me to do because of my ADHD, which got worse during the pandemic.

What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?

I would recommend future generations prepare for a pandemic by strictly following the CDC/WHO guidelines and not politicizing the issue.

How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?

I feel like most people now have gotten used to maintaining a certain distance from other people at all times now. People will not be hugging and shaking hands as much now. And hopefully, people start wearing masks even when they have the flu in order to protect other people around them.

Is there anything else you would like to add that hasn't already been asked above?

n/a

M

Covid-History Item Type Metadata

Age

Date

Location

When did the impact of COVID-19 first occur to you? How did your reaction to COVID-19 change between then and the first case in your town?

How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?

How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?

What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?

Are you a business owner who has had to close? If you are still open, how have you had to adjust how your business operates?

Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?

Are you an employee who has been laid off or furloughed? Were you able to get unemployment? Were you able to retain your health insurance?

Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?

Do you have children at home? How’s it going?

If you’re a student, was school canceled? Were you able to complete your studies online? Do you think you’ll be back on campus in the fall?

Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?

Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?

What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?

Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?

If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?

What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?

How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?

Is there anything else you would like to add that hasn't already been asked above?

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