Erin
Covid-History Item Type Metadata
Age
39
Date
05/16/2021
Location
Papillion, NE
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?
We went on a cruise in February of 2020 just before things started shutting down. I remember being annoying at getting sprayed with hand sanitizer by the crew everywhere we went. I’ve generally not been too concerned for myself regarding covid but more concerned about protecting the higher risk family members.
How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?
My day to day life didn’t change a lot outside of wearing a mask. I continued to go into work and do the majority of our errands. The lack of travel was the most different as between work and personal I usually end up going several places a year. At this point it has been over a year since I’ve been in a plane.
How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?
Anxious a lot! I try and pamper myself and remember to focus on what is important.
What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?
For quite a while there was significantly less traffic. Overall when out and about I actually feel like people are making a point to be more positive in all the random interactions you have. I feel like peoples political views are more apparent in daily life based on their choices and beliefs regarding the pandemic.
Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?
Yes. I am a QA employee and a medical device manufacturer. My company required masking, temp checks and social distancing. At home, we limited our public excursions as much as possible and avoided places like theaters and restaurants.
Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?
We canceled one vacation and had smaller family get togethers for holidays.
Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?
Two cats and two dogs for most of the time. They keep us busy and give us something to do.
What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?
We try to increased tipping when we do take out and other services and make donations as possible to help out others.
Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?
We’ve knows several people. Most cases were mild to moderate and only one person was hospitalized. Fortunately, so far, everyone has recovered.
If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?
We lost a family member at the beginning of the restrictions. There was a small visitation and funeral limited based on the rules at the time followed by a larger gathering when the weather allowed for more outdoor activities.
What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?
We were very fortunate as our jobs and companies are stable and essential so we didn’t really experience any monetary issues so far during the pandemic.
What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?
Know your personal priorities and make decisions for yourself based on those. We can’t live in fear for an unlimited amount of time.
How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?
Some increased precautions when around large groups and when traveling but I feel like day to day life will return to mostly what it was before.
Dublin Core
Title
Erin
Subject
COVID-19 (Disease)
Publisher
Southern Adirondack Library System
Date
06/16/2021
Contributor
Southern Adirondack Library System
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Language
English
Type
Covid History
Identifier
12661520340
Coverage
Coronavirus Pandemic
Collection
Citation
“Erin,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed December 30, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/387.