Leaving Our Fingerprints

Age

46

Date

6/17/2020

Location

Ballston Spa, New York

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 hit me early because I work in healthcare and had an early exposure...I work outpatient and at the time we were conserving masks... that meant masks for the “symptomatic” patients... but remember, early on this was a respiratory disease...at the very start, it was not nausea and vomiting we were worried about...the first cases in my town did not change my view much

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

We marvel every day at how blessed we are... I work in healthcare, so I kept my job... and yet my exposure risk has been low since those first early cases... my husband works from home...one of my children was already homeschooled, and it was easy to move back to having two children at home... of course, we have missed sports and travel, but for us, it has been a few months to take a breath, to plant a garden, to be together... there are many days I actually feel guilty...the impact has been, in many ways, minimal

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

I feel blessed to be free from illness, to have my family close to me... I feel stressed that I am not able to help more people...the stress that we do feel, we relieve but getting outdoors somewhere with a lot of space, getting on Zoom with family every night...relaxing more

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

In person in the community, face to face, there seems to be a better sense of togetherness and support... but that same feeling does not translate to social media... we live in a divided country and I feel sometimes that what I see on the street is a mismatch to what people express on social media

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?

n/a

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

I am a healthcare worker. I work in a walk-in, acute care office as a Nurse Practitioner. We have implemented limits of visits, temperature checks, increased protective equipment and cleaning precautions. We are seeing the growth of telemedicine. At home, I take everything off as soon as I get home, hit the shower. I am the only one who goes to the store or the restaurant for take-out

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?

I was not furloughed... and who would have ever thought that ANY healthcare workers would have been? But I was worried... people literally stopped coming in for sick visits... fear has kept people at home... it was not something I thought I would ever see

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

I still go to the office, but my husband works from home... in our bedroom/ office

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

Two children at home... a homeschooled 6th grader and a public school Freshman... the last few months has been smooth... my children understood the obligation to stay home early on... while they watched many of their friends continue to get together or relax distancing earlier, they were understanding of being children of a healthcare worker and their responsibility of keeping other’s risk low...

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?

n/a

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

Zoom calls with family...we meet each night and have read The Hobbit, and are on the third book of Garry Potter now,. We conference call for work, I have started chatting with a friend once a month that I usually saw once a year

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

We had just gotten our passports and had a trip with grandparents to Iceland...with busy schedules, it had taken several years to finally put it together ... instead we will plan for another time

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

We have three cats...I think they are sick of our smothering them, but they have brought us a lot of joy and comfort ...I see everyone in the family stop by sleeping cats throughout the day for a quick snuggle

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

In the beginning, when there were no masks... the community coming together, colleges, construction companies... donating masks to hospitals... community members contributing meals to healthcare workers...that hit me the most...I was afraid, and frustrated early on when I couldn’t wear a mask... I felt hung out to dry... people wanted to help and they dig deep to do it...

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

Co-workers, yes...it felt inevitable that we would all get it... and then we didn’t ...but I felt like I was holding my breath for months

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

n/a

What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?

At one point I thought- I wish I knew how slow my job was going to be... then I would have volunteered to go down to the city and work as an RN... I stuck close to home thinking at one point they would need me in the hospital here... but if I had done that, I would have missed out on all the time I had with my family... so I think I’m happy about what I didn’t know

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

I think we are still well in the middle of this... people ask me all the time- how much longer?... I don’t think I’m in the position to make a judgment about it yet...NY is getting better, but other states still have increasing numbers... Prepare? Believe the scientists!

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

It seems so silly, but I think masks may become a part of daily life... I hate the loss of a simple smile

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

I was certain the library would be closing... right before, I went and took out a bagful of books... it was one of the best things I did to prepare... ❤️

Maurya

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?

Dublin Core

Title

Publisher

Language

Type

Identifier

Collection

Tags

Citation

Output Formats

Geolocation