This was a picture taken by my mom while traveling out of town. Here, it is a sign telling people that the railings have been sanitized with UV light. My own prediction is that this will be one of the things that sticks since the pandemic. In my own life, I have noticed that sneeze guards are still being used in places like grocery stores. These precautions will possibly help improve public health at large, as higher sanitation levels could help lessen the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses.

This are markings my mom saw while at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Since the pandemic, things like this have become more commonplace in some areas, such as airports. I do not know if this was enforced or not.

This is a picture my mom took while at the Phoenix Airport. Since the pandemic, hand sanitizer has become more available in public places.

This is a picture my mom took while at the Phoenix Airport to visit my sister. I don't know if this was enforced since I was not present.

Before the pandemic, things were going really well for me. I was in the second semester of my Masters program at Columbia University, putting together an exhibition that was to be displayed at the American Museum of Natural History, and had just started an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Pandemic started, and I flew home to Louisiana to quarantine with my family. In June, I realized I had two months to secure a job to stay in my apartment in Jersey City. After vacationing in Gatlinburg, I returned to spend my 24th birthday in the big apple. Unfortunately, I was unable to secure a job, forcing the breaking of my lease. I returned home October 1st.

This board game defines the boring nights quarantined throughout the beginning phases of the Pandemic. With little activities to engage in, my family and I would play almost all the board games in my house to keep ourselves busy so we were unable to think about the craziness going on outside. In retrospect these family game nights brought my family closer, being that we were not usually, under normal circumstances, hanging out 24/7 together.

I uploaded a screenshot of my Model UN conference that had to be conducted over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a normal year, a Model UN conference would take place at a large event space, usually a university or a hotel. Model UN teams from high schools across the globe participate in the conferences that my school attends. Unfortunately, I did not get to have this unique experience during the pandemic year. Instead, my school took part in an online form of the conference via zoom and discord, through Boston University. Although it was not the same, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet plenty of interesting people from all over the world! This screenshot shows the "bloc" (or alliance) that I had formed with students representing countries such as Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia. I can be seen in the middle box on the right, representing the nation of Afghanistan!

Ballet is all about expressing emotion, but even two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the art is still being affected. Masks create limits for the art of ballet, especially when you are being judged on your artistry. Dancers had to make themselves more dynamic and expressive so judges could "see through the mask." My studio didn't require us to wear masks, so going to a competition where we were required to wear them was a huge change. But I've found that wearing a mask whilst dancing has become much more bearable as the pandemic has continued though it has taught me the innumerable value of artistry in dance, and how much meaning is lost when the movement we strive to perfect is unaccompanied by any facial expression or individuality.

It was hard because we could not sing happy birthday to her.

Whilst in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic we as people had lots of time to spend, let alone kids and teens. Because Covid swept the globe so quickly the Educational system was not prepared whatsoever which resulted in the student not even having zoom classes. With this gained a lot of time that I did not know to manage, and so I started my Spiritual Enlightenment. This Enlightenment was basically me starting to read books, paint and improve my ties with my family. Painting stayed with me for a large time of that year but sadly I had to let it go when we started school once more. I entered High School as a different but better version of myself

I've been doing Model United Nations since my freshman year. Although it is a club infamous for the insanely intense students it produces, it's also known for its beyond fun 4-day conferences with food, a delegate dance (like a Homecoming), and chaotic debate sessions. However, COVID changed all of that for me, when all MUN conferences started going virtual, including our school's own conference. We started making speeches on Zoom and raising our virtual hands to get called on. We used Breakout Rooms to talk with other delegates and sat at our desks through four long strenuous days of debating. This story represents the dozens of other school clubs and sports teams that were thrown off guard in trying to alter their events to fit these new guidelines of the pandemic. But, to echo a larger sentiment, it represents how kids and their interests were able to adapt. Students still had safe spaces to pursue their interests, even if it was over Zoom. During this time, communities banded together and in some cases, even expanded, allowing classes of COVID-impacted kids to continue building their passions. In my case, I actually learned to love MUN for what it is, rather than be distracted by its bells and whistles. So, while the pandemic brought along its own challenges, it fostered adaptation at its finest, and relationships centered on keeping a sense of normalcy alive, even with something as small as a school club.

During the 2020 pandemic, my family had to move to a different state. I remember the virus specifically affecting too much, though that might be because I wasn't too involved in the logistics. I just had to stay out of the way of the movers and keep all my stuff together, both of which I would have done anyway. It would have been a different story if we had to take an airplane instead of driving, as I was fortunate enough to have been able to do.

This is a Tik Tok video from my sister’s account of her documenting the day we were sent home from school. In the video, she’s telling her viewers that school has been cancelled for three weeks, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases across the globe. This video says a lot about the pandemic, because personally I felt that the closing of schools and businesses for the sake of quarantine was a really defining moment of the pandemic. There haven’t been many moments/ pandemics in history that have provoked the closing of institutions, so the fact that this happened says a lot about the magnitude of the situation. This personal account also says a lot about the pandemic, because similarly to my sister in the video, at the beginning of COVID-19 many people were scared and unaware of how long this pandemic would ensue. I feel this video captures her reaction very well.

South Carolina House changes its rules and advanced a bill against the federal vaccine mandate. On December 9th, 2021, the House Ways and Means Committee amended House Bill H. 3126 that blocks employers in state and local governments and school districts from firing or suspending unvaccinated employees. House Bill H.3126 will make workers who were fired or suspended due to their unvaccinated status eligible for unemployment benefits. This bill would also allocated $10 million dollars to the department of Health and the Medical University of South Carolina to fund COVD-19 testing for private employers. The House Republicans argue that an employer's right to fire an unvaccinated employee is "discriminatory" in nature. They also attest that private businesses and public offices cannot mandate an "unlawful" mandate that violates the individual freedoms of employees. Thus, the House Bill H.3126 signifies a growing concern of individual autonomy in the State. As the pandemic continues to variate and spread, some civilians feel that COVID-19 protection should stop at the doorstep of private business owners. As Republican Russell Ott argued, South Carolina now faces the possibility of growing liability lawsuits if this law is passed. While this bill may protect employees, it would not protect employers and private business owners from being sued in the event that one of their employees contracted COVID-19 and passed it to a consumer.

This PDF details data related to the LGBTQ+ Community's relationship with COVID in America. Based on the data, it is clear many within the community struggled with excessive financial issues, the inability to receive medical care, and the loss of insurance. While the pandemic has placed serious burdens as a whole on society, data such as this is valuable as it allows a look into the most vulnerable communities within society already, and how COVID has destroyed the once normal lives of so many.

This article details a sharp decline in the number of Arkansans on ventilators due to COVID-19. It further provides information on a new oral drug to combat the pandemic in Arkansas. While cases in Arkansas regularly fluctuate, it is encouraging to see individuals off ventilators which removes some of the strain most Arkansas hospitals have been experiencing over the last two years. A rise in vaccinations and a greater understanding of the disease allows for a return to normalcy that many states are now experiencing. Additionally, and oral drug to combat COVID-19 is helpful and will allow the disease to be easily managed.

This article details the $19 million dollars in aid Arkansas' capital received from the federal government. As part of the American Rescue Plan, many larger cities are receiving direct aid from the federal government and Little Rock previously received $18.8 million in May of 2021. The city has decided to allocate much of the funds to improving public works, renovations, and policing. It is interesting to see just how excessively covid impacted cities and the extreme necessity of federal aid. It is particularly beneficial when state legislatures have failed to provide money for needed refurbishment. However, payouts such as this begs the question: who will pay?

This article details a court ruling that requires the Arkansas Department of Corrections to pay out over $2.5 million dollars in withheld COVID relief money from the federal government. When COVID stimulus relief checks were rolled out, any money going to those incarcerated in Arkansas was immediately confiscated by the Arkansas Department of Corrections and placed within the state prison budget. Several inmates then sued the Department of Corrections demanding the payment of their stimulus. While the Department of Corrections alleged that they were entitled to the money due to the inmates being under their jurisdiction, this ruling requires the immediate repayment of all stimulus money. This story demonstrates not only a conflict within the Arkansas prison system, but also the tremendous legal questions the pandemic opened as well as the questionable conduct spurred by government officials in response.

This is a story detailing Arkansas' Medical Board dismissing charges against a Washington County prison doctor for treating prisoners with ivermectin. Arkansas' Medical Board has not explicitly denounced the drug as a treatment for COVID-19, and many physicians prescribe the drug. This particular physician treated several unknowing prisoners with ivermectin in order to combat rising covid cases in the Washington County Jail in April. This dismissal of charges by the Medical Board reveals a deeper skepticism of the pandemic in Arkansas and a willingness of the board to allow physicians to treat their patients as they ultimately see fit with minimal regulations. I feel it also reveals a deeper understanding of Arkansas' prison system due to the prisoners not being informed of what was given to them, and therefore without consent.

This article details the FDA's approval for vaccinations of children and infants. With encouragement from the Biden Administration, the youth are the final group with full approval for vaccinations against COVID-19. While this is a good thing for many who take the pandemic seriously, many Arkansans and southerners in general will likely be resistant to this new approval. The south has largely been skeptical of the vaccine and of COVID, and indeed the vaccinating of children with be a harsh topic across the south. It will be interesting to see the backlash and discussion from this decision, as well as analyzing the many questions that will doubtlessly be raised about the powers of the parents.

This is an article detailing a surge in COVID related hospitalizations in Arkansas. The article further mentions an increase in deaths due to COVID-19 and how hospitals are quickly beginning to feel the pressure of overcrowding. The July 4th holiday, doubtless, had an impact. This surge demonstrates not only the minimal precautions taken by individuals as life has seemingly returned to a sense of normalcy, but also demonstrates that many Arkansans are still unvaccinated, and the extreme toll such action is taking on hospitals.

This article details a recent surge in Arkansas COVID cases. The shocking nature of the rise is the fact that the state's active cases jumped from 197 to 15,125 in a single day. I think this primarily demonstrates the state and the world's rush to reopen, particularly keeping in mind the July 4th holiday, have allowed a sense of deep comfort. However, this comfort can be deadly when individuals who are feeling unwell fail to take precautions to assure the health and safety of themselves and others. While it is encouraging to see life return to a sense of normalcy, this shows that the pandemic is still a present part of our lives.

This is the Arkansas Veterans Affairs website listing specific resources for LGBTQ+ veterans in Arkansas. This site places a specific emphasis on Central Arkansas due to the heavy LGBTQ+ population in that area. In order to combat COVID-19, this site focuses on not only concerted vaccine rollout for LGBTQ+ vets, but also lists mental health resources in order to combat COVID-19. I think this shows a particular vulnerability to a select group and how COVID-19 can reach anyone. Indeed, it is essential that at-risk groups such as the LGBTQ+ community are not overlooked in the age of COVID, and it is encouraging to see the VA take steps to assure this is the case.

This is a news story from CBS News from Sophie Reardon. Due to rising cases, Yellowstone National Park will now require visitors two years and older to wear masks indoors. Other national parks have mask mandates too, such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and the Grand Tetons. This requirement is for everyone using an indoor facility, regardless of vaccination status. For future visitors at this time to these parks, it is recommended one look up COVID requirements for the place they wish to go.

This is a news story from Spectrum News 1 by Louis Finley. On July 1, a mask optional policy began for Broadway show attendees. This has worried theatergoers and performers alike, as they are now anxious over being exposed to COVID. Some shows, like "Into the Woods," have been negotiating to make masks mandatory for the front row.

This is a news story from The New York Times by Matthew Futterman. This story chronicles the changes tennis has gone through during the pandemic. Compared to other professional sports, tennis has been one of the sports with restrictions applied the longest Novak Djokovic, one of the top tennis players in the world, is noted for his refusal of the COVID vaccine. This caused controversy in 2021 at the Australia Open, where his refusal to get vaccinated resulted in his deportation. The Australian government was worried that his refusal would embolden others. The rest of the article goes on about what other tennis players have said about the restrictions, and what they mean for the sport. Some of the tennis players expressed not paying attention to restrictions as much as they used to, and wanting to live like they used to.

This is a news story from Forbes by Scott Mendelson. This is an article that discusses the moviegoing habits of people pre and post-COVID. The article mentions that Minions: The Rise of Gru and Top Gun: Maverick were meant to come out in 2020, but they were delayed because of COVID. Due to the high amounts of attendance to both films, the author is speculating that audience members that may have forgone streaming new movies are coming back to theaters. The box office gross for both films has broken records. Given my own experience of going to the movies recently since COVID began, I noticed that even though I did see signs about masks, it was never enforced, and restrictions were pretty much non-existent. I delayed going to the theaters in-person partly due to not finding many new releases interesting enough, in addition to not wanting to deal with masks while watching. I think that less restrictions make the experience more appealing now than during COVID, as movie tickets have been getting more expensive over the years. In can be hard to justify the steep prices with the restrictions in place that could make it less comfortable. My own experience that I had made it feel like it was the pre-COVID era, and that made it something I enjoyed. I think that given the snacks people eat at theaters, it would have been cumbersome to have to take the mask off and put it on again with eating. If I had to do that, I probably would not have wanted to get any snacks with those restrictions in place, and theaters generally make more revenue from refreshments than they do showing the movie itself. I think that the author is right that the high gross of both films mean that the "summer movie" is returning to what it once was, with audiences that may have been lost during COVID coming back.

This is a news story from Stephenson Harwood, a law firm with its headquarters in London. This is on the classification of long-COVID as a disability. Using the Equality Act from 2010, it classifies a disability as physical or mental impairment which would prevent someone's ability to carry out daily activities. Using a case of Burke v Turning Point Scotland, it describes Mr. Burke developing long-COVID symptoms, which prevented him from doing work. He describes immense fatigue, where tasks like showering would become exhausting. Due to this, he remained off work, with his sick pay ending around June 2021. In August 2021, he was dismissed on grounds of ill health. The ruling with the Scottish Employment Tribunal declared that between November 25, 2020 and August 13, 2021 that Mr. Burke was disabled. For his specific case, he can now file disability discrimination against the company, but it does not mean the employer discriminated. The law firm suggests that employers develop methods to better serve employees that could end up having long-COVID. Some of these suggestions include: change in policies around disability services, changes in communication to handle an employee suffering from long-COVID, and a supportive environment where employees will feel comfortable giving updates on their symptoms.

This is a news story from News Medical Life Sciences by Bhavana Kunkalikar. In a study published by the Pediatrics journal, researchers looked at the BMI variations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that compared to the baseline measurements used pre-pandemic, the pandemic showed an increase in BMI that was .24 higher than the baseline. Higher rates of BMI increased in already obese children compared to children of a healthy weight. This article does not mention the social factors that would have contributed to weight gain during the pandemic, but not being able to socialize as often probably was a large contributor. From my own personal experience, I notice some people that I knew prior to the pandemic, and noticed that they put on some weight after the pandemic. Granted, this was what I noticed in adults I knew, not kids. Regardless, I believe that even if someone were to eat the same way they did pre-pandemic, but not exercise like they used to during the pandemic, they are bound to put on a bit of weight from lack of activity. Hopefully, with things being less restricted in some places, it will allow people to do things they did pre-pandemic more often and get back to healthier weights.

This is a news story from Freight Waves by Noi Mahoney. Canada's vaccine mandate for border-crossing truck drivers will remain in place until September 30. Americans crossing the Canadian border must be fully vaccinated and are subject to random testing. About 30,000 trucks cross the Canadian border each day.

This is a news story from Quartz by Annalisa Merelli. This news story says that within the deaths that occurred between March 2020 and October 2021, the middle-aged were disproportionately affected. In the 45 to 54 age group, COVID killed more than any other leading causes of death within that time period, including heard disease and cancer.

This is a sign I found outside a shoe store at Arizona Mills Mall. It says that masks are optional for fully-vaccinated customers. I didn't go in the store, so I don't know if they would check for vaccination status or not. From my experience with other places with similar signs, no employee has asked about my vaccination status before shopping. I could see this being enforced a year ago, but not now.

This is a sign I saw at the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, Arizona. The sign recommends you wear a mask, keep a distance, and not come if you are feeling sick. This sign was not enforced when watching a movie at the IMAX the day I went. Not even the workers were wearing masks. This could just be something leftover from a time when this would have been more relevant, such as in 2020 and 2021. The time I took this picture was actually my first time going to a movie theater since COVID started. The last movie I saw in theaters before the Minion movie was Cats in February of 2020. It was a fun thing to experience again after a long hiatus. I wanted to go at a time when there wouldn't be any restrictions, as it would make the experience less fun. I remember having to wear a mask on a plane when I went for a wedding, and I didn't enjoy having to do that. It would have felt similar had I gone to a movie a year ago when vaccines weren't as distributed as they are now.

This is a news story from Axios by Herb Scribner. Due to a rise in COVID cases, health officials in New York City are recommending that people wear high quality face masks indoors or in crowded areas. A CBS News report says that COVID positivity rates have risen 14%, the highest level since January. A subvariant of Omnicron, BA.5, has been responsible for 54% of total COVID cases, according to the CDC.

I was 17 and a freshman in college when lockdown started. At the beginning of the year, COVID was just a blip on the news; the first time I'd heard of it, my mother was sharing an article on how the flu was deadlier and telling me I should get vaccinated. That February I got my first flu vaccine. A month later, I was packing up my dorm in a day and getting sent home. We went to McDonald's for lunch as fuel for the two-hour drive back to my small hometown. I wouldn't step foot in another business for a year. I spent the fall of my sophomore year away from all my newfound friends, too scared to risk infection on campus and too disappointed with the idea of spending the semester locked in a dorm room. I didn't return until the spring, now a legal adult. It would take another year for the mask mandate to be lifted; by then I'd been accepted into my school's Masters program and had moved out of my parent's place permanently. I haven't hit my 20s yet and the world still seems to be falling apart. A new variant, another mass shooting, the world burning... it's hard to believe it's ever going to end. But I keep working. Right now I'm doing research on the parallel's between Marvel's "Blip" and COVID. People ask me how I got a grant to do that, but to me it's the only way to make sense of the event that's marked my whole adult life. Superheroes make sense. They at least had control over their plague.

This is a story of taking care of my grandma during COVID. A lot of the time I was employed as a caretaker for my grandma overlapped with the height of COVID.

This is hand sanitizer I found while out shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Square. It was not just this store that had it, others did as well. I didn't notice people using it while I was there, but it might have been used more often when things were opening up more and vaccines were not as well-distributed yet.

This is a sign I found at the mall. It is telling people to maintain a distance when shopping. This isn't enforced. However, I imagine only a year ago it being a bigger deal than it is now. I was just glad I found this sign, as it is a relic of the time when this was a larger issue.

This was a sign I found at Macy's while at Scottsdale Fashion Square. This sign tells people to cover their mouth and nose while sneezing, use social distancing, and to avoid things like shaking hands. However, the time I went to Macy's did not have many restrictions in place. Some customers chose to wear masks, but at the point in time I went, it was not high alert.

This is an Instagram post from dontfollowpatrick. This is a meme posted regarding bodily autonomy. For pandemic skeptics, "my body, my choice" has been common rhetoric with things like masks and vaccines. Dissenters claim that it is not a valid argument because the actions of one person in a public health crisis affect other people around them. With things like abortion, it is seen as an individual decision that does not affect others the way not wearing a mask would.

This is an Instagram post from createandimpressla. This company is offering customizable masks, where you can submit and image you like and have it be made into a mask. The picture attached shows just some ways people have customized masks.

This is an Instagram post from haironflorida. The post says that the staff will continue wearing masks, but people are given the option of not wearing mask if they wish.

This is an Instagram post from physicianendocrinologist. This is about a changing mask policy at the endocrinologist office that posted this. It encourages people that are immunocompromised to wear masks though.

This is an Instagram post from janelhickox. It is about a COVID wedding, and part of the wedding included masks with the couple's date.

Confronted with what may appear to be a series of global crises - health, environmental, economic and even democratic - the ideas on the virtues of what is local and rural are becoming increasingly heard. This article aims at putting this return to locality in historical perspective. For almost three hundred years, Western societies have gone through profound changes, especially economic ones, at the cost of a break with nature, in a more or less dramatic, and more or less painful way. Throughout our recent history, surprisingly diverse voices (political leaders, artists, activists, etc.) have conjured up this return to the land, which has taken on various forms. This return appears to be a providential solution to these disruptive changes. The health crisis due to Covid 19 seems to have not only confirmed, but also exacerbated this trend.

These are some of the many flyers by the American Samoa Department of Health for the people of American Samoa on information about the where, when, how, what, and why of COVID 19 vaccinations and tests on the island.

Opening up the borders in American Samoa was great news for Samoans that were stuck in the states for a year and a half borders were closed in American Samoa. And just when they think going home would be easy, it wasn't. There were a lot of requirements that were set by the government for travelers to follow when entering the island. This was one of the many requirements that travelers had to follow to ensure the safety of the people of American Samoa. Even if your test came negative upon arrival, you still had to get a second test to make sure that you do not have COVID. Somehow, despite these requirements, restrictions, and quarantine, cases still emerged on the island.

The Governor and Lt. Governor of American Samoa has issued arrival requirements for travelers on the April 7th Hawaiian Air Flight coming into the island. These requirements are to ensure the safety of the people of American Samoa and as well as the travelers traveling to American Samoa from COVID-19.

The American Samoa Department of Health released this flyer for pregnant women that can get vaccinated safely. This is a piece of great information for the public, especially for pregnant women who are wondering if they can get the vaccine.

With schools opening back up in American Samoa, children are required to get vaccinated. As the Department of Health points out that children will not be accepted into school if their vaccinations are not updated. The Department of Health has put out this flyer on June 26, 2012, for the public especially working parents to get their children's vaccination after hours from 4-7 pm on June 27 - July 1.