Watch the video of effigy of Ravana, and other demons being burnt on the occasion of Dussehra, an Indian festival. Hindus over the world celebrate Lord Rama's victory over the demon Ravana, and the triumph of good over evil. With over 7.86 million COVID cases and 119,000 deaths, people in Sharstri Park, New Delhi can be seen celebrating Dussehra with high spirits. To know more about the festival: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/india/dussehra

A 9 year old boy has to walk to school to use the wifi to attend his online classes.

This is a photograph I took when I was clearing out my pockets to wash my uniforms. I work in Law Enforcement, and due to the nature of our work, we are always needing to refresh our PPE and have it ready to go at a moments notice. I hadn't realized how much more often I find myself needing gloves until I noticed the 'Glove Mountain' that has formed on my dryer... Almost all my pockets had gloves or extra mask in them.. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... #GloveUp #MaskUp

Someone who worked with the New York Times left his camera on and decided to masturbate, thinking his camera was off, showing a gross act of sexual misconduct and misunderstanding about when it is appropriate to wank off at work. Key Note: it should really be never, even if you are muted and your camera is off during a meeting, please do not pleasure yourself in the Zoom call.

A simple meme that has been circulating around

Going out is odd. It feels like a battle zone. Is it worth the risk? The virus death rate has lowered significantly... are the masks working? I run errands now, amongst people. We no longer shake hands. Did our interaction rate drop? Perhaps it's the defensive tactics. Washing hands. Sanitizing. maybe most of the weak died... Winter is approaching.

This is a social post made by a student affected by the pandemic in the social media app TikTok. It gives a contemporary storytelling method of a student who is not experiencing normal school experience. It gives a fascinating approach of a student’s life experiencing online school due to covid.

I don’t think I’ve worn jeans, or really anything other than leggings and t-shirts since I started social distancing. I’m pretty sure my makeup drawer hasn’t even been opened since March. I wear a mask when I go grocery shopping, so why even bother? A friend of mine shares Facebook and Instagram posts nearly everyday of herself wearing makeup and a mask that matches her outfit. As you can see from the photo she allowed me to screenshot, she adapted her need for social responsibility to fit with her own personal style. I think it’s time to feel like myself again; maybe get matching Sword Art Online masks for my daughter and I.

Travel during Covid what mostly like any other travel, just with a mask, and people didn't actually want to sit right next to you waiting to board the flights. The actual flights were different, though. The seats were not filled unless you were a member of a party travelling together. That being said, my first class ticket as a single travelling passenger with no other members of my party allowed me to have a full row to myself unlike most flights where everyone is seated in close proximity whether you know the passengers seated next to you or not. It was actually nice in terms of people respecting personal space.

This oral history was conducted for the HST580 Archive course through Arizona State University. The interviewee discusses her life and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The oral history explores the COVID-19 virus and its relation to themes such as, lived experiences, family life, employment, the economy, government, and community.

Coworking spaces could gain new clientele due to the pandemic and interest from employers.

Scott Adams, a graduate student at Arizona State University, lives in Camarillo, California. In this interview, he reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected his life. He highlights the effects the pandemic and quarantine has had on mental health and employment. He also touches on the division caused by COVID-19, politics, and the politicization of the pandemic by both the right-wing and left-wing. Scott also describes the precautions taken by he and his friends to avoid catching the virus, and how the quarantine and the current political divide has affected their relationships.

I like this meme because when the CDC came out with initial guidelines everyone who has been in a classroom was surprised. Anyone, especially teachers and administrators, know that its next to impossible to keep students 6 feet apart and stay in one desk. The initial guidelines, and even some of the current ones, are next to unrealistic for a school environment.

Those that refuse to wear masks could be seen as selfish. I know there are many who can not wear them for medical reasons but most of the non-mask wearers do not fall into this category. I work in a coffee shop, we have multiple signs stating that a mask is required inside. Late one evening, right before close, a woman came in without a mask. She did not have one and refused the one I offered to her. Another employee who did not know this happened because she was in the backroom asked her about a mask. The woman leaned over the counter and was screaming about rights and the government and threw Peter Parker the spider plant at us, one of the many plants we keep along the bar.

During the Covid pandemic lockdown was starting to ramp up and my manager came through the hospital with sheets that basically were to be shown to police or someone who would stop me from driving on the highway, or roads while going to work. This paper stated that I was an essential employee of the UNC hospitals, and that I had permission to leave my house. However many people were not allowed to go to work because their buildings were shut down and local government were not allowing businesses to operate. Some of my friends were let go, my sister was furloughed, and my roommates had to work from home. I never realized that the sheer boredom started to get to people. One of my friends had to take medication for anxiety because not being able to go to work or do anything social was becoming too stressful. While I worked a full 40 hours every week, I found that I had my weekends that I filled with classic films, new TV shows and all types of social media. Cleaning the house every weekend was part of my weekend routine because there was no where else I really felt like being, and seeing the whole hospital cleaned up I started finding things to clean around the house. Within a few weeks I began going to the local lake, Falls lake and would take long walks around it or just sit and watch the sunset, during the later part of the summer I went to photograph the sand storms from Africa that made the sunsets spectacular. While many people had to make things up and go back and forth between work and boredom and being in the same environment all the time, I was given the luxury to see the weekend in a whole new way. With the coming of the summer at the time people were expecting to have a summer hopefully and as can be seen in this video from Wral planning on having outdoor time that they could go about in the old social environments, such as the mall or local shops.

Although the death had nothing to do with COVID I wanted to showcase how many people are being forced to say good bye to loved ones during the pandemic. I attended a funeral this morning through zoom, my friend was killed a few weeks ago in the east coast and today his family laid him to rest. On the plus side I saved on airfare and travel and was able to watch in the comfort of my own home. Most people were live and had their cameras on while others chose to turn them off. Since I was one of those with the camera off, I can say I felt the liberty to mourn as I wished in the privacy of my own space. A few minutes after the service started, I almost forgot I was on a zoom meeting until the sound gave out for a few minutes. The service was like any other I had been to, with eulogies, songs and a picture slide show BUT it was unlike any I had ever been too because it was remote. There were over a hundred people in the meeting from all over the country. Those who were physically in the church wore masks until it was their turn to speak, and the over all theme of social distance and COVID was not lost even among the tears. I snapped a photo to show how I was watching.

I have always enjoyed traveling like so many other people like to do. Having worked for the airline for many years, I have traveled to many airports throughout the world. During this Covid-19 pandemic I was apprehensive about traveling and obviously very nervous to get on an airplane and to be in a airport where there are people from all walks of life, not knowing if any one of those individuals had been exposed to the virus. However, I hadn't seen my family that lives in Michigan in over a year and my mother was turning 85 years old and I decided that if I was careful, I should be okay. So I started planning for my trip. My next dilema was transportation. How would I get there? I coud drive, but, realistically that really wasn't an option. It would take 3 days to get from my house to my parents house and that would mean stopping at restaurants and hotels along the way. How many people would I be exposed to? On a daily basis, the television news media reports Covid-19 numbers and deaths and on this one particular day as I was watching the news, this doctor who was traveling back to his hometown of New Orleans had come down with the virus. They interviewed him in his hospital bed and this is what he said, "I had a mask on, I had gloves on, I did my normal wipes routine ... but obviously, you can still get it through your eyes. And, of course, I wasn't wearing goggles on the flight." At that point, fear and sadness definitely took over. I remember thinking, "will I ever see my family again?" The days that followed I saw on the news that airlines were taking every precaution possible and were very strict regarding mask wearing. I made the decision to book my flight. Unfortunately, there were no nonstop flights from Phoenix to my destination. I had to make a stopover in Chicago for several hours before arriving to my final destination. I have to admit, I was not looking forward to this flight nor was I looking forward to being at the Chicago airport for several hours before boarding my next flight. A couple of days later, my son and I were off to the airport to catch our flight with masks and goggles on and our supply of lysol wipes. I had not been to the airport in almost a year. I did not know what to expect. We were both impressed with the protocal that had been put in place at the airport. No one was without a mask and social distancing was in place. So far so good. When we boarded the aircraft we were given a baggie with bottled water, a cookie and a alcohol wipe. The boarding announcements always included to keep your mask on for the entire flight, making sure the mask covers your mouth and nose. There was no onboard meal or drink service. This was definitely a big change but I certainly agreed with their protocal. As I looked around the flight, I could see that everyone was adhering to the rules. I have to admit that wearing a mask for 3 1/2 hours and wearing googles was not very pleasant but I knew it was not an option for me. The last thing I wanted to do was to expose my family to this terrible virus. There were times when I looked over at my son, his goggles would be all fogged up. The seating arrangement on the flight was actually very nice. All of the middle seats were empty and my son and I had the entire row to ourselves. When we arrived at Chicago O'Hare airport we didn't know what to expect. I know how busy Chicago O'Hare airport is and I was nervous. There are always people that hate rules and like to buck the system and I was sure that I would see people strolling throughout the airport with no masks on. I felt though that as long as we had our masks and goggles on we should be safe. We had a long walk from our gate to the next gate. We noticed that most stores and most restaurants were closed and you could see that people were trying to keep their distance as they were walking through the halls of the airport. We boarded our next flight and the same protocals were in place. We arrived in Michigan and my family was waiting for us outside in their vehicle at the pickup area of the airport. We hugged them dearly and got in the car and took off our masks and goggles and enjoyed our vacation with them. After our vacation ended, my son and I self-quarantined at our house for 2 weeks and we were just fine. My son and I were exposed to a lot of people when we were traveling and I feel that if we would have let our guard down by being careless and not wearing our masks, I feel one of us, or both would have come down with Covid-19. It was uncomfortable wearing the masks and goggles the entire day, but in the end, it was well worth it. In my opinion, if people would just use common sense and wear their mask when they are in public and wear it properly I think we would definitely see the covid numbers go down and perhaps go away. Closing down the economy is not the right answer but following the proper protocal is.

Like most people this day and age I get my news primarily from social media. I also watch the news (both FOX and CNN, just to get some sort of truth) but I was stopped in my tracks when I saw this story. I would have expected a downfall in vaccine trials to be reported by CNN or a democratic news outlet but this came straight from the republic horse’s mouth – Fox news. On the topic of vaccines, it seems that most republicans are not only eager for a vaccine but ready to get one, many democrats are a little more stand-offish about it. I stand somewhere in the middle; I look forward to a vaccine but want it backed by science not only the president. This story by FOX news talks about a volunteer in vaccine trials and how they died. It doesn’t discuss if the volunteer was administered medication or a placebo but it still make me wonder about a potential vaccine and its effectiveness.

With permission from the original poster I wanted to share my friends’ story. Being in the Performing arts has been tough for him since COVID hit, he had a show that was supposed to run right in the midst of COVID and in perfect artistic manner they found a way to make it happen. They held their show in a park and everyone (including the performers) wore masks. In his post he shares the magic of performing arts.

I thought this story was important to preserve. Most politicians who follow President Donald Trump hold him up on a pedestal. In their devoted eyes the President can do no wrong. I was not surprised when Governor Chris Christie contracted COVID, I felt like it was just a matter of time for most of them after the President contracted it. The surprising part was his reaction and revelation after the entered the recovery phase. I was surprised to hear him admit that not wearing a mask was a mistake. I’m assuming that he felt immediate regret because COVID landed him in ICU. He also went on to urge people to wear a mask and protect themselves. This story makes me hope that other diehard Republicans will realize the importance of masks.

This screenshot captures a story published by a local news provider in North Dakota. The story is important because it describes another effect of COVID, relying heavily on technology. Having to organize a women’s march via Zoom showcases the resiliency of people and their dedication to a cause.

Go to travel is a program in Japan that covers certain amount of traveling fee in Japan in order for the economy to boost back up. This program has been somewhat controversial I would say because we are still in a pandemic and we should not really travel around, especially Japan has one of the highest numbers of elderly people, and by traveling we could expose them to the virus. Also, I really do not understand how they can just overlook someone when they are having some kind of symptoms. It is very irresponsible for the tour company to do so and risk others to get the virus. GoToトラベルの対象になっている北海道のバスツアーで参加者など41人のうち12人が新型コロナウイルスに感染したことが分かりました。 　読売旅行によりますと、感染者が出たのは今月中旬に関西地方から新千歳空港に入り、北海道をバスで周遊した3泊4日のツアーです。参加者38人と添乗員ら合わせて41人のうち12人の感染が確認されました。参加者は新千歳空港に到着した際、体温や健康状態を書くチェックシートを添乗員に提出しました。この時、参加者の1人が「せきや喉の痛みなどの呼吸器症状」の項目をチェックしましたが、添乗員が見落としていました。その後、この人の感染が確認されて全員の検査をすることになりました。その北海道では22日に新たに40人の感染が確認されました。このうち札幌市は31人で、一日あたりとしては過去2番目に多い人数です。 It was found that 12 out of 41 participants, were infected with the new coronavirus on a bus tour in Hokkaido, which is a part of GoTo Travel. According to the Yomiuri trip, the infected participants came from the Kansai region in the middle of this month on a 3-night 4-day tour that landed New Chitose Airport and traveled around Hokkaido by bus. Infection was confirmed in 12 out of 41 people, including 38 participants and tour conductors. When the participants arrived at New Chitose Airport, they submitted a check sheet to the tour operator to write down their body temperature and health condition. At this time, one of the participants checked the item "Respiratory symptoms such as coughing and sore throat", but the tour operator overlooked it. After that, this person's infection was confirmed and everyone had to be tested. In Hokkaido, 40 new infections were confirmed on the 22nd. Of these, 31 are in Sapporo, the second-highest number per day in the past.

I saw this as I scrolled Facebook the other day. I must admit that the arts have never really been in my scope of interest. And by that, I mean performing arts and such. COVID has affected my personal life in many ways but I never thought about the arts and how they have all been affected. This photo changed that for me. As a mom, kid sport games would affect me much more but this picture forced me to look outside of my bubble and into the loss and effects of other groups of people. I think the reality of the arts, specifically performing arts, is that it has been on a slow decline for a few years and COVID just caused devastation to that. I hope posts like this pop up on people's feed like it did to me and force people to look outside of their own bubbles.

It's not just Europe that's seeing a major increase in COVID-19 cases again, but also the United States. The U.S. is nearing 8 million cases with a specific rise in cases in the Midwest. The new levels of cases has not been seen since this summer and nearly 1,000 Americans are dying a day.

A Disney take on COVID and how wearing a mask is the easiest thing to do.

I saw this on my Facebook thread the other day and thought it was a funny take on masks and those who refuse to wear them. The cartoon shines a light on the argument about mask and peoples "right" not to wear them. I try to be objective and see situations from different angles but in the mask argument I am dumbfounded by those who refuse to wear them because they feel like its an infringement on their constitutional rights. This country has become so divided because of politics that something as simple as wearing a mask to slow the spread of COVID has become politicized.

Both Spain and France reached 1 million COVID-19 cases this week. Spain was the first country in Europe to reach a million and France followed only a day later. This came as a result of the spike in Europe's cases in the past few weeks.

After a month and a half of paid stay at home time, a Starbucks in Junction City re-opens. The top image shows text, “Our store is temporarily closed” and the description reads “We’re here reopening the store. Come see us this Monday for your favorite Starbucks beverage. Store hours: 6am-4p.” The bottom image shows a group of baristas, wearing masks, back at work. The words pandemic, or covid-19 are nowhere to be found, trying to project a sense of normalcy.

This graph shows the average 7 day increase in COVID-19 cases in Europe, North America, and Asia. Europe has seen a dramatic resurgence in Coronavirus cases in the past few weeks.

This is just a fun news talking about how to look good in meetings despite feeling comfortable in meetings. In japan working from home is “Telework”, like telephone, and they used “Tele” with wear to signify business clothes that is used for remote work. 紳士服大手の「はるやま商事」は20代から30代をターゲットとした店舗でテレワークに合わせ、楽ちんなのに、きちんと決められるビジネスウェア「テレウェア」の提案を始めます。テレワークが続くなか、デニム風でやわらかい着心地のジャケットとの組み合わせやオンライン会議で自分の服装がどのように見えるか店頭で確かめて買うという新しい「試着」のスタイルも期間限定で提案します。 Haruyama Trading Co., Ltd., a major men's clothing company, is a store targeting people in their 20s and 30s, and started proposing a business wear "tele-wear", which is comfortable yet looks put together. As working from home continues, we propose this new "try-on" style for a limited time, such as combining it with a denim-like soft jacket and checking the look at the store to see what your clothes will look like for online meeting.

This is an article that I wrote on July 3rd, detailing how the Philadelphia Phillies placed for players on the injury list because of exposure to COVID-19. This is an important piece to me because it is one of my first forays into sports journalism, and it also shows how the pandemic affected my favorite sport.

The pandemic caused this year’s entire season of the Smite Pro League to be played online. Last year they made the change to play everything in person. THe plan was for the World Championship to have been played in-person at the start of 2021. They decided to move it to an online format instead because of the pandemic. I was planning to go to the World Championship in January 2021. I have attended all previous championship tournaments that they have put on. I was looking forward to this one too. As the pandemic was raging on I was really considering if this would be the first year that I would not go. That decision was made for me. https://www.smitegame.com/news/an-update-on-hi-rez-expo-2021/

This interview was conducted as a part of a COVID-19 archive project. In it she discusses her day to day life, how her life has changed since COVID hit the US, and how her home is coping with those changes. She discusses the effects that COVID has had on her family and community and how it has affected her son who has OCD. Lastly, she discusses her hopes for the future.

My son’s birthday was in May. We usually have a big party for him and invite all his friends. This year, by the time May came around, schools were closed so we did not distribute invitations to his classmates like we usually did. Geographically, we live in a bubble. We live in a rural community in a sparsely populated part of the country. So this year, the party was pared down, and took place outside. We invited only a couple friends who all lived within our little neighborhood and we had maintained close contact with since this all began. All went well, and for that I am thankful.

This is an example of businesses that cannot realistically enforce Covid-19 protocols having to adapt. Music venues across the world have had to either adapt, wait it out, or shut their doors. The owner of the Rebel Lounge is part of the National Independent Venue Association leading the #SaveOurStages campaign.

The front page literally only covers China and Covid-19 conspiracies. The Falun Gong own and run the Neo-Conservative paper. This and the Shen Yun dance trope appears to be apart of the continuous push to reach non-chinese North Americans.

The Mayor of Columbus, MS, Robert Smith, and his office issued a public notice on October 22, 2020 that there should be no door to door trick or treating. In place of door to door trick or treating the city and fellow organizers have planned events for trick or treating throughout the city. This action is helpful and thoughtful for all citizens involved. It allows the citizens to remain safe in their homes if they so wish or it gives citizens the opportunity to celebrate Halloween during the pandemic. Of course social distancing will be practiced for all Halloween events. This is important for children to celebrate a fun holiday while practicing social distancing. Also important to realize the safety and health conditions for others that are at high risk for Covid 19.

This is an article that discusses steps to take while dating someone new during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is a picture of my husband from our trip to Chimney Rock, North Carolina. We had not left our city of Charleston for months due to Covid, but decided to take a small trip for my 30th birthday. The entire time we were playing tourist, we wore our masks and did our best to social distance. In the area we stayed, there were signs everywhere that explicitly said, "You must wear your mask" or "Masks are required". However, many people chose not to wear them or had them on incorrectly. It was a little odd being around so many people during this time, but we made the best of it.

It was only the seventh day of quarantine. While my two younger children, (then aged 6 and 3) were still enjoying the "newness" of learning from home, my oldest child (pictured here at age 10) was done learning from a distance. In these three photos, I captured my son physically crawling across the floor to the dog's bed in order to cry. He would eventually cry himself to sleep simply over having to learn virtually. He had had essentially no warning that his life would forever be changed when he left school on March 13, 2020. He went from school five days a week, hockey practice five days a week, and a constant stream of friends to play with to being shut in his house with his parents and two sisters. From Day 7 (documented in the picture), he did not cope well with the change. This is the first documentation I have of what would be later diagnosed as his depression.

For someone who is single, dating is a huge part of life and socialization. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed huge strain on this, begging the question, is it safe to date? First and foremost, the best advice is to do what is best for you, while taking into account the health and safety of others. If you are interested in dating during the pandemic, take the other person into account and see what they are most comfortable with. This could be as simple as wearing a mask if going out or having a date over zoom. The same ideology should be used when deciding on whether to be inanimate or not. Being safe is key, meaning dating in a pandemic is not impossible.

In 2019 the right-wing party in Bolivia used an excuse to pull off a coup of the government. Sighting irregular election processes. Riots ensued on the streets and within a few weeks, the right-wing power took control. The US government supported the coup before the election and supported them after the coup. 1 year later Bolivia redid their election and people lined up in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic to cast their votes and re-elect the former government. I wonder if Trump will copy Bolivia. I believe Trump would be able to garner enough people and support for intense riots. As well as make a contention to the validity of the election. Regardless, from examing Bolivia, anything is possible.

Conspiracy theorists in Canada believe that the Federal government is planning on creating internment camps and forcing people into them. This is likely due to the government push for funding of federal quarantine sites offered to homeless and other individuals on a voluntary basis.

I can wholly relate to this article. First the shortages of many items such as hand sanitizers, toilet paper, and food in the first few weeks of the pandemic. But after this summer's growing season, I found myself with a lot of vegetables to can and no jars and/or lids in my local stores. I did not keep extra on hand nor did I think to get any until it was time to can. I did find some in Louisville on websites, but I refused to travel there since the numbers were very high. I eventually ordered some with no guarantee it would arrive before my vegetables went bad. But, in the meantime, I would check the stores in hopes a shipment came in before my online orders arrived. My vegetables and fruits needed to be canned or a whole season would be lost for what I could not freeze. I know it sounds silly to some people and the least of worries for others but for me, it was almost a half a year effort. It was food for my family for the next coming months. Next year this will be a funny story but for now, I will add this to my “The Year of 2020” list. I know many people will not see the humor in this but who knew canning lids and jars would be such a hot item. But it in a way does make sense since we were forced to stay home and be creative with our time until we reopened as a society.

The CDC expanded its definition of "close contact." The article states, "The CDC had previously defined a “close contact” as someone who spent at least 15 consecutive minutes within six feet of a confirmed coronavirus case. The updated guidance, which health departments rely on to conduct contact tracing, now defines a close contact as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, according to a CDC statement Wednesday."

Arizona is seeing a surge in its cases again as winter approaches. The state is nearing 1,000 new cases a day with hospitalizations and ventilator usage is increasing.

This post is not my own but it did make me reflect. Social distancing and quarantine are affecting people in a variety of ways. Mostly increasing depression and anxiety. Last week, my cousins twelve year old daughter killed her self. On the outside her life seemed normal, some would even say she lived a privileged life. Internally though, it’s clear that she was suffering. She was silently carrying a heavy burden which because unbearable when she was no longer able to leave the four walls of her home. I can only imagine how many stories there are just like hers. COVID is killing people physically and emotionally.

The closer we get to Halloween the more I’m seeing the creative ways in which people are safely trying to keep the celebration going. This reminder was posted on the Facebook page of Marine Corps base of Hawaii page. My family was stationed there last year and still follow the page now. I chuckled a little when I saw one of the requirements -please use tings while giving away candy. It seems so silly but I guess what ever keeps people safe right? I can understand people’s need to get out and socialize, it seems like very few are willing to continue social distancing. At least people are trying to find alternatives like passing out candy with tongs. Hopefully they won’t get a wave of new COVID cases in base.

Virtual learning has been a pain in the butt for a lot of moms. I don’t think I’ve ever related to someone when it comes to parenting like I did with this Florida mom. Although my daughter is no longer doing virtual learning here in Arizona, I do homework with her and am very familiar with sight words. It’s funny and comforting to know that I am not alone in my feelings.

Have you ever seen a person roll up in an expensive car to later find out they rotate between friends couches at night? Or a girl with a channel purse riding the bus? I thought of both when I came across this meme on Instagram. Since the Second World War, the US has posed as the leader of the world. We’ve boasted economical sucess, technological advances and number one in the sciences. Then COVID hit and our true colors came out. I wouldn’t go as far as this meme and claim that the US is a third world country because we’re clearly not. But we’re also not number one like we pretend to be. We were on top of the world is everyday back in 1945, but that spot is not ours anymore. The current administration has proven inapt in ever sense of the word. And now the world sees us as the posers we’ve become. I’m hoping for better days after these elections.