Items

• 
  2021-08-23

  Jones County, Georgia

  A friend of mine shared her experience with how her child’s school is handling the pandemic and exposure when kids test positive for Covid. She also shared the short conversation with her child’s teacher after receiving an email from the school.
• 
  2021-08-21

  Mask trash

  I went to Sedona to celebrate my birthday with some friends. We decided to do the bell rock hike and as we were hiking and enjoying nature it felt like life before Covid. It was an odd feeling of normalcy. That feeling quickly fled as we got lost on our way back to the parking lot. We ended up walking on the highway back to the parking lot instead of walking through a random trail. As we walked I came across this mask, there’s no way of knowing if it came from a car or a hiker but I was quickly reminded that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Seeing left behind masks always makes me wonder how much mask trash has impacted our environment.
• 
  2021-08-22

  The choice is yours

  More and more I am seeing signs like this all over businesses in Arizona. Although the state of Arizona no longer has a mask mandate, businesses are going the extra mile to make it clear that mask wearing is now a personal choice. I liked this sign because it asks customers to be respectful of the choice to wear a mask or not now that it is no longer a requirement.
• 
  2021-08-16

  Masks at the Child Development Lab on Campus

  Today, after 2 weeks without daycare, ASU reopened its daycare on campus. I dropped my son off at the CDL daycare this morning, and all the kids are now required to wear a mask. This was not a big deal, because I won't let my son go grocery shopping with me unless he wears a mask, he sees his older sister wearing a mask, so the process is normalized. Last night CVS was selling kids masks with a 2-for-1 sale. Since masks always going missing at home, I bought a new one for each of them. This morning I gave one to my son Juli, and it disappeared. He claimed it was in his backpack, but I looked over the bag and didn't see it. So I gave him the second mask, the only clean one left and when I put him in the car I noticed he didn't have the mask. He said it was in his backpack, which I checked quickly and didn't see. I was frustrated and grabbed a mask out of the dirty laundry. On arriving at the CDL, he didn't want to wear the third mask because it was "stinky." I'm sure it was. I told his caregiver what happened and she said they could give him a disposable mask. I took the stinky mask and shoved it in my purse. 10 minutes later the caregiver texted to say she found both cloth masks in his bag, and everything was fine. My poor 3-year-old was right, and I was too frantic to see the truth. I feel like a hot mess mom today.
• 
  2021-08-11

  Exposure to covid in the classroom

  I came across this conversation on a neighborhood app (Nextdoor) of a grandmother pleading for masks and vaccines after learning that one of her grandchildren was exposed to the virus in the classroom. I added a bit of the thread as well to show the different opinions on the matter.
• 
  2021-08-10

  COVID meme

  I think what makes Covid memes so funny is that they are sometimes based on truth...
• 
  2021-08-10

  Facebook conversations

  I came across this conversation on Facebook yesterday. I thought it was a good portrayal of what's going on in society today. As everyone is trying to get back to "normal" businesses are starting to require their employees to get vaccinated. Although most people who are fighting this option hardly ever admit that there are actually three options - get vaccinated, get tested regularly, or find a new job. I found it interesting that the original poster revised his original post to add that he was not looking to debate the vaccine even though it's clear what happened.
• 
  2021-08-10

  Mask Required for Service

  Signs have become so common these days that I often catch myself making sure if a business requires masks or prefers customers not to (I've seen those too). I take an extra moment to enjoy personalized signs like these. I love the solutions to the dumb questions at the end. If everyone would just wear a mask I wonder how low our numbers would be. My favorite part is the last sentence of the paragraph "Do not choose to be the reason the rest of the world is laughing at us."
• 
  2021-08-11

  First day of school

  While many on my social media feed are in arms about tighter vaccine regulations, some realize that the pandemic is not over. As the new school year starts there are many mothers who share in my fear. Covid is still alive and well, new strains continue to form breeding in the bodies of the unvaccinated. The worse part is that this time the elderly seem much safer than our children. Our children are being sent back to school, life has returned to "normal" as the number of hospitalized children continues to rise. I share my fears with this friend who popped up on my feed this morning. Will our kids be safe? Will my daughter get infected? Will there be another lockdown? I too feel like it's become too much to ask for my kids to simply be happy and healthy because both now depend on the actions (or misactions) of others.
• 
  2021-08-11

  If it isn't one thing its another

  I have never realized how different my friends on social media are. Growing up in Los Angeles I have many friends who are all politically and socially like-minded. My husband joined the military and then my social media was flooded with the opposite from my "liberal" friends. The differences of opinions never bothered me and hardly ever showed themselves until Trump became president. It's funny how Trump ignited a flame in so many people. Today with politics fueling everything I still see that clear distinction between my friend groups. The saddest part about the pandemic is seeing how science has been "canceled" and political views have somehow replaced common sense. Because so many Democrats are urging people to get vaccinated it seems like Republicans must refuse. I see posts like the one pictured all the time. There's always a reason to refuse common sense. First, it was because COVID wasn't real, then it was because their right to contract covid was being infringed on. I heard some say robots were being implanted, that the government was running experiments on willing democrats. When the death rate continued to rise, they said the numbers were made up. Today it seems like most covid deniers are claiming that if COVID was real essential workers would not be required to be protected against it. I will never understand their reasoning.
• 
  2021-07-29

  Restaurant That Probably Spits in People’s Food Says It’ll Only Serve Unvaccinated Customers

  This colorful article by Vanity Fair explores the anti-vax, anti-government Huntington Beach restaurant Basilico’s Pasta e Vino. The writer urges its readers to avoid this restaurant and its "anti science" owner.
• 
  2021-07-29

  Basilico’s Pasta e Vino in Huntington Beach

  After submitting a restaurant's sign promoting their anti-vax stance I was curious as to whether or not they were still in business. It turns out this restaurant has made quite a buzz in California. They unapologetically promote misinformation and publically prefer their customers to be unvaccinated but happily took thousands in PPP funds. They have spent money on controversial billboards and are not at risk of losing their liquor license. I'm so interested to see where else this story goes. The last sentence of this article sums up the ignorance of the restaurant owner - “Our stand is for all Americans,” wrote Roman. “They can thank us later.”
• 
  2021-07-28

  Restaurant bans vaccinated customers

  As the Delta variant continues to surge across the country and the world, I am amazed at how many people remain ignorant of the threat. We are quickly approaching our year and a half mark since the first quarantine and at this point, it is very hard for me to believe that there can be people out there that have not been affected in one way or another by this virus. I simply cannot believe that there are people out there that haven't lost a loved one because of this virus. I came across this photo on my Instagram, it was shared by one of my acquaintances. The sign makes fun of vaccination cards, asking patrons to show proof of UNvaccination, it states that they have "zero tolerance for treasonous, anti-American stupidity". I'm not sure how a life-saving vaccine could be treasonous or anti-American. With people still dying, and now children being admitted in record numbers, I wish we could once and for all take politics out of this medical emergency.
• 
  2021-07-28

  The spread of Covid-19

  "cnn Covid-19 cases have jumped as the Delta variant gains in prominence across the US. Every state saw more Covid-19 cases reported in the past week than the week previous, according to John Hopkins University data."
• 
  2021-07-29

  Delta Surge

  "CNN Arkansas Children's Hospital reports a record number of children are hospitalized with Covid-19 as the illness continues to prey upon the state's unvaccinated population. Dr. Rick Barr said parents have been shocked because the messaging has been that kids don't really get sick with Covid-19 - but now child hospitalizations have become more common."
• 
  2021-05-28

  Alaska face mask sign in rural arctic camp

  Cute face mask sign on front of arctic store on the Yukon river in Alaska.
• 
  2021-05-28

  Yukon Social distancing graphic

  Found in entrance of remote camp on the Yukon river in Alaska.
• 
  2021-05-13

  Farewell!

  My work ends here on 5/15/2021, I have curated on this website for 2 semesters at ASU and have read sad stories, funny stories, stories that are strange, and people who seem so lost, It was a nice refresher to see how people reacted to pandemic a lot more than my old job which was captioning hard of hearing people's phone calls. I heard so much more death and depressing tales there than in this archive which I find interesting but I have seen many sides of the pandemic. I did have to caption, not once but twice, old people having phone sex from that job and here have read hundred of children ponder the origin of the COVID-19 virus. It is strange but I have seen and lived many lives this pandemic thanks to my jobs.
• 
  2020

  Zoom mishaps

  During quarantine we used software called Zoom. It allowed us to communicate from our homes and get some work done. It also allowed video connection. There were many goofs--people caught naked, bad hair, uncensored conversations when the mics were unknowingly on, etc. One meme shows the Jetsons which was a 1960s futuristic animated show that was very popular.
• 
  2021-05-05

  Broadway Looks to Reopen at 100% Capacity on September 14

  This article discusses Governor Andrew Cuomo's announcement that Broadway can reopen at 100% capacity starting September 14. Broadway has been shut down since March 2020. It seems like the ability to go to see a Broadway show may be dependent on whether or not a person has had a vaccine.
• 
  2021-02-14

  When Will The DJ Of Luv Grant Me My 1 Request

  In February 2021, Victoria based musician Future Star released their debut album called "When Will The DJ Of Luv Grant Me My 1 Request". The song "Duck Song" explores intimacy during a pandemic with lines like "i wanna be comforted, you can't hold my hand", "throw a blanket over me from across the room", and "we stay six feet away".
• 
  2021-04-30

  High school proms go on, but with COVID-19 restrictions

  Prom has been cancelled across the United States. While this is the case for most places, select locations are finding ways to make prom possible. For a school district in Pennsylvania, this meant having prom on the football field. This allowed them to enforce social distancing while still allowing the students to play games and have fun.
• 
  2021-04-28

  Can employers legally require COVID-19 vaccinations?

  As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to everyone, there are questions about whether or not an employer can require employees to get the vaccine. While making the vaccine required is well within the rights of an employer, it is unlikely this will happen. However, there are many places that are strongly recommending that employees get the vaccine.
• 
  2021-04-28

  COVID-19 Has Hit The Amish Community Hard. Still, Vaccines Are A Hard Sell

  Officials are having a hard time convincing Amish populations to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This has been attributed to cultural differences and it's believed they'll start getting the vaccine once it's been around for some time. In the meantime, there are fears that the communities will have more COVID-19 outbreaks.
• 
  2021-04-20

  Hands-on art classes adapt to COVID-19 restrictions

  Art professors at Saint Joseph's University talk about changes they've made to their courses due to COVID-19.
• 
  2021-04-20

  How Downtown Iowa City plan to bounce back as pandemic eases and shoppers return

  Iowa City has started to formulate plans for fully reopening its downtown area. However, a survey of the stores downtown shows that some business owners are considering selling or closing. In order to help revitalize the community, the city has started efforts to help bring the business more customers.
• 
  2021-04-16

  Creature turns out to be a Croissant

  This was just funny, imagine seeing something from your window calling the authorities in fear only for it to be a pastry.
• 
  2021-04-16

  Junji Ito Reacts to Online Horror Artists

  Junji Ito, a Japanese master of Horror, reacts to online artists' work on an online interview being his usually quirky, few-worded self. Even midst a pandemic, all arts, even horror, are deeply loved, beloved, and shared as a facet of our culture.
• 
  2021-04-13

  ‘Not everyone is going to survive’: Chicago movie theaters continue to struggle amid pandemic

  The movie theater industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. Theater chains like AMC have the ability to file for bankruptcy and scale back locations. For mom-and-pop movie theaters, however, there is no bankruptcy, so many face permanent closure.
• 
  2020-04-13

  Forgot my vaccine card to my second appointment

  I forgot my vaccine card to my second Moderna dose appointment at ASU. It's silly of me to forget about something so major. They asked if I had a photo of it and I thought they wanted it to prove I had received one. I did have a photo but I had covered the information on it for a picture for my story on instagram. They just waived me along and gave me my second dose anyway, they came to me about 5 minutes after my shot with a new vaccine card. Now I have two different vaccine cards, maybe one will be my future "travel id".
• 
  2021-03-22T08:10

  HB-1475, Florida

  An Anti-Trans sports bill preventing transgender women from participating in women's sports in high school. Whether or not you agree with the prospect of transgender women in female sports, this line from the bill seems to be overstepping the boundaries as the possible requirement for high school sports if the student in question seems "suspicious" about what gender they were assigned at birth: "The health care provider may verify the student's biological sex as part of a routine sports physical examination by relying only on one or more of the following: 1. The student's reproductive anatomy; 2. The student's genetic makeup; or 3. The student's normal endogenously produced testosterone levels." (Lines 59 to 66 of the Bill) The fact that a minor, a child may need an examination of their genitals or an invasive test of their endocrine functions or their karyotype (chromosomal makeup) is a horrible thought as it would cause many other sects of people who aren't even transgender, to begin with, to be harmed by this bill. People who are either Intersex (about a 2 in 100 occurrences) or have high testosterone (which cannot be controlled by anyone naturally) could be barred from sports out of fear for the imbalance of sports would just overall cause school sports to be more stress and trouble for students and faculty alike. Plus that is not even to mention the moderate amount of Intersex people who don't even know they are intersex due to phenotypical biological sex not always equating to the genotypical karyotypes people possess and the high amount of genital mutilation of Intersex children at birth, it would cause much more than what people would want from this sort of bill and cause a lot more harm than good.
• 
  2021-04-15

  Kentucky Vaccination Statistics

  Congratulations to the 3 nonbinary people in Kentucky who were vaccinated, however, I believe there could be more as some people might be afraid to select that box or don't know what to select as their gender as many queer people like I do when it comes to medical records as there is a small fear of the worry of facing discrimination in the healthcare field. This graph is both funny and a sign of a sad current present for queer and gender non-conforming people.
• 
  2021-04

  Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey takes over Twitter

  Everyone is obsessing over this one specific golden snub-nosed monkey on Twitter. Why? Don't ask some things are just better left to be enjoyed than questioned. I definitely have felt a million times better after discovering this specific species of monkey (it is very wonderful and charismatic in a strange way).
• 
  2021-04-15

  At least 5,800 Americans infected despite vaccination; California, Washington open up vaccine eligibility

  At least 5,800 people who were vaccinated have contracted COVID-19. Of the 5,800, 400 were hospitalized and 74 died. Since the vaccines are only 90% effective, such infections were expected. The use of the J&J vaccines has been suspended until research into a rare blood-clotting side-effect is complete.
• 
  2021-04-13

  Good, bad and ugly: Covid-19’s impact on the Valley’s tourism sector detailed in study

  Over the last year, Arizona has seen the cancellation of major events due to COVID-19. These cancellations have had a major impact on business and tax revenue. The entertainment, hospitality, and food business have been hit the hardest.
• 
  2021-02-09

  Cuál Es Peor - Menos Acesso o la Duda de la Vacuna?

  Muchos dicen que los latinos tienen menos acesso a la vacuna del COVID pero creo que hay otra razón por lo cual nuestra gente no se estan vacunando. La duda de la vacuna. En este artículo la doctora Marina Del Ríos, médica de la sala de emergencias, explica las barreras enfrentando la communidad Latina y Hispana. Este artículo tambien explica los numeros bajos de los vacunados. Es verdad que hay muchas barreras pero de lo personal e visto mucha duda entre mi communidad.
• 
  2020-08-07

  El artículo que nunca quise escribir sobre la muerte de mi padre por coronavirus

  Natalia Martin Cantero comparte su experiencia con el virus. Describe como llevaba meses ecribiendo de las experiencias de otros y nunca se imagino que estubiera escribiendo de su vida personal. Su padre callo enfermo en Enero, termino en cuidado intensivos y fallecio en Abril de complicaciones a los 75 años. Natalia Martin Cantero shares her experience with the virus. She describes how she spent months writing about others' experiences and never thought she would be writing about her personal life. Her father became ill in January, ended up in an intensive care unit, and passed away in April at the age of 75.
• 
  2021-04-02

  Brazil Crashes Through New Records for COVID-19

  CNN explores the "war like" scenario Brazil is currently dealing with as they tackle a local variant.
• 
  2021-03-27

  Fox News Perspective

  Living in a divided nation I felt it necessary to follow various news outlets. I've realized that many times the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. Actually, I think the truth usually lies somewhere closer to the left side but that's beside the point. I found this post by Fox News to be interesting because it talks about how conservative TV Host Laura Ingram thinks history will be written. I rarely agree with anything Fox News posts but in this case, I agree that history will record the many villains that have been exposed during the pandemic. I agree that many special interests bodies will be listed but I don't think it will include teachers. I don't think it's farfetched to say that the conservative's push to return back to school has more to do with money and less to do with children. It's funny how she says it's time to "follow the science" where were these conservatives when science said masks help stop the spread of COVID?
• 
  2021-04-07

  Brazil is Bearing the Brunt of an Alarming Surge

  MSNBC reports on an alarming surge in Brazil and how it is trying to deal with a local variant and its politicians who still deny the severity of COVID-19.
• 
  2021-04-08

  Covid update from India

  A friend shares an update on how Covid is currently affecting India and the new measures put in place to control the spread. He adds information on the US consulate because he is a US citizen living in India.
• 
  2021-04-10

  Muscogee (Creek) Nation provides mobile COVID-19 vaccine units to help rural Oklahomans get shot

  The Muscogee Creek Nation began a campaign in Oklahoma to provide COVID-19 vaccines to rural residents. The mobile vehicles feature refrigeration units and enough room for three nurses to work on administering the vaccine, completing the paperwork, and entering the data to the online system. "I'm not aware of anyone else taking vaccine into communities via a mobile unit so we are really excited to be able to expand this service into our rural communities and we hope to increase vaccination rates because of it," said Shoneen Alexander-Ross, Chief Performance Officer with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Department of Health.
• 
  2021-04-09

  Prince Phillip just Died

  Prince Phillip died after many jokes of him dying due to his last hospital visit at the drop of a hat. Well today, as of 4/9/2021, he has been pronounced dead, and my favorite thing about it all is how people are just now realizing that he and Queen Elizabeth were related, I thought it was more known but in hindsight, I guess that being more public would not be a very good image for the Royal Family. As someone who disagrees with the concept of the Royal Family probably knows too much about their transgressions and issues than the average person.
• 
  2021-04

  Intel creates an Automatic Censoring System

  Intel creates a new program called Bleep to help more people feel comfortable in the online gaming community, the only issue is that the program looks ridiculous. With toggleable n-word and a scale of misogyny you can choose from, it seems more like a right-wing pundit piece on how censoring will end up, as much as tackling the issue of hate on the online gaming community is it is just baffling how hilarious the interface is.
• 
  2021-04-07

  Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Diary-Day 2

  DAY 2: 4/7/21 8:30am. I woke up feeling a bit better. My eyes were very sore and hurt, and my body was slightly sore. I definitely was not feeling 100%, but I managed to take an 9 am exam and attend two more classes right after that. My friend had asked if I wanted to study together and maybe go to the pool the day before. I told her that if my side effects weren't bad, I'd be down to study, but I was probably not able to swim that day. When I woke up, I was in the mood to swim, but was not feeling well enough. 4:00pm: I finished most of my work and got ready to go out. I went to Starbucks to grab a coffee and work outside with my friend. By then, I was feeling much better emotionally. 5:00pm: My friend asked if I wanted to go to her pool. I realized that I felt so much better, and accepted. By the time we got to her pool, I felt 100% better and was able to socialize with my regular energy. This concludes the end of my diary for my Johnson and Johnson Vaccine experience. I am writing this from Day 3, and I no longer have any symptoms. I have asked various people about their experiences, and the overall conclusion is that it depends on the person. Some people get symptoms the next day, some people's symptoms last more than 2 days, and some people don't get any side effects at all. My symptoms only lasted around 6 hours. Overall, my vaccine experience was nothing surprising and went smoothly. Although the side effects were not ideal, they are more of a minor inconvenience.
• 
  2021-04-17

  North Dakota begins testing sewage for COVID-19 variants

  Like many other states, North Dakota has started to test their sewage for COVID-19 variants. Although the testing can't track down the virus to specific households, it can determine if the city still has COVID-19 and what variants are present.
• 
  2020-04-06

  Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Diary-Day 1

  DAY 1: On 4/6/21, I received a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vaccine courtesy of my university. Although out of my control, I was determined to not experience side effects. I woke up somewhat late, so I only had time to eat half a Cliff bar on the way there. I did not drink that much water either. I finished my shot at 11:46am. I don't really mind needles, but I will say that the vaccine shot hurts very slightly more than the flu shot. I think the needle has to stay in for longer. Nevertheless, it was just a short pinch, not bad at all. The process was very quick. After my shot, I sat in the lobby, where I was instructed to wait 15 minutes just in case I had a bad reaction. After my fifteen minutes were up, I received my vaccination card. Although many people do, I chose not to post it on social media. I carried about my day as usual. It was only around 9:30pm when I finally started to feel the side effects. It was ironic because right after I told my friend I felt fine, I felt the aches. Throughout the night, my body felt sore and achy, like I worked out the day before. Stretching made it feel better. At 11:30pm, I was getting fever symptoms. I was extremely tired and had chills, despite being told that my skin felt very hot. I kept shivering despite being wrapped up in a blanket. While I was uncomfortable, the side effects were more of a mild inconvenience. If need be, I could've continued to carry on my day. But it was getting late and I had an early exam the next day, so I decided to snuggle up in a blanket and watch videos until I fell asleep.
• 
  2021-04-04

  464 new COVID cases in Arizona on Sunday, April 4

  Only six states reported lower COVID-19 cases than Arizona on Sunday, April 4. Though averages and daily counts for the state have trended down, the total cases and deaths are still among the worst.
• 
  2021-04-04

  Buying KN95 masks

  Today I bought a package of KN95 masks for the first time. Between my partner and I, we have more than a dozen cloth masks, and sometimes we double-up on them, but more than a year after the start of the pandemic, it is funny to think that this is the first time I have bought a package of medical-grade masks. The reason I did it contains another irony—I am vaccinated so I am considering going out slightly more often, when I do so, I want to be sure that I am still practicing as much safety as possible.
• 
  2021-03-30

  Racial Equity In Vaccination? Dialysis Centers Can Help With That

  Dialysis patients fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19. Many dialysis patients are also Black or Latino, both have groups that have high COVID-19 rates and low rates of health care access. The Bidan administration has announced plans to have dialysis clinics distribute vaccines to patients, which will help the vaccination rates of the high-risk communities.