Items
Tag is exactly
essential worker
-
2020-10-15
COVID Scare
Going through the pandemic, I always knew how serious the situation was especially considering how large the number of cases were in Arizona. However, despite all of the people that were getting sick, I never had anyone that I knew who contracted the virus through most of the Pandemic. That was until late 2020. Now due to the precautions I knew I had to take, the only two places that I ever really visited apart from staying at my own home were my parents' houses. My mom and step-dad were extremely cautious when it came to the Pandemic and so too were my dad and step-mom however, I knew because my dad was an essential worker he would be exposed a bit more. One October day, my heart sank when I got a call from my Father telling me that he tested positive for the virus. This sparked a number of fears throughout my head like: "Is my father going to be okay, especially considering he has pre-existing conditions that would make it worse?", " When was the last that I was exposed to my father in timing when he tested positive for the virus?", "Who else could have gotten sick from my father... my step-mom or worse my 6-year-old sister?". The first thing I did, despite remembering that luckily it had been about two weeks from seeing my father, was get tested. I ended up testing negative, but I was extremely worried for my father and my step-mother who I later learned also contracted it. This was the first time I ever dealt with knowing that someone I knew that was close to me got the Virus. I truly feared for my family member's lives. I remember constantly calling my father to see how he was doing and hearing the struggle with the virus in his voice. Luckily, both my parents would make it through the sickness okay. My sister also was able to be taken care of by my step-aunt which was also a relief. As time passed and as my family tested negative for COVID-19, I would be able to visit them again. But, now I truly understood the severity of the pandemic and that the virus held no bias in who it targeted. -
2020-06
A College Student Surviving the Pandemic
I chose my Target employee card from when I worked there over the past summer in my hometown, Venice, FL. I chose this object because it represents to me the pandemic when everyone was at their worst, during all the main lockdowns. I keep it in my wallet because I still somehow have an employee discount. But every time I pull it out, I am reminded of that scary summer of when no one knew what was going on or what was going to happen. -
2021-01-24
Registration Methods for the COVID-19 Vaccination in Indonesia
In this Indonesian article on the main government website, they list out steps in which an individual can register to get themselves vaccinated. This article was digitally published on January 12, 2021, so the process is still ongoing. They provided four ways of registration: through a text message process when dialing *119#, through a phone application called “Pedulilindungi”, through the website http://pedulilindungi.id/ or through their local community officer. Furthermore, they did emphasize that their priority vaccinations, other than medical personnel, would include a numerous range of essential workers — such as the police, public transportation managers, and religious leaders. Indonesian news source Kompas digitally published the same information a few days prior while including that the text messages would not be charged. These articles were personally translated. -
2020-11-30
Premier blames South Asian community for spike in Covid cases
This article was made in response to comments made by the premier of Alberta, Jason Kenny towards the South Asian community of Calgary. In particular, Kenny had attributed the social gatherings and “tradition” of the South Asian community being the cause for a spike in Covid cases throughout the province. His comments were viewed as an extension of rising anti-Asian racism throughout the province, which can largely be attributed to the rhetoric of U.S. president Donald Trump as a means to escape liability for mismanaging the pandemic response. The community he blamed in particular is traditionally working class, who are employed in much of the city’s service and logistical jobs which are essential to the province as a whole. From food vendors, taxi drivers, cleaners, city employees – the frontline workers, those who are exposed most to the virus. Even more so, Jason Kenny’s comments caused further anger as he was somehow unable to assign the same blame to the swaths of mask-less protestors who marched in large groups throughout the province in defiance of government mandates in the following week. I believe this artifact would prove useful to the collection of Social Justice, mainly it is another Canadian experience based in the growing racialization/politicization of the covid-19 pandemic, and the ways in which conservative governments have attempted to scape-goat their own failings onto vulnerable communities. As throughout the pandemic, especially in the Western World, there has been an unnerving attempt to racialize the pandemic. Such as placing the blame on Chinese people, then Asian people as a whole; similarly this extends to working-class communities who man the frontlines to keep society functioning as normal. These communities (in regards to Calgary) are primarily composed of new immigrants who were not born in Canada, by Jason Kenny blaming these people for the upsurge in cases, he is exemplifying a racist generalization towards the entirety of the South Asian community of Calgary. In regards to Canada, this item matters to display that our pandemic experience was no different in that it illustrated the stark racial divides throughout the province, once compared to the primarily white ‘freedom’ marchers (who were also in the company of fascist/white-supremacist organizations such as the Proud Boys, Sons of Odin) walked proudly through our cities mask-less with little to no government comments as similar to Kenny’s on the SA community. I want to add these to the collection of Social Justice, as articles like these were first spurned on by anti-racist activists who initially heard Kenny’s remarks. What followed shortly after was a provincial outcry directed towards the premier for his questionable history in regards to racism. Situations like these prove that there is systemic racism at work within the government of Alberta, as the government racialized the issue of Covid-19, while looking away from the predominantly white mask less marchers. -
2021-01-22
How covid has affected me
Even though I don't know a lot of people who have been infected by COVID that doesn't mean it hasn't affected me. The best example of this is with my teacher who has recently caught COVID. This has affected some of the classes I've been in. Making it so I don't have a teacher. -
2020-05-12
Making this Moment in Time: My Covid-19 Reality
This is my story and my truth regarding my moment in time in my new Covid-19 reality. This story was originally done in May 2020 on behalf of a contest I entered for the Bronx Community College Spoken Word Club. It expresses what I was feeling and going through during that exact time at the height of the pandemic. -
2020-12-01
Nova Scotia government has spent $580M so far responding to the pandemic
This article details how much money the government of Nova Scotia allocated to different sectors of the Nova Scotian economy during the pandemic. -
2020-12-08
Working through a pandemic
The experience submitted is to inform people of working conditions during the Covid-19 pandmeic. -
2020-12-04
Meme about Mistreatment of Essential Workers
Meme about essential workers and how hard they work. -
2020-11-12
Working in Health Care During a Pandemic
Back in March when we all went into quarantine as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, I immediately got a call from work saying that they needed people to work because the elder staff had called out. I work as a Pharmacy Technician at a family-owned local pharmacy called Keyes Drug. I have been working here for almost four years, but at the time I had stopped because of living in the city at my college dorm. Once we got sent home, it was all the more reason to step up and work. So I started working at the pharmacy again almost full time every day when this craziness was going on. I got used to the routine of cleansing and wearing a mask, and the life of an essential worker during a pandemic. It was an absolute nightmare. We had no staff and I had to manage three people’s jobs. People were rude and angry all the time, but it wasn’t surprising considering they were stuck at home for weeks that would turn into months. I wasn’t able to take breaks most days, which caused me to lose a lot of weight in 3-4 months. At the end of the day, I knew I was doing service for the people of my community by providing them with medical care and their prescriptions. On the bright side, I was making money while my mom was unemployed, so I was able to help out a little. In times like these, we young people have to step up and take responsibility when the elderly can’t. -
2020-12-02
Food Service Workers Experience Increased Sexual Harassment during Pandemic
These are screenshots from the timesupnow Instagram page. A December 2020 report on food service workers in NY state found that they are experiencing decreased tips when they attempt to enforce social distancing rules and increased incidences of sexual harassment. -
2020-11-17
Women Face Unique Issues During Pandemic
For millions of working women, the coronavirus pandemic has delivered a rare and ruinous setback. Job losses, childcare closings and remote schooling are not just pushing women out of jobs they held, but also preventing many from seeking new ones. -
2020-11-19
The Journal of a Common Man
To show the hardships and happiness throughout the pandemic year of 2020 -
2020-07-23
Snap Judgment podcast episode on covid-19 in San Quentin state prison (CA)
Podcast episode produced by Snap Judgment in which they look at covid-19 outbreaks in San Quentin prison -
2020-04-13
Kids for Positive Change make signs to thank essential workers
This photo is of a child holding a handmade thank you poster for healthcare workers and other essential workers. The children who made these thank you posters wanted to show their appreciation for essential workers around them locally and around the world. He is thanking them for their service and staying at home so that he will be healthy for them. -
2020-05-01
Walmart Associate Checks Coworker’s Temperatures
The day this photograph was taken was the day that my father, a Wal-Mart employee, was commissioned to begin taking the temperature of all Wal-Mart employees in the store. His regular duties were covered by another employee and each time a fellow coworker entered the building, they had to have their temperature read, recording, and asked a number of questions to ensure it would be safe for them to work their shift that day. This was never a procedure until COVID-19 spread and Wal-Mart employees were deemed “essential workers”. -
2020-05-01
What I did During Lockdown
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. -
2020-08-16
Nurse Meme
This is a meme that was sent around the COVID unity among the nurses that my sister shared with me. I thought it was a funny way the nurses make the best of their situation and try to laugh whenever they can. -
2020-03-25
Flying across country with empty seats
Pictures from both an empty plane across country and also an empty hotel where I was staying during work travels in late March 2020. Despite the pandemic I was an essential worker and therefore was traveling across country multiple times a month during March, April, and June 2020. This flight was San Diego to Atlanta and the hotel was also in Atlanta where I was one of three guests in a hotel with hundreds of rooms. -
2020-03-23
Caffeine, Essentially
When news of the pandemic reached my area, one of my biggest concerns was whether or not I would be able to keep working. As a Starbucks employee, I wondered if what we did fell under the category of "essential worker". Sure enough, we are essential to many of the doctors, nurses, and other first responders who are truly essential in this time. Starbucks as a company immediately took precautions to be able to safely serve people who came to their establishments, as well as ensure the health of their workers. For the first two months of the pandemic, we operated as a drive-thru only store. It was truly startling to see all of the café furniture pushed to the walls, and once the sun came up it looked even more bizarre to see a quiet, empty area, where it is usually crowded and noisy. -
2020-10-16
Selling Coffee during the Plague Year
A journal of a Starbucks employee working during the pandemic. Describes the ways in which the company provided in ways adequate and not. Six weeks of paid stay-at-home that spiraled into depression, and the mounting stress from working with the public, and the pressure to open space for customers to stay in store. -
2020-10-15
Do You Know I'm Smiling?
I pride myself on being a friendly southerner, mainly while out shopping or eating at restaurants. I know retail and food service employees have very difficult jobs, so I always try to be friendly, understanding and tip well. One of the ways I’ve always tried to appear friendly is by smiling. But now with the COVID-19 pandemic, masks are required pretty much everywhere. Essential workers are overworked, and now my face, covered with a mask from the nose down is hiding my smile. They cannot tell how friendly I appear; now I just have to try and say loudly(so they can understand me from behind the mask), that I don’t mind how long I had to wait, I understand they are busy, and it’s okay. I usually try to ease their concern with a nice smile. I never realized how much not being able to smile at people would impact me. I’ve never felt more pressure to “smile with my eyes” or “smize” as Tyra Banks would famously tell the models on the America’s Next Top Model television show. Life’s hard for smilers, no one can see our beautiful expressions with masks on. -
2020-03-01
COVID and RETAIL
It shows a fresh perspective of someone working in retail during a pandemic. -
2020-10-08
Essential Worker
The object that I have uploaded reflects several aspects regarding the pandemic as it presents an implication as to the spread of Covid-19 throughout the United States, methods regarding the prevention of the transmission of Covid-19, as well as the efforts of companies, in this case Dollar General, to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. On its own, as the mask of a Dollar General Employee from Sevierville, Tennessee, the object brings with it the implication that, in the event that evidence for Covid-19’s spread within East Tennessee is lost, there was at least a concern within the Dollar General corporation regarding the spread of Covid-19 into the East Tennessee area. The object, as a photograph of a mask, also provides information about the ideas circulating at this time to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, such as the donning of a mask to cover the mouth and nose. The object also informs regarding the efforts of retail corporations, in this instance Dollar General, to curb the spread of the pandemic through their establishments and across the nation, such as providing official masks for their employees to utilize. The uploaded object is important to me because it is a reminder of the various reactions, primarily from customers, to the spread of the pandemic within a retail-based environment. Among these reactions has been the bulk purchasing of certain products once they are restocked, specifically Lysol and alcohol but toilet paper and hand sanitizer were also frequently bought in the early months of the pandemic, as well as the influx of various hand sanitizer and face mask based products to be purchased. Aside from what items are frequently purchased, the customers of the store also react frequently to the implementation of face masks within the store as many comment on their lack of comfort while a minority speak positively about their benefit in preventing the spread of Covid-19, though the majority of customers make no comment at all regarding face masks. -
2020-10-09
covid, religion & public life reflection assignment
I wrote almost four times the required wordcount as a general reflection on this time period in my life & what it's been like balancing work problems and academics and bad mental health this year and these past couple months for this round of classes. I had some tension I needed to get off my chest, apparently, but I survived this first half of the fall. It is draining to be faced with at least a handful of people every day who radiate contempt for your safety or the dozens who behave carelessly, repeatedly, carelessly or the few who make obstacles of themselves to prove a point. It is draining to not be alone all year and yet pretend, by and large, that all is mostly well, all year -
2020-10-08
When Netflix binges lead to philosophical contemplation
During the time of social distancing I have embarked on many a Netflix binge, as have so many others. Today I want to reference one line from one particular show that has been stuck in my head these past few months. “What We Owe To Each Other” is a line in the NBC series The Good Place, and is referencing the title of a book by T. M. Scanlon. The show deals with complex moral, philosophical, and even religious questions in a quirky, humorous way. I did not have much philosophy knowledge when I started watching The Good Place, nor have I read Scanlon’s book, but the show fulfilled its purpose in getting me to think a little more critically about the world around me, and to ask myself “what do we owe each other?” At this point in time everyone, myself included, is starting to feel the fatigue of living in a pandemic for months. It’s easy to think only of ourselves, of the things we’re missing out on. But what if instead we think about what we owe each other? Yes, wearing a mask can be inconvenient, but I owe it to the people I pass by in the grocery store not to intentionally put them at risk for infection. Their lives are equally valuable to mine. When I look at someone as I walk past them I think about what their story might be. Do they have children? Grandchildren? An elderly relative they care for? An underlying medical condition? What hopes and dreams do they have for the future? And shouldn’t I do everything in my power to help keep those things safe? When I think of it in those terms suddenly wearing a mask doesn’t seem all that difficult. I work in the healthcare field. You may think that means I’m going to talk about what we owe each other in a caregiver/patient relationship, but I feel like the previous paragraph applies in that scenario too. What I actually want to talk about is what we owe each other in an employer/employee relationship. Healthcare and other essential workers have been lauded as heroes by the media and the public, and I have received many emails from leadership at work thanking everyone for their hard work during these trying times. But what do words mean, if not accompanied by actions? We live in a capitalist society, and healthcare is not immune from profit-driven business practices. At my job, in order to recover from financial losses, leadership has decided not to give raises next year, and also to stop contributing to our retirement plans. This is in addition to cutting hours with mandatory use of paid time off hours, while still holding the same productivity expectations. But is that really what we owe each other? What about an employee’s children? Grandchildren? Responsibilities? Hopes and dreams for the future? If I can be ok with being inconvenienced to protect the lives and livelihood of strangers in the grocery store, can they not be inconvenienced for me? I believe that, in general, individuals are good. But as a society we have a long way to go. -
2020-08-01
2020: A Wild Year of Change
I feel like this photo is a great representation of what 2020 has been in my life. For me, 2020 started with a bang. At the beginning of January, I was flying across the country to California with about 10 people for my wedding. We were determined to start the year off big and what’s bigger than going somewhere you’ve never been to marry your partner of 10 years?! It ended up being even better than we had planned. Looking back, I am so glad that we decided on a random Wednesday in January to get married because if we would have waited, it never would have happened. This is one of our wedding photos, just the two of us holding hands, looking towards the future, and ready to take on anything…little did we know what was in store. We weren’t even out of the honeymoon phase when February hit and rumors started flying around about news of a deadly virus that was becoming a major deal in most of the world. We worried what would happen if it became a problem in the United States and how would that affect our family. By the end of the month, we were traveling to our best friend’s intimate wedding, while wondering if we should even be attending (my husband was the best man). On our way out of town, I got a text from a friend telling me our city was going to announce a lock down that weekend and would probably take effect on Monday. We stressed and cursed ourselves for leaving but we were only 20 minutes away from our destination. A few hours after the wedding ended, the city announced the lock would be happening. We were so thankful that we had recently gone grocery shopping since we knew a panic would begin. The next days were us waiting to know if I would still have a job. The city deemed brewery production “essential” so off to work I went. It was eerie. The brewery staff met, and we discussed our options on a short-term and long-term basis. There would be a lot of switching to the full-time employees taking over all responsibilities in order to meet salaries and keep our jobs. It seemed like an okay plan and I was just thankful to have a job. While the days, weeks, and months dragged on, each day became more draining and grimmer. Was it worth it to be living in a city we were planning to leave before the pandemic happened? Was it worth it to be working a job with increased stress and less hours/pay? My husband is self-employed, my job is deemed “essential”, but I had qualifications to take those skills anywhere. I’m working on a bachelor’s and my husband is almost finished with his master’s. I did awful in the Spring semester due to work related COVID-19 stress and was ready for a change. We were already going to leave but we became too afraid to follow our plan. After a long night of discussing stress and how our living situation was just causing us depression, we decided there was no time like the present to change our stance in life. We could follow stay at home orders no matter what our address was, and social distancing is the same everywhere. I put in my notice at my current job and we both began the job hunt. I landed a job within a few weeks and that was it. We had to set this into motion. We have been in California for almost three months and it was the right decision. We both have jobs that make us happier, we’re content staying at home in our new place when not at work, and I have all A’s in college! While it is extremely hard to see any kind of light or hope during such a tragic and extreme pandemic, life does continue. My bills and rent are still due every month. I still have to acquire a paycheck and take care of my family. And I deserve to do them in a place with lots of sunshine in my backyard perfect for hanging with the family and studying. -
2020-10-08
In the times of a Pandemic
The year of 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. No matter if your young, old, rich, poor, a new born, or a high school student. Things has been pretty tough. The world introduced to a virus that could kill people known as the Corona Virus. Into the 4th month of the year, children were forced to stay home, and the working class unless they were an essential worker were moved to work from home. Who would have thought that big companies would have majority of their workers take advantage in the work from home program. Many Americans had found themselves taking on new challenges that they didn't think they were ready for. Children are no longer going to school, but instead they are learning through a virtual experience. Their parents are not only working from home, but also taking on a second role as teacher to help their children. This year has been a whirlwind for many, but through meditation and allowing our lungs to be filed with the air that we breath, everything takes a standstill. With this being said, I have found new hobbies and ways to help my well being in this chaotic year. I chose to highlight the Namaste photo because it represents the fact that we need to all take a deep breath and say everything is going to be okay. I hope that you can do the same by breathing in and out, and focusing on the good! -
2020-07-14
Managing through COVID-19 #REL101
I cannot upload personal pictures from work, but I have been managing a Starbucks through COVID-19. This is an official Starbucks Partners Instagram post of some of our safety plexi-glass guards on our bars to reduce contact between our partners, and our mandatory mask policy. I have spent anywhere between 40-60 hours a week at work this whole time and so I thought it most appropriate to speak on my experience as an essential worker. In the beginning of the pandemic, we were changing rapidly and frequently, with so many conference calls I could barely keep up. I was incredibly new in my role as Store Manager, so when we shut the cafe's down across the company it made it very hard for me to create relationships with my regulars, but I got to know my baristas very quickly. My team has become very close and work together more like a family than anything else. During the lockdown portion of the pandemic, we were the only people we saw outside of our families for about three months. This whole experience has made me seek out new hobbies and really appreciate my time with my friends (when I can see them) because you never know how long it may be until you see them again. At my location, we are training our new staff in order to try to get our cafe back open soon. It has been so long now that it will be very strange for the newer staff to see people inside our building for the first time. -
2020-03
COVID-19 story
Around the date that this image was taken was when the initial wave of COVID-19 began. I chose this image to best reflect my experience with COVID-19 because this was also around the time with the George Floyd shootings. As such, this document was handy for various reasons. For one, being an African-American male was a very unique experience at the time, since Floyd’s shooting brought about both people who supported either the BLM movement or was against it. The connection with COVID-19 was that during that point in time during the Floyd shooting, COVID-19 was not the main headline. However, as a consequence to the protests and COVID, curfews were put in place in various states nationwide. This image helped protect me from any unnecessary confrontation that could occur after curfew hours. During a time where there was already enough tension between African-Americans and law enforcement, I did not want to put myself in a situation where I could be compromised. In addition, this image will go down in history for future generations to see of the overall impact that COVID-19 had globally. This pandemic made drastic changes to the way of life in which we lived – from curfews to furloughing employees, to food and toilet paper shortages. This image reminds me of my experience with COVID-19. Around the date that this image was taken was when the initial wave of COVID-19 began. I chose this image to best reflect my experience with COVID-19 because this was also around the time with the George Floyd shootings. As such, this document was handy for various reasons. For one, being an African-American male was a very unique experience at the time, since Floyd’s shooting brought about both people who supported either the BLM movement or was against it. The connection with COVID-19 was that during that point in time during the Floyd shooting, COVID-19 was not the main headline. However, as a consequence to the protests and COVID, curfews were put in place in various states nationwide. This image helped protect me from any unnecessary confrontation that could occur after curfew hours. During a time where there was already enough tension between African-Americans and law enforcement, I did not want to put myself in a situation where I could be compromised. In addition, this image will go down in history for future generations to see of the overall impact that COVID-19 had globally. This pandemic made drastic changes to the way of life in which we lived – from curfews to furloughing employees, to food and toilet paper shortages. This image reminds me of my experience with COVID-19. #REL101 -
2020-10-04
#REL101
A bit of my experience living in coronavirus pandemic -
2020-06-01
Life During Covid-19 Digital Pop-Up Exhibition
Students in Dr. Michael J. Kramer's Digital Methods for Historical Projects seminar at SUNY Brockport share stories about one object from the spring of 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, https://brockportkramer.com/covid19/. Alan Gowans—Getting Past Personal and Public Anxieties Carson Werner—The Day Baseball Stood Still Cecil Frazier—Double Standards Gilberto Diaz III—Memes of COVID-19 Education Jared Rosenberg—Diary From a Mini-tunnel Joe Lasky—The Twitch and the Rosary Jordan Aviles—Music and Other Necessary Items Joseph Massaro—Music as an Escape From (and Turn to) the New Abnormal Leslie Hoag—TikTok-ing History Connections Nate Mundt—Recognizing First Responders Ryan Gibbs—Am I Doing It Right? Samantha Symonds—Saving Lives or Saving the Economy? Sebastian Phipps—Living In a Twenty-First Century Pandemic Steven Willard—Brutal and Grim Realizations Will Secules—Bringing The Office Home -
2020-09-29T15:55:00
What a time to be ALIVE ? COVID-19. 2020
My My My what a time to be alive. COVID-19 has put things into perspective for me personally as far as pursuing a career in the medical field which Ive always had a passion for. Just like anything COVID-19 has its pros and cons, mostly cons but I try to see the light in everything. My personal experience with COVID-19 has been pretty close. Being an essential worker, a student, and having people you care about contract COVID-19 is heart wrenching. Things shifted quickly for me in March. I vividly remember working at a Dermatologist office in LI. and one of my co-workers that went to Molloy College said their school had closed school down, but CUNY was still in school which was alamaring to me but I paid it no mind. I noticed that my co-worker had been sneezing and coughing, but again I didn't think it was COVID-19, and it wasn't in America like it was in China. On March 22nd I received an email from my doctor that my co-worker tested positive for the virus. I am in close proximity to her at the office and in her car when she drops me off home. Now I am worried for my families well being including mines. My sister is a city essential worker, she is a supervisor for NYCHA groundmens, my mom works for a Utility company, and my niece is 5 years old. I never displayed any symptoms so I didn't get tested. My immediate family is safe and sound as well. I ended up leaving that job, because the doctor was money hungry, and didn't really care about the safety of his employees. I later found out that his son had tested positive for the Virus, and he was still coming to work, we also never closed down for 14 days, perhaps 7. Now I only have one job which is for another Doctor, an Optometrist, we closed down for about 6-8 weeks. The Rockaways which I reside and work in has one of the highest COVID-19 cases in Queens county. I live close to St.John's Hospital and walking past those trailers on a day to day basis is very sad, especially knowing what lies inside. To make things “better” On April 8th I found out my Best friend contracted the virus along with her sister that is a Nurse, and dad that is a Welder. My friend already has pre existing health conditions such as UC (Ulcerative colitis.) My spirit was low when I got the news. Luckily for me my best friend is still here. It took her about a month to fully recover at home with plenty of rest and antibiotics. On August 19th, I thought I would certainly lose my 97 year old grandmother that resides in a nursing home because she too tested positive for COVID-19. However, she was asymptomatic, the nursing home kept us abreast of her daily progression which put us at ease. The nursing home quarantined her for 2 weeks and she pulled through no ventilator and was pretty healthy. Some good things I will take from COVID-19 is the much needed family time and mental break from society. As New Yorkers we are always on the go and I feel we don't get time to appreciate what we have in front of us. This was the time to start the healthy journey, learn to love yourself, relax, do an at home mani and pedi, binge eat, play video games, watch tv, read a book, make a budget, maybe even start a business, and most importantly learn to love and appreciate life no matter what the situation is. Everyone is fighting or going through something you know nothing about and will always be going through something whether it was precovid, postcovid or during COVID-19. Just remember to always look at the lighter side of things and smile.It will get easier with time. -
2020-03-10
Living in the middle of a global pandemic
My experience about the pandemic is that it was not easy. I am an essential worker. I work as a cashier at Whole Foods Market and a full time student so since the pandemic has started, we have taken precautionary steps moving forward at both work and school. School has been a little bit tougher because I have to maintain more discipline in getting my assignments done on time and I don't have the resources that I used to have such as being able to go to the library when I cannot focus at home. -
2020-06-01
The Decision and the Opportunity
Months had gone by during the Covid 19 pandemic and for college students like myself, it began to take a toll on me mentally. It wasn't easy to say the least to stay at home and start remote learning. It was even harder being a journalism major and having to cover what was routine press conferences about death and despair ravaging New York City. But as the semester came to an end , frustration began to mount for me as there seemed to be no end to this nightmare. I grew tired of being at home day after day with no option but to stay inside. I saw many of my peers take advantage of the time being in lockdown to make some extra money. That was motivation enough to get against my parents wishes in hopes to get ahead when all this was over. The job was simple -- make grocery deliveries to apartments in the lower east side. The streets were completely empty , something out of a horror film where you’re the last person on earth. The only problem was , my mom was an essential worker and she saw first hand what covid did to people and their loved ones around them. Also my brother being a diabetic meant he was more susceptible to covid which I was putting all that risk knowing I would be out there in the city and unknowingly bringing back covid into my house. It finally came time to tell my family the plan I had and they were not happy to say the least. My mom was furious of the thought that I would go ahead and get a job during a pandemic -- And although he didn't show it , I knew my brother shared the same feelings. But I didn’t let it stop me and the next day , I went to work. On my way there , It was rough seeing the city in the shape that it was. People wearing masks with depression and stress written all over their faces , taking extra precautions every 5 minutes dousing their hands in hand sanitizer . It made me realize that although I would want to be in the best shape possible financially , I realized that my health is way more important and that I let greed control my way of thinking. I had made it to the supermarket and as I approached my supervisor , I told him that I could not put my family at risk for this and that I’m not going to be working. He understood my decision and felt that if I could not do it , then there would be no problem. As I got home , I apologized to my family for potentially putting their health at risk. This pandemic has taught me patience to say the least , there are more important things at the moment than money and sometimes things must take a backseat in order to fully flourish in the future. -
2020-09-25
Why haven't we done more to protect the lives of healthcare workers?
The death of frontline health workers in the US was a tragedy. The majority of those who died were minorities and immigrants. The lack of ppe only made that problem worse, yet they still chose to stick around, wanting to help others. This speaks to my experience as a child of a frontline, minority healthcare worker. I was terrified to see my mother go to work every day, knowing that she would come into contact with this virus and put our entire household, including my then one-year old sister at risk. I don’t feel we have adequately served or protected our healthcare workers. A free meal at McDonalds is not adequate enough compensation given the risk that they were taking. Many did not receive pay increases yet were still expected to come to work every day. The lack of PPE only increased my anxiety. Many times, she was forced to reuse things like masks and gowns because the hospital did not have. She was made to feel like she could not quit or work less because the need for healthcare works was so great. She believed she would be perceived as selfish, and uncaring for choosing her family over the pandemic and its victims which really broke my heart. There were a lot of times that I could see her struggling with the fact that she was helping others but endangering her own family in the process. I have a lot of respect for her because she chose to persevere in the face of Covdi-19 and believe that more of our healthcare workers perspectives and stories should be known. They should receive more than they have and should have been more protected than they were. -
2020-05-20
Gloomy Possibilities in the midst of a pandemic
As someone who comes from a working family, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit my family particularly hard. Both of my parents work minimum-wage jobs, and they’re among the essential workers who had to leave the house every day during the full swing of the pandemic. When CUNY transitioned to remote learning in March, I was not particularly comforted because both of my parents were still working outside the house, and they were at risk of contracting the virus. I was torn by anxiety as I watched my dad get ready for work every day. I felt helpless and worried, knowing that my dad was at high risk due to his older age, his status as a smoker and his underlying conditions that make him particularly susceptible. Disappointment soon set in; there was nothing I could do to protect him. We needed the money and he needed to go to work, but the risk was too great and I couldn’t help but think that my dad was potentially sacrificing his life for us. News about the novel coronavirus fed my anxiety but what hit me the hardest was the fact that a number of our church and family friends had tested positive for COVID-19. My dad, being the kind person he is, was running errands and buying groceries for our friends who were sick so that they would stay home and protect others. One afternoon my dad received a phone call from work notifying him that one of his coworkers had tested positive for COVID-19. My heart sank, and a million thoughts cluttered my mind. My background in health sciences triggered in me an intense fear of what that might mean for my dad and for my family as a whole. At the moment, I suspected that we had all probably got infected since we’d been interacting with my dad this whole time. I immediately told my dad to isolate himself in a room, but I thought it might have been too late for that. My anxiety went through the roof because I knew we didn’t have the resources nor the support we would need if he were to test positive. Being an immigrant family, we barely have any relatives to take care of us. That same day, I called a COVID-19 testing center and made an appointment for my dad. As I slept on the couch in our small apartment, my mind wandered to the gloomy possibilities we’d have to face. First, it was very tough to quarantine my dad properly from the rest of us given the size of our apartment. Secondly and most importantly, my dad could suffer serious complications if he had contracted the virus. My dad left in the morning and got tested. After two days, as I was staying up late to study, it occurred to me to check if my dad’s test results would be available. My hands were trembling. I was scanning the top of the webpage when my eyes fell on the line that would finally put an end to my negative thoughts. It read, “Not detected”. I gave a sigh of relief and immediately sprang up from my seat and woke my mom up. I said, “Thank God. He tested negative.” Then, I went into the room where my dad was sleeping and looked at his face. I was truly grateful to have my dad by my side.” While this is only my personal experience, I think my story touches on many aspects of the pandemic. First, my story represents the circumstances of so many working families who put their lives at risk by going to work to keep society running. Many don’t have a choice but to continue working amidst the dangerous conditions. Here’s the reality, the pandemic has disproportionately affected those with low socioeconomic status either because they’re unable to stay safely at home or because they lack access to healthcare and other resources, which contribute to poorer health status overall. As someone studying health sciences, I’m interested in looking at the association between socioeconomic determinants and health outcomes. The pandemic has shed light on certain inadequacies that we could hopefully remediate in the future. This experience has taught me to appreciate my loved ones more than ever, and it has shown me that we should stand with each other in times of adversity like my dad did with his neighbors. While I was lucky that my family and I were healthy, the panic of a potential loss gave me a taste of what my community has been going through. My heart aches for the families that lost loved ones to the pandemic and particularly for those who had scarce resources to protect and support themselves. -
2020-03-10
Full plate Spilled: Essential Healthcare in a Pandemic
I've lived in New York for 5 years, moving at 18 and worked my way up to feeling at home here. I'm a full spectrum doula ( a non-medical birth support coach), a public health student, and healthcare worker. Right before the pandemic I was very busy. I had a birth client who was also my friend who gave birth on Tuesday, March 10th. That was the day the South Brooklyn Maimonides Hospital had it's first two Covid patients. I was kicked out that evening as were all non-birth parents in the maternity ward which was heartbreaking as my client had a difficult pregnancy and a c-section earlier that day. I was the only person allowed in the operating room while the baby was born. On Friday is when everything changed as the pandemic was announced when the baby was 3 days old. My last good moments before quarantine was holding the newborn daughter of my client, reading the news on the TV while my client slept. I was worried about what would happen to them and for my own health as I have health conditions that put me at risk for worse outcomes. I work my main job as a HIV prevention and HIV treatment navigator at a major health clinic conglomerate. We had stopped all in person appointments the following week on March 16th, but it was too late, in our 14 clinics we had 2 co-workers die from Covid-19. In my clinic alone there were 11 cases within our staff. I got sick on March 21st, and had what was diagnosed as pneumonia (although my doctor believes it was covid that hid in my lungs and was not detected by tests.) I couldn't breathe most nights and while quarantined at my friend's two bedroom apartment I found my fingers and toes turning blue and had a fever of 102 for over a week. My job was in chaos, half staff people working from home, and all essential staff coming in to report in person. Just two weeks after getting ill and still recovering from pneumonia I had to return to do in person care at the peak of NYs Covid-19 first wave. Due to a loss in funding we did not and still do not receive any hazard pay to come in. In my first two weeks back, my godfather's healthy mother died of covid, my high school best friend's mother Carolyn died of covid on March 28th and on April 6th her brother Thomas died on his 30th birthday. By May 1st I was still going to work every day and had lost 8 people in my life to Covid-19, such a high number that I still haven't come to terms with. I have recovered from my pneumonia and thankfully have now tested negative for covid 5 times since March, however the fear is still there if I were to get it from my in person patients. I had to stop doing doula work, which is a passion of mine. However there have been some positives to make things a little easier. I became a godmother. My client's baby is 6 months old and thriving. I'm fortunate to be employed during a time of such financial upheaval. I am also fortunate enough to be in therapy for my mental health which has suffered during this time. I hope this pandemic ends soon and wish no one will have to endure what I've had to go through. -
2020-08
COVID-19 AND THE ESCALATING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AMONG BIPOC AND IMMIGRANTS
The purpose of “COVID-19 and the Escalating Mental Health Crisis among BIPOC and Immigrants” is to analyze the already existing socioeconomic conditions in BIPOC and immigrant communities that perpetuate mental health stigma and are also causes for the rising mental health crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research project aims to investigate generational trauma and its correlation to the pressurizing notion of the ‘essential worker,’ how the silence of trauma creates stigma, and the lack of representation and affordable mental health resources for low-income BIPOC and immigrants. -
2020-05-05
Professional Seafarers are Covid Essential Workers
My covid-19 story started at the end of January, 2020. I was working as a Marine Operations Manager for Holland America Group, which is comprised of four cruise companies: Holland America Line, Seabourn, Princess Cruises, and P&O Australia. As covid-19 spread across Asia in January, we stood up our Emergency Response Center, which involved taking 12-hour shifts to support the ms Westerdam, which had been denied docking in multiple ports in Asia as a result of the covid outbreak on the Diamond Princess. Though there were no covid cases onboard the ms Westerdam, she was denied docking in Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Guam, Philippines, and Taiwan. Our job was to ensure that our full complement of guest and crew had enough fuel and provisions, with toilet paper being of critical importance (seriously!), to make it until we could find a port that would allow the ship to dock. Eventually, the Cambodian government allowed the ship to dock in Sihanoukville to disembark guests, which became a political photo op of good will for Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen who attended the ship himself when it docked. But this story was just the beginning of the nightmare for cruise companies, and other maritime organizations. After working to disembark guests, the next hurdle was to repatriate crew, which was next to impossible with the extreme disruption to global travel, some crew members had spent months longer on the ships than anyone could have ever envisioned. Using our ships like ferries, we made plans to transport crew to their homes, but to compound the problem, local governments like South Africa and Mauritius were unwilling to accept their own nationals back when the ships arrived, which meant they had to keep sailing and further plans had to be made to get the crew home. What you see in the object attached is the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and that of its member companies making a humanitarian appeal in their interactions with local port authorities who were blocking their own citizens from returning home during this crisis. We were working long days, 7 days a week to get our colleagues home - but there is only so much you can do when local authorities will not cooperate. The object speaks to a desperate time in the maritime industry during the covid-19 pandemic. (Arizona State University, HST 580) -
08/04/2020
Lee Foster Oral History, 2020/08/04
Oral History in which Lee Foster discusses how one teaches shop (Industrial Arts) through online learning, what it is like teaching your students at the same time as your own children, and having a spouse working in a hospital during the pandemic. He also discusses the changes, or lack thereof, in family dynamics during a pandemic all with his easy-going positivity and sense of gratitude for his situation. -
2020-08-10
The nature got some rest.
We have all heard the phrase "a pictures tells a thousand words". This is a picture of a park I visit in Jersey City, NJ, USA every day in the evening. When the pandemic began the parks were shut down due to the geographical location of Jersey City, NJ so close to New York City, NY, being the city with the most cases in the US. Slowly but surely NYC started going into the reopening phases. This photograph was taken in phase 2 of reopening. People can be seen coming back out to enjoy the sun. But, the most intriguing part of the picture is how nature has had a chance to recuperate from human impact. I am a 3rd year medical student, was doing clinical rotations, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed down the whole world. I was forced to be confined to my home. I could not just sit by while all healthcare workers were being overworked with little to no sleep at all. 3 weeks into the lockdown I decided to use my acquired knowledge and get a job as a medical assistant/Scribe. I wanted to contribute anything and everything I could to save lives. After saving my first paycheck and receiving my second check, I decided to spend it all $798.00 on buying masks and gloves from wholesalers. Because of shortages of these supplies was so critical to all essential workers. I was able to donate the supplies to hospitals, clinics, religious institutions and homeless people (that are forgotten through these times). When I started going back to the park for my evening runs, I had to take a photograph of how beautiful the nature is and how we take it for granted on a daily basis. I am still working at my job and still donating all my earnings towards supplies that I can buy so we can all stop the spread of the virus, and come back out of our homes to really enjoy the nature that we had taken for granted in the past. -
2020-04-01
Front Lines: Reactions to the Pandemic Seen From a Health Care Professional's Perspective
Working through this pandemic has been difficult to say the least. This video was taken during a spike of cases here in TN and was what I call a light in the darkness. It has been truly interesting to hear the different opinions and perspectives from my patients. Religion has been a major theme. Some patients see the good, and some see all the bad. I have heard theories on why this may be happening from "Punishments from God", " The end is coming", "We have been given this time to get closer to our family", etc. Regardless of the meaning behind it all, it is nice to know those working through the pandemic have a stong support group. -
2020-08-10
Essential worker and a baby
In the beginning of the pandemic I was 7 months pregnant and working in an ICU. As things starting getting worse more changes would come on how we operated day to day. Day to day became hour to hour, things would be changing. New policies, then new policies would change. I was also becoming concerned about how the rest of my pregnancy and delivery would be. When the policy came down that all hospital personnel had to wear a mask at all times I started to have a problem. Due to wearing a mask and being pregnant my gag reflex would be triggered and I would get sick. After trying to work for 3 days my only option was to take early maternity leave. So while I was not at work for most of the worst part of the first wave of the pandemic it was still a little unnerving. I stayed in contact with my coworkers and stayed up to date on my unit and the hospital policies. It was not only going to affect my job but also the rest of my pregnancy and delivery. On my last doctors appointment I was sent to labor and delivery to have my baby. I was nervous because honestly who wants to bring a life into a world of pandemic. I feared for the health of my newborn child. Upon admission you have to be tested for Covid-19, it was very uncomfortable! I was lucky to be able to have my fiancé there with me for the labor and delivery but once he left the hospital he was not able to return but only to pick me up from the door. Granted, this was my 4th child and I knew what to expect, it still was sad that he was not able to spend the entire time with me nor were my other children able to come and visit. At least I was able to have previous experiences of giving birth before the pandemic. After giving birth, we were pretty sheltered. No one visited. We never left the house unless absolutely necessary. My newborn son had only left the house to go to the doctor before this past week. I had to return to work so he is now attending a small daycare along with my 2 year old daughter. Their father and I are both essential workers. Having children during this time makes things so much more complicated. Can't take the kids to the store or to any appointments so trying to organize schedules is very complicated. I miss going out as a family. Before the pandemic my family and I would go every where together. Even if it was just the store. We loved just to spend that time together. Now I feel like we are never all together unless we are sleeping, then we are all home together. I pray for the day that we are all able to go out together, take kids to do activities and just spend time all together outside of the home. This pandemic has made me and I am sure many others realize how truly blessed we were and if at any point in our lives things get back to where they were before the pandemic to not take such things as going out as a family for granted. -
2020-07-12
Graduating during the pandemic
This personal journal tells what is it like for me, graduating during the pandemic. With ways of celebrating this milestone totally changing, and with my mother having to work at the health center on that day, this virtual graduation experience was really different. -
05/22/2020
Darcy Brossow Oral History, 2020/05/22
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Public History Seminar Covid 19 Project -
05/07/2020
Katherine Lauersdorf Oral History, 2020/05/07
This interview was part of the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire Public History Seminar course and UWEC COVID-19 Archive Project led by Dr. Cheryl Jimenez Frei and Greg Kocken. -
05/13/2020
Adam Azzalino Oral History, 2020/05/13
Adam Azzalino is a graduate student of history at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. In this interview, Adam discusses how the pandemic has affected his life as a graduate student working on his thesis and his life as a person with a disability. He is living in the dorms at his university and working on his final thesis for his program. -
03/30/2020
Al Bailey Oral History, 2020/03/30
Al Bailey grew up in the Midwest. He joined the Navy and worked on nuclear submarines for six years, has a degree in nuclear physics, worked in many nuclear power stations, and has been retired several times. He is an avid collector of paper money, enjoys ham radio, and is planning to go to law school this August. He has been married twice and has five children. Al and his wife Sara Bailey are currently living in Florence, Kentucky, with their youngest daughter Melanie. Sara is working in Kentucky at a chemical plant and is currently not required to stay home. Al’s life has been filled with many interesting events and experiences from his time in the military to 9/11 and more. In this interview, he reflects on current events related to COVID-19 and its political implications as well as how he and his family are handling the social distancing and isolation. -
2020-04-30
Notes from Coronaland--Poems Written Every Day in April 2020
My English professor, Jo Kaplan, pen name for Joanna Parypinski, wrote a lovely collection of poetry while in quarantine in April 2020. The poems are beautiful in their simplicity and accessibility. The language is sometimes surprising, but always profound and universal. I think they have captured the feelings of all of us during this difficult time.