Items
Subject is exactly
Public Health & Hospitals
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2022-04-08
Our Roadmap Moving Forward
This is an Instagram post by smcpublichealth. This post is about vaccination status and the risks that they pose. Those unvaccinated are said to be highest risk. The immunocompromised are recommended to see a doctor about a fourth dose. If you are up to date on all vaccines and everyone else in the household is vaccinated, life can continue on as normal. In the hashtags below this post, it says to wear a mask, stay home when sick, and get tested. Obviously, despite it saying that those that are up to dates on vaccines and live with those also fully vaccinated are able to return to normal, culturally, I have seen some people out in public abiding by COVID restrictions. I think this is a hard habit to break, and for some, the feeling of security is worth continuing to wear a mask even if some places have already lifted mandates. My overall feeling from observing those at my own local church is that people are more lenient with mask use based on what the CDC says. A few did not wear masks despite the CDC recommendation, but once the CDC announced masks were not necessary, people at my church took them off. -
2022-04-11
COVID-19 Testing
This is an Instagram post by medrite_springfieldnj. This is a PSA welcoming people to get free COVID testing. It says that no appointments necessary and walk-ins are welcome. Since the start of the pandemic, rapid testing and PCR tests have become more available and free of charge in many places. The reason many of these are free is due to state and federal governments subsidizing the costs of the tests, in addition to people volunteering to help them get done. -
2022-04-11
New Year, New Dreams
This is an Instagram post by ankletzdreams. This is a post of a woman who has received her Pfizer booster shot. From the hashtags and the post, she seems fairly content with it. -
2022-04-11
Live video of vaccination in Tataywasi
This video shows a live feed that was aired by the Ministry of Health in Peru encouraging older adults to get their fourth vaccine shot if 5 months have passed since their previous shot. The video explains that people should bring their vaccination card, and if they have lost it- the health professionals can look up the information in the MINSA system. -
2021-04-11
#FactCheck Vaccines in Peru
🔴 #FactCheck | El #Minsa alerta a la población ante la divulgación de información falsa. Instagram post targeting misinformation about the vaccines - including that all COVID-19 vaccines should be free. The commentators on this post are a bit more skeptical. -
2022-04-10
Day of the Child vaccine drive in Peru
En el Día de la Niña y el Niño, acude con tu pequeña y/o pequeño a los centros de vacunación por su vacuna contra la #COVID19. ¡Protege a tu familia de este virus! 💪🏼 #MeVacunoPerú 🇵🇪 A post by the Ministry of Health in Peru promoting the vaccination of children for the Day of the Child, it encourages people to go get vaccinated over the weekend. -
2022-04-10
Campaign to get your second dose in Peru
This is an Instagram post by the Ministry of Health in Peru informing people to wait 21 days and then go get the second COVID-19 vaccine dose in the vaccination center closest to their home. -
2022-04-10
My Expirence with Covid-19
I had Covid twice and my symptoms both times were just cold like symptoms. -
2022-04-07
The First Dose
This is an Instagram post by haelmron. This shows a picture of a little kid that had just received their first Pfizer dose. It looks like a special place was set up for kids to get their picture taken after getting vaccinated. -
2022-04-07
Be a Vaccine Hero
This is an Instagram post by thehesbrooklyn. This is a post encouraging children to get vaccinated. This post has a link to the New York City government website on more information on COVID. The picture shows a little girl dressed as a super hero as part of the PSA. -
2022-04-07
Vaccine drive for children in Peru
This is a video posted on Instagram by the Ministry of Health in Peru promoting the vaccination of children in Peru. On Sunday there will be an event at a public park where children can come and get the vaccine. -
2022-04-07
Where the Government Requires Masks
This is an Instagram post by urbanpeaceinstitute. This post refers to places where mask mandates are still in existence. Even though mask mandates have been lifting in many places, certain places still want masks. Some of these places include: emergency and homeless shelters; public transit; healthcare settings; long-term care facilities; and correctional and detention facilities. These places are either government or healthcare associated. This post links to the County of Los Angeles Public Health for more information on the Coronavirus. -
2022-03-07
Maternity wards are shuttering across the US during the pandemic
This is a news story from Vox, written by Dylan Scott. Across the nation, maternity wards have been shutting down, making things more dangerous for new mothers. Due to these closures, there has been an increased number in deaths of both infants and pregnant women. These losses of maternity wards have been harshest on those of low income, as well as Black and Hispanic women. Part of these closures have happened due to shortages of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff during the pandemic. The closure of more maternity wards also means women having to travel further to get the care they need. The timing makes this even more difficult during labor, as complications can happen during that, increasing chances of death. Overall, this article shows the ways that the ripple effects from COVID not only affect the mortality rates of mothers and babies, but disproportionately hurt poor, Black, and Hispanic women. -
2022-03-08
Florida Will Urge Parents Not To Vaccinate ‘Healthy’ Kids, Going Against CDC Advice
This is a news story from Scary Mommy, written by Lauren Levy. This story deals with Florida's position on vaccinating children and going against CDC guidelines. The author, Levy, is very against this and thinks it is irresponsible to be contrary to what the CDC suggests, claiming that it will make things more dangerous for kids if they don't take the vaccine. Some have been raising concerns that people are taking politicians words over those of doctors. Opponents have reminded parents that this is just a suggestion from Florida politicians, and not a mandate, meaning that they can discern for themselves if the vaccine is right for their kids. Ultimately, Levy believes parents should ignore what Florida politicians say and listen to doctors instead on what to do. -
2021-04-03
The whitewashing of Arab Americans impacted by Covid-19 is a catastrophic public health issue, experts say
This article brings up important points regarding the underrepresentation of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) people and communities in U.S. This article focuses primarily on Arab Americans, but also sheds light on the fact that there are no identifiers for Middle Eastern and North African people on the U.S. Census as their only options are to choose “white” or “other”. As a result, there is a lack of Covid-19 data specific to these communities which prevents support and information being directed to those underrepresented – and often socioeconomically underprivileged – groups. This article is important in demonstrating the vulnerability of this group. Many MENA families live in multi-generational homes, have preexisting medical conditions or risk factors which may make them more vulnerable should they contract Covid, and still some do not have access to the information and support needed to prevent Covid or to receive the proper treatment if infected. Additionally, because MENA people are not able to self-identify on the U.S. Census, the information about how these communities are being affected is not accurate. The U.S. Census isn’t the only place where these identifiers do not exist. Job, scholarship, and college applications (to name only a few) do not provide accurate identifiers for MENA individuals. I think this article is important in revealing the lack of identifiers available to MENA people and how important it is that this is changed soon. -
2022-01-27
Populist nations fared much worse during Covid outbreak, new research says
This is a news story from CNBC, written by Chloe Taylor. This is a story about a study that came out about how well populist nations fared under COVID-19 compared to other nations around the world. More than 40 countries were included in this study, with the US, UK, and India being considered populist nations at the time that this was conducted. In 2020, the study claims that excess deaths were more than twice as high for populist ran governments. For comparison, the countries that were not considered populist in this study include Canada, Sweden, and Japan. For every 100 COVID related deaths, non-populist countries had an additional 8 deaths. In populist led countries, it was an additional 18 deaths for every 100 deaths. The study attributes this to higher citizen mobility that was allowed in populist nations, leading to more spread of the virus. It also claims that populist governments downplayed the severity of the virus itself, giving people the impression that things were safer than they actually were. -
2022-03-10
Why have women been so disproportionately affected by Covid-19? Experts explain
This is a news story from CNN by Alice McCool. This story talks about the inequalities women have faced during COVID-19. In a CNN poll, women in the G7 countries (US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Italy) felt less supported by their leaders than men did. Some of these inequalities include women being more likely to lose their jobs or take on more uncompensated care work. Other things, such as abortion services, were considered non-essential in some countries during COVID. Minority women and poor women were also more likely to work low-paying jobs and bear much of the economic strain. Additionally, trans healthcare was also viewed as non-essential in many places. In places like Uganda, many women lost their safety net provided from schools, resulting in rising teen pregnancies and early marriages. This article continues showing more examples of the hoops women had to jump through compared to men and demonstrates the social issues that got worse as a result from COVID lockdowns. -
2022-03-23
South Korea's total COVID-19 cases top 10 million as crematoria, funeral homes overwhelmed
This is a story by Channel News Asia about the ongoing issues with funeral homes in South Korea. This article says that in Seoul, 28 crematoria are operating at 114.2% capacity, while other crematoria around the country are operating at 83%. For the past two week, the number of critically ill patients has been hovering above 1,000; but it could get to 2,000 by early April. To combat this, the federal government has approved the use of Merck & Co's COVID-19 treatment pill. The pill is branded as Lageviro and is the second antiviral to be authorized in South Korea after Pfizer's Paxlovid. This pill, however, is only approved for adults 18 and above. The government is hoping that actions such as these will help limit the crowdedness in funeral homes and hospitals. -
2022-03-30
President Biden Pressures Congress for Emergency COVID funds
This is a news story written by Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Emily Cochrane and Noah Weiland for the New York Times. The article writes of how President Biden believes this is not a partisan issue, but a matter of health. President Biden is said to have received his second COVID booster prior to making this announcement. Another aspect this story brings up is how BA. 2, a new COVID variant, has made itself known, raising concerns for once it gets to the United States. President Biden has made it known that as these new variants pop up, we will be in our "Next Normal", where masks and other such requirements will be used when needed. In other words, there is no real "end" to the pandemic. -
2022-03-16
Sign in Staff Area of St. Olav's Hospital
This sign is located in the staff area of St. Olav's Hospital in Trondheim, Norway. This photo was taken on March 16th, 2022 inside of a staff-only area. The sign reads as follows: Habits that prevent infection Paper tissues Cover your mouth and nose to protect others when coughing or sneezing. Through away the tissue after use. Then wash your hands. Use the hook of your elbow When you need to cough or sneeze and you do not have a paper tissue. Wash your hands With hand sanitizer when hand washing is not possible; for example, when traveling. In 2022, many places in the world have taken down signs and other precautionary rules that have to do with limiting the spread of coronavirus. This sign, which can only be seen by hospital staff, shows how precautions are still being enforced for hospital staff. This is important as it shows what rules and regulations are still being enforced in 2022. -
2022-03-30
Vaccination clinic in Callao
This Instagram posts shows that today, all day (8-5) people in Callao can head to the Centro de Salud Quendo to receive the COVID vaccine dose that they need. Children 5-11 can get their first or second dose and children 12-17 can get their 3rd dose 5 months after the second dose, and those over 18 can get their 3rd dose 3 months after the second one. The photo show s a bus that is carrying healthcare workers to the destination to help vaccinate the people there. -
2022-03-30
3rd dose is mandatory in Peru
This Instagram post from the ministry of Peru lets people know that they need to head to a vaccination center to receive their 3rd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A commenter asked what happens after April 1st? And someone responds that after April 1st it is obligatory for adults over 18 years old to have 3 COVID shots. -
2022-03-16
Sign at St. Olav's Hospital
This photo was taken in the lobby of St. Olav's Hospital in Trondheim, Norway on March 16th, 2022. The signs reads as follows: INFORMATION WEAR A MASK - Available at the front desk DO NOT ENTER IF YOU - Have symptoms of COVID-19 - Tested positive for COVID-19 - Had contact with a corona positive patient Please arrange visits with the ward in advance. I believe that this is important because this shows have precautions are being taken in the hospital in 2022. In many parts of the world, two years into the pandemic, a lot of rules and regulations regarding the prevention of COVID-19 have relaxed. In some cases, there are no precautions at all. This sign shows have precautions are still being taken in a major hospital by requiring masks and asking people who have been exposed to not enter the hospital. -
2021-06-27
Pandemic lockdown gives a new opportunity towards homeless mental health. A study from Spain
While the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered mental health, see https://covid-19archive.org/s/archive/page/mental-health, I hope that there could be benefits to mental health as COVID rates around the world drop. It is now more convenient than ever to partake in counseling services from the comfort of your room, especially if you have social anxiety or pandemic anxiety. Unfortunately, statistics are not out as of March 2022 that demonstrate that mental health is improving with waning COVID rates, instead counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists seem busier than ever. While telehealth meetings are convenient, wait times and schedules are full of the backlog of people whose mental health was affected by the pandemic. I wanted to find an example of a positive outcome on mental health through COVID's global sweep, especially as COVID wanes. Attached is an example of a study in Spain that focused on a group of homeless in Spain that were in lockdown. "More than 60% of them presented mental disorders and within 8 weeks they were visited in person 2–3 times...Finally, 51.8% were linked to social and health care services and 37% to mental health resources, which can constitute a step forward in their reintegration and normalization." They argue that if it was not for COVID and these efforts, these homeless people may not have been diagnosed and helped. The paper concludes that this study is useful for the future because it shows how under immensely stressful situations, primary and secondary interventions worked. This can be repeated without a pandemic. While the pandemic was very stressful, it reaped some benefits such as a new focus on mental health, new methods of talking with trained professionals, and studied like this that show data of improving mental health in times of stress. -
2022-03-27
EPICC Research Study
In October 2021 I was selected to voluntarily participate in the EPICC DoD Research Study on COVID-19. This study is focused on adulty active duty and non-active duty military service members who have tested for, had, or is vaccinated against COVID-19, and part of the Military Health System. I had never participated in a study before and honestly what hooked me was the $10 Amazon gift card they would give us for participating. Fast forward six months and I have completed three questionaries and one at-home blood sample kit. I think it's pretty cool to be participating in something that may improve the Military Health System overall and also provide data points for future research of COVID-19. Studies like this show how novel this virus really was and how we want to learn as much as we can about it in an effort to be more prepared for similar events in the future. -
2022-01-18
Are Vaccines Working for the Elderly of Arkansas?
This is a news article detailing a dramatic decrease in Covid-19 related deaths for individuals over 65 per the Arkansas Department of Health. The article provides context in previous data collection, highlighting that 80% of Covid deaths in 2020 were individuals 65 and older. Further, the article states that in 2021, 65% of Covid related deaths were individuals 65 and older. The Department of Health now reports fewer and fewer deaths in general, and attributes this to the rapid vaccination of the elderly, particularly in retirement facilities that were hit the hardest at the start of the pandemic. Indeed, the medical community has a greater understanding of Covid's impact on the body and how best to effectively treat the elderly. So it really begs the question: Are we really safe to pull away from the panic of Covid now that the most vulnerable community is safer from Covid than ever before? Or are we merely in a lull between waves? -
2020-12-22
First Christmas not with Family
This is a picture of the first Christmas tree that my brother and I bought to set up in our apartment. It is a small tree because I figured we did not need a big one since we had a small number of ornaments to hang up. This tree also represents Christmas 2020, the year of COVID-19 and the first year we did not spend Christmas Eve with our parents. My Mom has an auto-immune disease and she could not go out much in 2020. However, at some point, she either went out or COVID was brought home. She ended up in the hospital a day or two before Christmas and tested positive for COVID. Therefore, it was for the best for my brother and I to not go home on Christmas Eve. I was disappointed we couldn't go see them. However, my brother and I decided to order Shari's, a diner restaurant local to Washington and Oregon, for dinner. We didn't see them that day, but we were able to go over the next day to open presents and not much else. Not the best Christmas, but I suppose it could have been worse. -
2021-01-28
Freezer Failure
January 28, 2021, around 11 PM one of my friends called me, we normally don’t talk on the phone so I assumed something was wrong. I could tell that she was driving and her voice was shaky. She told me that a freezer had failed at her mom’s work and that around 1,300 vaccines would be expired by 5 or 6 AM. She was told to try to get anyone she knew to get to the hospital in order to reduce the chance of wasting such a hard to get thing. This was prior to my state lifting restrictions on who was eligible for the vaccine yet. Not everyone could get it, just certain people due to age, pre-existing conditions, and career. The clinic did a good job at still trying to make sure that people who were eligible got to the front of the line, but they knew that they needed to make sure every vaccine was used. My girlfriend and I would not have made it there in time since we were over 3 hours away, but her family all lived within a 30-minute drive. We started calling her parents and brothers to wake them up and get moving. Her mother, oldest brother, and soon to be sister-in-law were all teachers and were going to have to start teaching in person again. None of them would have been eligible until a month or more after going back in person, and they were all decently nervous about being in person unvaccinated. Her family got lucky and was able to get vaccinated that night. I cannot thank my friend enough for calling me to keep the people who have become my family safe. -
2022-03-20
A Day in the Life of a Delivery Driver in the South
I deliver copier toner to various clients across Northwest Arkansas, so I am able to see the various ways COVID-19 has impacted businesses, both large and small. Particularly, I am able to see the various protocols of businesses relating to admission into their facilities. From the time I began delivering in March of 2021 to today, it is interesting to see the adjustments made by the community as cases would fluctuate. It is further interesting to see a southern perspective, as the south has been notorious for having a lackluster approach to the pandemic. I will detail six varying instances of businesses across NWA and how they have changed or not changed from a year ago. 1. Banks were an interesting study. My company supplies three major banks across NWA, and all three had very stringent protocol in March 2021, and as cases have declined, they have removed these protocols entirely. In early 2021, bank lobbies were closed to outside visitors with zero exceptions. In order to make my deliveries, I was required to call the bank and meet a staff member at the front door, and both myself and the staff member were required to wear facemasks and social distance. Now, in 2022, these protocols have vanished entirely. Bank lobbies are now open entirely, and masks and social distancing are a thing of the past. This directly correlates with a dramatic fall in COVID cases and deaths, as well as a rise in vaccinations across Arkansas. 2. Chicken plants and food processing plants are an essential part of the economy of Northwest Arkansas, being the home of Tyson, George's, and Cobb-Vantress foods, as well as many others. The protocol for processing plants were stringent in 2021, and they continue to be so in 2022. It is standard practice to not only wear masks and social distance, but also to take temperatures and answer a health questionnaire by security guards. The only change I have seen is a vaccination requirement. Nobody is allowed on the premises of many of these chicken plants without having had both dosses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and vaccination proof must be available whenever requested. Food safety is essential in preserving the health of workers and the community at large, so it is no surprise that these stricter protocols have remained in place. 3. Schools are similar to banks in that COVID protocols greatly shifted from 2021 to 2022. Many schools in 2021 had masks mandates for both students and staff and encouraged social distancing. Now, in 2022, masks and social distancing are no longer required, and school is entirely like it was pre-pandemic. Student's are free to wear masks if they so choose, but any protocol has vanished. This is particularly prevalent in smaller school districts. Depending on the district, many smaller ones had zero protocols to begin with, so things haven't changed in that sense. 4. Manufacturing plants are common in NWA, and many of them have maintained pandemic protocols in 2022. Temperature checks, masks, and social distancing are the norm. There are even a few plants that require appointments to enter their facilities in order to maintain security and prevent the spread of COVID. This is largely attributed to maintaining the health of the workers and preventing outbreaks in facilities that would limit production capabilities in a time when goods are so scarce. 5. Transportation is another major business in NWA, and interestingly, protocols have been minimal. Many transport companies had no original mask requirement, social distancing requirement, or a temperature check. This attitude has continued in 2022, despite the extensive traveling many truck drivers engage in. There were many concerns in the COVID conscious sectors of the community about the possibility of interstate infection, but no changes to trucking protocol were made. It is further interesting the extensive COVID regulations placed on truckers from other states, compared to states like Arkansas. 6. Hospitals and medical clinics, like many across the nation, have made minimal changes to COVID protocol. Washington Regional Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital all have bared the brunt of COVID in NWA, and masks, temperature checks, social distancing, and exposure questionnaires are the new norm, and medical administration has been unmoving in their insistence on these protocols. Indeed, medical facilities are the locations in which there is the greatest risk of exposure and many medical clinics are still closed to walk-in visitors. The only change really seen from 2021 to 2022 is the allowance of visitors. Previously, no outside visitors were permitted in the hospitals without special permission. As cases declined and vaccine rates grew, the hospitals lifted this restriction and now visitors are common place. It will be interesting to see when and if some of these protocols will change as the pandemic advances. Indeed, it is also interesting to see how and if protocols become a new essential part to admission to various facilities across NWA beyond the pandemic. -
2022-02-25
Pandemic Rendition
The pattern of small, blue, unorganized, squares reminded me of a hospital or a doctor’s office, the first place I would go when I am sick. During this time, it seemed as if everyone was sick, there were no appointments available to meet with a doctor nor beds for individuals who were experiencing peak Covid symptoms. Words that describe a hospital: white walls, clean floors, sterile rooms, and order, or at least it was before the pandemic. The background is far from orderly, red is also present amongst the blue squares. This is to represent our health care professionals doing their best with the knowledge we had about this novel virus, but still witnessing many deaths. There are also green rings hovering around the two individuals. Green is often connected with germs or sickness. In the beginning cleaning products were flying off the shelves, people wanted to clean all surfaces as a preventative measure. This meant that consumers were buying several jugs of bleach, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and many other products in surplus (creating many shortages). The air around the two individuals is filled with images of the Covid-19 virus under a microscope. Masks became a way to protect oneself from catching the virus, ultimately leading to mask mandates. The two individuals facing one another represent the mass separation we experienced during lockdown and with social distancing. -
2022-02-01
Indeterminate
Stress is associated with the past two years. This incident was one of my most stressful contact with Covid-19 testing. You'd win the bet if you guessed there is a happy ending. -
2022-02-22
COVID support groups
I did some heritage work for this hospital a couple years ago so I follow their social media. Apparently they’ve founded a COVID support group for people who have been profoundly impacted by COVID-related illness, death, and disability. I sometimes think that the chronic illness and disabling nature of long COVID is often overlooked. Who can blame anyone for overlooking it with all of the more obvious, loud, visible problems wrought by the pandemic? Anyhow this is something to think about. -
2020-08-28
A flier advertising free Covid-19 shots in Sacramento.
This event offered Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines, free Uber rides and Spanish and Hmong interpreters. The event was sponsored by the NCNW Sacramento Valley Section and La Familia Counseling Center. -
2020-05-19
Sounding the Alarm
Virtual town halls educate and empower the black community during the pandemic "In March, we began distributing food, water and face masks to unhoused people in South Sacramento and Oak Park in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We did this as members of the Sacramento Area Black Caucus, the Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign and the Sacramento Services Not Sweeps Coalition. All three groups are focusing our collective advocacy efforts on the pandemic and how it is impacting people experiencing homelessness in our community. What we encountered alarmed us. We saw that many of the homeless were not wearing face masks and weren’t observing social distancing. They didn’t seem to understand the danger, which was even more disturbing. When we asked, they usually replied that they didn’t have a mask or couldn’t find one." -
2021-04-01
April Fool's At the Vaccination Clinic
A comic strip about Covid-19 Doctor: Bill Gates sends his regards Caption: April Fool's at the vaccination clinic -
2020-07-15
That rascally Fauci
A comic strip about Covid-19 [Sign reads] Fauci Season [Sign reads] Masks Save Lives (Cartoon shows Donald Trump with a gun hunting. Dr. Fauci is dressed like a rabbit. The final panel has Fauci placing a mask on the end of Trump's gun. ) -
2020-08-04
The new doctor
A comic strip about Covid-19 White House Interviews More Alternative Doctors Dr. Strange: I saw 14 million possibilities and you screwed up all of them. President Trump: Strange. Weird. No thank you. No more reality TV guys, Dr. Phil. Cat in the Hat: The more you read, the more... President Trump: "Read"?? Bye, Dr. Seuss. I thought you were already on my staff. Who are you? Dr. Fauci: Um, Dr. Antoine Caufi. President Trump: Sounds fishy. You're hired. -
2021-02-07
At-home test
We ordered and received our free at-home COVID-19 test this Monday. My husband complained about not feeling well so I made him take one. He’s sick, but it’s not COVID. -
2022-02-06
Nozomi park mask trash
Mask trash by the parking lot at Nozomi Park. -
2021-02-16
A Journey for the Jab
With the start of 2021, I was excited for the prospect of the vaccines that were starting to get rolled out. I knew at the beginning that I would be one of the firsts to get it because I was a teacher in Texas, where we had only had 3 weeks of online school, and the rest of the year had been in person. That high risk meant that by the end of January, the first week teachers were allowed to get the first shot, I signed up at the nearest hospital who had the Pfizer vaccine. The first one went without a hitch, with barely some soreness in my arm in the week following. It is the second shot that was a bit derailed. The week I was supposed to get my second shot, Texas was hit by one of the worst snow storms we have ever faced, and millions lost power. My apartment had rolling black outs the first day, and my apartment became colder and colder. My partner and I initially thought to stick it out, piling cover after cover of blankets and huddling close for warmth. Then, at 6PM that night, the power went out and never came back and we were driven into darkness and the cold seeped into our bones. We made the decision to suffer the cold, icy roads, and the long journey to my partner’s parents’ house, which had not lost power. We packed up the food in coolers, feeling for what may have spoiled during the blackouts, and feeling for what remained cold and frozen. We shoved as much as would fit and headed out. The drive is normally only 35 minutes, but with no snow tires and ice everywhere, we could not travel more than 30 miles an hour. As we reversed out of our spot, you could immediately feel the tires lose their traction and hear them spin loosely over the ice that had gathered under the truck. As we began our journey, the heater finally began blasting our faces with air that slowly began to warm up, and started the long process of thawing our frozen limbs. Two hours on this slow trek, constantly worried about sections of black ice, and losing control of tires, both ours and others, but we finally made it to their home. The first thing we noticed when we entered through their door was the strong smells of hot chocolate being prepared on the stove. The next day, when my appointment was set for the second dose of the vaccine, I called and asked if they were still giving the vaccine or if I should reschedule, and was told that I would lose my spot if I rescheduled because they only had so many doses at this time and did not want to have any go to waste. My partner’s parents decided to drive all of us to the hospital. Several times on this trip, we heard the squeal and slam of cars losing control of their cars and careening into one another. We all held our breaths at each close encounter, and did not realize until we reached the hospital how we had all clenched our bodies in tension. It was not until we pulled into the parking garage that I heard all of us let out a collective sigh of relief. I went in for my second shot as the family stayed on the first floor, waiting out of the cold but away from the mass of bodies huddling to be let into the hospital. Inside, I quickly walked down the hall, not wanting to make my partner and his family have to wait too long for me, and I was gently guided through the path by the volunteer staff. Because of the cold, I had worn three long sleeve layers, and found after much stretching that it was not possible for the nurse to get at my arm to receive the shot. Feeling the burn on my cheeks in embarrassment, as I had to publicly remove the top to layers, and pull my bottom shirt over my head. The cold of the room chilled my body, and I had to stop myself from shivering. With the second shot complete, and as I headed to the room to wait the required 20 minutes to make sure I did not have any immediate reaction to the shot, I was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw my partner and his family being ushered into the room. My partner was not yet eligible for the shot, and we both had had arguments with his parents about the shots, since they didn’t believe in needing them. I later found out that a nurse had been looking in the hospital lobby for anyone who hadn’t had their shots to come up because they had 5 extra shots that would be expiring if no one received them soon. Somehow, my partner in that split moment where they were being given this golden opportunity, shouted yes for all of them, and began shoving his parents down to the room before they could protest. Once we had all piled back into the truck after all four of us received our shots, we went home as quickly as we safely could. Though I had had no reaction to the first shot, this second dose threw me for a loop. That night, the chills began. Even as the house had its heat blasting on full, and I was sitting as close to the fireplace as I could safely sit, my teeth could be heard chattering across the living room. My head began pounding, and I fell into a deep sleep an hour later. Thankfully, the cold was gone from my body when I awoke the next morning, and two days later, the snow had melted enough, and our power was restored to return home. The pandemic has induced so much fear and anxiety in all of us over these last two years, have really made me so much more aware of those around me, but for me, when I think about the vaccines, and the reluctance of those who can receive them but don’t, I think about the treacherous journey I was forced to make to get mine. I think about the cold. I think about the squealing tires. I think about how terrible I felt after my second dose. And I also think about the relief at knowing that all of this awfulness led to my partner’s parents suddenly getting vaccinated. For that alone, I would experience the fear of the snowstorm once again. -
2020-04-15
An Unacceptable Wall of Sound
I live in Austin, Texas, in a neighborhood that is both in the approach flight pattern for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and contains a hospital with a Level 1 Trauma Center and a helipad. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the soundscape of neighborhood abruptly changed. The first thing I noticed, in the early days of a city-wide “stay-at-home” order was that I could hear more birds in the trees outside my second story apartment. It took a few days for me to realize that it was because the birdsong was not being drowned out by the sound of airplanes landing at the nearby runway. At the time I remember thinking that, perhaps, the sound of the birds was something I could look forward to every morning as I navigated suddenly having to find a new job due to the pandemic. Soon, the sound of landing airplanes was replaced with a sound that much harder to ignore. Ambulance sirens. It became noticeable after the first week, with ambulances arriving at the hospital several times an hour. By week three, it was a near constant drone broken up only by helicopters bringing even more critical patients into the city for care. By week eight, I stopped even noticing the sound of ambulances at all. The sound of the pandemic became so commonplace that my brain learned to filter out the wall of sirens as background noise. I often wonder how many ambulances carried patients who never left the hospital and how much suffering, fear, and sadness became “background noise” for us all. Given that we are entering into year three of the pandemic, and the United States has registered nearly one million COVID-19 deaths, it pains me to realize to know that number is far higher than any of us should have accepted. -
2020-08
Covid-19 Freshman
The Coronavirus will certainly be something I will never forget and how it impacted myself and the people around me. The initial shutdown hit the spring of my senior year of high school. I thought we were going to be shut down for a month, at the most. That certainly was not the case. After most of the world was shut down for nearly 6 months, it was time for me to start my freshman year of college. I spent the summer going into freshman year wondering what college would look like for me, and whether campuses would even reopen come fall semester of 2020. Luckily, college students we able to return to campus, but with many changes and limitations none of us could have imagined. Moving into college was much different than I had always imagined. Before coming to campus, I had to schedule a two hour move in slot on a specific date. Before unloading anything, I had to wait in a line of other college student’s cars waiting to get tested for covid. The test had to be negative in order to be allowed on campus. The rapid covid test we received took 30 minutes to receive the results. This was the longest 30 minutes of my life. My heart was racing, and I was freaking out about what would happen if the test came back positive. I would have to drive seven hours back home, just to do it all over again 10 days later. Thankfully, the test came back negative, and I was able to move into my dorm room. Unfortunately, my roommate had tested positive, so I was alone in my room for 10 days. That does not seem like a lot of time now but looking back it was the longest 10 days of my life. Everyone on campus was isolated from each other to slow the spread of the virus. We were discouraged from having others in our dorm rooms and were encouraged to say in our rooms for the majority of the day. The gym was even opened for limited hours of the day. All these limitations meant spending a lot of time in your room alone. Along with adjusting to this new reality of college none of us expected, we had to worry about getting sent into isolation if we tested positive, and we got tested up to two times a week. I had many conversations with my roommate about how long it was going to take to get sent home because we all expected to be sent home, since we had experienced so many other disappointments and cancellations in the last few months of senior year. It was very hard to live with the high level of uncertainty. No one knew how long the pandemic was going to last, when things were going to return to normal, and whether we were ever going to receive a normal college experience. While many current college students have not experienced the normal college experience, we all expected to, we have all adjusted and have made the most of it. I am hopeful that we are close to returning to normalcy, and we all have gone through the worst of it. -
08/21/2020
Caroline Birks Brown Oral History, 2020/05/31
In this interview conducted by Christina Lefebvre, Dr Caroline Birks Brown describes the drastic changes she saw while working in a hospital. She discusses patient care, the hospitals rapid response to converting floors to ICUs, and the way the hospital delt with staffing enough nurses to provide sufficient care to patients. She discusses how Spanish speaking doctors and nurses were asked to volunteer to work to avoid depersonalization and how other branches, like social workers, stepped up to provide the best care possible under the circumstances. Dr Caroline also touches on the possibility of young people getting covid and her thoughts on the patterns of the groups of people getting sick. She reenforces her appreciation of nurses and also discusses the politicization of the virus. The interview ends with her thoughts on what could have been done differently, politically and socially, to control the spread of the virus. As a mother, she talks about distanced learning and its effects on children and the importance of socialization. The last topic is about lessons she hopes we have learned. -
12/17/2020
Bec Blaedow Oral History, 2020/12/07
Bec Blaedow is a resident of Eau Claire county in Wisconsin that is a full-time student at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. In this interview, Bec gives exceptional insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic can affect those with underlying health conditions and the problems that arise from it, along with additional inputs on the current state of events towards the end of the 2020 year. -
2020
A New Yorker's Perspective on Life During the Pandemic
I wrote because I felt compelled to, to chronicle what was happening to try and make sense of it and help me process it. -
2022-01-16
hermit HERALD, ISSUE 136
U.S. taking a knife to a gunfight -
2021-08-28
End of pitching in
At the beginning it was different. April and May of 2020 was not the later, divisive and hate-filled environment that would allow the Covid virus to flourish, not the largely “every-man-for-himself” climate whose popularity grew to mirror the surge of the pandemic itself. Back then, everyone was hunkering down, the streets were empty, and Santa Monica was more like the city I had seen in pictures from the 1940's. The light even seemed different. Despite the specter of certain death, or at least alongside it, was an almost relaxed feeling: we were all in this together, against a common (if mysteriously deadly) enemy, and there is nothing we could do. Well, except stay indoors, and avoid contact with other humans at all costs. I know that during WWII, Santa Monica hummed with activity, with defense plants working three shifts, and Clover Field roaring with warbird take offs and landings almost continuously, and in the Spring of 2020, Santa Monica was still largely of the “we did it once, we'll do it again” mindset—everyone had a job to do, and it was actually an easy one: all you had to do was to keep to yourself. Loose lips may not sink ships anymore, but uncovered ones (especially in public) could spew a deadly toxin—the origins and makeup of it almost completely unknown—and leave devastation in its wake. This feeling couldn't, and wouldn't, last long; humans being what they are. With a national figurehead in a leadership position that was unable to understand complexities, and that largely and specifically promoted failure, the home front grew distrustful of the concept of a “common good”. Citizens quickly grew weary of making sacrifices, of doing without the niceties to which they had become accustomed. Under the guise of individual freedoms, all suffered. “It will all just go away very soon”, we were told, and eventually it did. Not the disease. Our American way of life. -
2022-01-03
It finally happened
We’re two months short of the two year anniversary of the Covid outbreak here in the US. My family of four followed the rules, masked up, quarantined and my husband and I were vaccinated as soon as we were able. This holiday season we found ourselves living life as we had before Covid, we got too comfortable. Our children are small and we were still unsure if we wanted to get our six year old vaccinated. We went into public spaces unvaccinated, participated in all the family Christmas festivities and then we got sick. I thought it was a cold at first and then one day it dawned on me that my sense of smell and taste were gone. Then the guilt and shame set in. We got too comfortable, we lost sight of the fact that Covid is not gone. People are still dying. My husband and I are fine, it’s like a cold with the added adventure of not being able to taste anything. I worry for my kids though. I feel guilty that we didn’t get my oldest vaccinated. I hate to watch her fight this with only over the counter medication to help her. I feel for my three year old. I hope they don’t get worse. This was a rude awakening for us all, Covid is not gone. -
04/25/2021
Lou Fraise Oral History, 2021/04/25
Dr. Lewis Fraise details his service as a geriatric doctor during the Korean War and Vietnam War. He mentions his service in both Washington D.C. and Korea and continues to break down how the Coronavirus actually infects one's body and the response of the government as the pandemic ensued. Dr. Fraise criticizes the actions of Donald Trump and states that the spread of more medically-accurate information would have led to a better outcome in terms of the early stages of the pandemic. -
05/26/2020
Anonymous Physician's Assistant Oral History, 2020/05/26
An anonymous oral history interview with a recently graduated physician's assistant. The interviewee discusses their first job in the field during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, how the hospital learned what medicines and interventions worked with patients, the mental health of themself and other hospital workers, worries about their own family, and how physician assistants have made a positive impact on the pandemic.