Items

• 
  2024-05-20

  Walk With Me Surving Covid

  This book takes you on Tracys journey as a COVID survivor through a traumatic experience. She is faced with losing her independence, having to rely on others, and letting go of a love she thought she wanted only to find the real love she needed. Tracy shares how she copes with depression and PTSD and lives and functions with it daily. This book is a powerful testimonial from a truly strong woman who shares how her faith was her strength
• 
  2022-07-04

  When is long-COVID a disability?

  This is a news story from Stephenson Harwood, a law firm with its headquarters in London. This is on the classification of long-COVID as a disability. Using the Equality Act from 2010, it classifies a disability as physical or mental impairment which would prevent someone's ability to carry out daily activities. Using a case of Burke v Turning Point Scotland, it describes Mr. Burke developing long-COVID symptoms, which prevented him from doing work. He describes immense fatigue, where tasks like showering would become exhausting. Due to this, he remained off work, with his sick pay ending around June 2021. In August 2021, he was dismissed on grounds of ill health. The ruling with the Scottish Employment Tribunal declared that between November 25, 2020 and August 13, 2021 that Mr. Burke was disabled. For his specific case, he can now file disability discrimination against the company, but it does not mean the employer discriminated. The law firm suggests that employers develop methods to better serve employees that could end up having long-COVID. Some of these suggestions include: change in policies around disability services, changes in communication to handle an employee suffering from long-COVID, and a supportive environment where employees will feel comfortable giving updates on their symptoms.
• 
  2022-04-10

  My Expirence with Covid-19

  I had Covid twice and my symptoms both times were just cold like symptoms.
• 
  2022-03-08

  Eddie Case on Anderson Cooper

  This link goes to an Anderson Cooper interview with Eddie Case, an Arizona man infected with Covid, placed on a ventilator and respirator then placed in a medically induced coma for 20 days. When he woke he had no idea why he was in the hospital. I met Eddie Case yesterday when he shared his COVID Story with me at the Arizona Historical Society's Marked by Covid memorial event. His story is in the archive as well. The interview originally aired on July 16, 2020.
• 
  2020-03-20

  Eddie Case Oral History, 2022/03/07

  [curator's note] I recorded this interview at the Arizona Historical Society's 2nd Annual Covid Memorial Event at the Arizona Heritage Center. Eddie spoke about his experience as one of the first cases of Covid in Arizona, and his illness and long recovery. He views his story as a blessing.
• 
  05/02/2021

  Nina Karetova Oral History, 2021/03/09

  Indiana University advocate, Joanna Reese interviews Atlanta photographer, Nina Karetova.
• 
  2020-11-26

  A New Sense of Taste

  The memory I related is about the difference in taste and smell before I had covid versus after. It is still altered in some ways and did not return as it was before. I still find it jarring eat something that I used to love only to find that it tastes different and I no longer like it.
• 
  2021-10-10

  Ten lessons I learned after surviving COVID-19

  This is Mr. Mark Madrona, a writer and educator from the Philippines. I own the blog The Filipino Scribe. I am submitting for your consideration my article "Ten lessons I learned after surviving COVID-19" which I hope you can consider for publication. In the article, I talked about my experience when I and everyone else I was living with had COVID-19 last March. I am sure that your readers will find this story relevant especially given that the pandemic is still ongoing. I am looking forward to getting your feedback. Thank you very much!
• 
  2021-10-08

  My covied-19 experience: Ella McMullen

  My name is Ella McMullen, I live in Nampa Idaho. I go to Lone Star middle school. When Covied-19 started I was 11 years old, Covied has affected millions of people. My family is one of them. When my mom and dad got covied my brother, sister, and I all went to live with my grandparents. We lived with my grandparents for about 3 weeks. While we were living with my grandparents, my mom got the bad side of Covied. She ended up having to go to the hospital, she had to go because of her breathing. She had to have around 14 litters of air while she was in the hospital. Thankfully, she was only there for about a week. When she got out, she had to still be on air. So, it was difficult when we had to go out because we had to make sure we had the air tank full, and we had an extra one with us just in case. My mother was on air for about 6 months. After my mom got better, she was really stressed. My dad was still sick, but he thankfully did not go to the hospital. My dad was only sick for about 2 weeks. He got the safer side of covied. That is how covied affected my life.
• 
  2021-10-03T14:23

  Brianna Biagini Oral History, 2021/10/03

• 
  2021-10-04

  My experience and how COVID-19 affected me.

  The essay outlines what I had initially known about COVID-19, what I experienced, what close family or friends experienced, and how I saw the world change as a result. The purpose being to share my thoughts to not only get it off my own chest, but to help others feel comfortable in sharing their own.
• 2021-08-02

  Giving The Family Covid

  One day I woke up fine and normal like every other day and I went to work. At round 2 pm that day I started getting headaches and my body was cold. It was really hot that day too while my body was cold. I told me boss I'm not feeling too well and I wanted to go home. I called my friend who works in a pharmacy my symptoms and he said its possible to be covid-19. He went to my house and waited outside with a rapid test and I met him there. We did a test in the car and after 15 minutes it came out positive. I called my dad who was in my house to come outside so I can break the news to him before the rest of my family because they would've freaked out. I told my dad that I'm positive for covid-19 and he went to setup the house for me and seclude me from everyone else. I went upstairs and I saw my family waiting for me and my uncle had his hand out to greet me and I ignored all of them without giving eye contact and went straight to my room. I rarely ever get sick from anything really. Im sitting in my room thinking I really got covid-19 thinking I'm immune and invincible because I'm a healthy 21 year old and I never get sick. Also no one in my family previously got covid I was the first. This pandemic has showed me what I'm not and I'm just like every other person. The good thing is I mentioned it to my boss and asked my friend to test me right away. This is what everyone should be doing, check up on yourself right away.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Light to the Darkness

  This picture I'm submitting is a picture of the rosary I've had hanging on the headboard of my bed since when I had covid. On April 3, 2020 I woke up to have some banana pancakes and my tea and discovered I couldn't taste anything and then tried to smell my perfumes and couldn't smell anything either. I knew it was covid. I was afraid and at night I'd cry and be anxious to the point where my anxiety made it hard to breathe and would think it was because of the virus. It was then that I realized my faith lacked. I got out of bed and went to get that rosary hanging with the rest that my mom had and I started praying. For the next couple of days leading to Easter Sunday, I'd pray and feel comfort knowing I had my rosary there. It made my days with the virus, bearable. A year and a half later, I still have my rosary hanging there. It has helped make everyday bearable and reminds me to continue having faith.
• 2020-02-14

  COVID-19: From Italy To New York

  In February of 2020, from the 14th to the 22nd, I was on a school trip in Italy. It's safe to say I was having the best time of my life, until I became ill towards the end of the trip. I felt extremely lethargic and fatigued, my nose and throat were as stuffed as could be, my voice was gone, and my body was consistently hot. It wasn't until I got home from my trip that I suspected my illness was COVID-19, because I was informed that the exact day I returned home from Italy, Venice went on lockdown. I had been in Venice at the beginning of my trip. My suspicions heightened once my mother, father, and sister all got COVID-19 several days later, yet I was healthy as a horse again. In the weeks I had been quarantined with them, I hadn't gotten sick again. Now, this is my earliest memory from quarantine, and quite frankly one of the only memories since the days began to mesh together. I remember time no longer felt real, and I tried to pass it with as many activities as possible. The family began solving puzzles and playing more board games. I was playing more of my instruments, including piano and ukulele. I listened to countless albums and new artists. But, in all of the good, there still remained some low points such as overeating and inactiveness. I'm sure everybody can find pros and cons in their quarantine experience, definitely more cons for some. But, I just wanted to share what I remembered from my own experience. It's the story we always told people when they asked if we ever got infected; I'd say I'm pretty sure I came home from the best trip in the world only to infect my family and almost immediately go into lockdown.
• 2020-03-15

  A Pause on Life

  It was March 2020 when the world found out about this new virus called the corona virus (Covid19). This virus hit the news, and my parents began to worry. It was still the beginning doctors were beginning to learn about it, not many people knew the much about it. On March 15th I started my day like any ordinary day. I had a salad for lunch, while eating my salad I realized I couldn’t taste anything, but I didn’t think much about it. At this time the symptom of losing taste and smell was not a symptom for Covid 19 yet. I mentioned it to my mom about me not being able to taste and she answered by saying “that’s so strange dad can’t smell or taste either.” I still didn’t think much about it I thought we both have a cold, but I thought it was strange that me and my father can’t taste or smell. I soon realized that it was a symptom of Covid 19. After realizing I panicked and called a doctor to get tested and sure enough me and both my parents tested positive for Covid 19. I was in shock because it was so early and I didn’t think that I out of everyone in the world would catch the virus. And just like that the world paused, business closed, restaurants closed, you couldn’t be around your friends or extended families, and we all had to stay home. Unfortunately, the timing was not in my favor. I was planning on getting married on June 4th, however at the time I wasn’t worried, I kept thinking to myself this virus will go away there will be a vaccine and by the time June would come and I can have my dream wedding. As time passed, I realized my dream wedding would be crushed. It was a hard time, every day in quarantine my wedding plans were put on hold and I wasn’t allowed to see my fiancé. I cancelled my invitation order and altered it to 20 invitations instead of 700. I wasn’t allowed to get my dress altered because everything was closed. My father had to cancel the venue. After being let down I came to a conclusion that I still want to get married on that date with just my close family. And so, it happened. I replanned a wedding to my grandmothers’ backyard. I had my ceremony with only my close family and afterwards my friends joined. It wasn’t the wedding I was supposed to have but it was the best wedding I ever had. At the end of the day it taught me a lesson a lesson that life isn’t about the external objects or flamboyant events, but being surrounded by the people that love and care for you is all that matters. I was so happy and so appreciative that I was able to have the most perfect wedding. I believe Covid 19 was a wake-up call for the world. It allowed people to focus and work on themselves, realize what the true important things in life are, and to understand the significance of life.
• 
  2021-09-17

  MA, AP and JK Oral History, 2021/09/17

  This is a casual interview about the effects of COVID on mental health, academics, family life, etc. We discuss the biggest impact COVID had on us, our experience with the pandemic, what we did over quarantine, and much more, from the perspective of college freshmen.
• -0021-08-31

  Anger, Frustration, and Hope

  In December of 2020 my family went to Florida to pick up our eldest daughter. All but one of us tried to be diligent in wearing masks, distancing and reducing the risks as much as possible. Yet despite that a week later, on Christmas day, my husband started feeling tired and slept most of the day. That was as bad as it got for him. The following Monday we were all feeling ill and I was in the car line being tested, it was positive. On New Years Eve I went to the hospital by ambulance with my oxygen levels in the low 80's. I couldn't say goodbye to my four kids (two in college and two in high school) because I didn't want it to be a final goodbye. I spent ten days in the hospital. Thankfully the constant oxygen, medications and antibody therapies did their job and I didn't need to be intubated. However, the virus wreaked havok on my body. My eyes hurt and would not focus, my body and joints ached, my focus and cognitive function was shot. I struggled to find balance and felt like I weighted a thousand pounds (heavy, oppressive weight). I struggled for breath yet the oxygen took its toll as well leaving painful ulcers in my nasal cavity and after two months of oxygen, a hole in my sceptum. My sugar levels were dangerously high and difficult to regulate and I shifted from a daily pill to needing four shots of insulin a day. It has been eight months and my body still has not returned to any sense of normalcy. I still struggle with controlling my sugar levels. My cognitive recovery has been slow and things that would take an hour in the past now take three or four (like reading and analysing text). I struggle with exercise as my lungs still have not healed. Even walking up a flight of stairs leaves me in tears as I struggle for breath and feel like I'm drowning. I have to divy up my workable time because my body will only do so much before it gives out. I struggle with odd symptoms. I struggle to sleep and struggle to stay awake. I also struggle with depression and self worth. I now feel like a burden. No, I am not suicidal, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that there are so many times when I feel like my family (my spouse in truth), would be better off without this new version of me. They don't understand why I can't do what I did before and doesn't believe in COVID or vaccines or wearing a mask. It's all media propoganda meant to promote a socialist agenda. I only got this sick because I was overweight and had diabetes before COVID. It cuts like a knife when you hear things like that and when it feels like someone doesn't care enough to want to do what they can to protect the ones they say they love. Maybe that's my biggest takeaway from all of this. It's redefining who I am and how I percieve the people around me. The people I thought loved me the most, who I loved the most. It's opened my eyes to the divisions and the anger that run deeper than just the pandemic. But I've also seen the depth of human compassion and love. Friends who made sure my kids had food and whatever else they needed when they were quarantined. The staff at the hospital who ran themselves ragged caring for patients. My nurse practitioner who has been on this journey with me the past eight months and worked diligently to help me recover. The students I've worked with who adapted and were more accepting and flexible in all of this mess than their parents, as they learned new ways of learning. It gives me hope that while there is bad in this world, there is so much good.
• 
  2021-01-06

  When lungs fail

  I wish I had a sound of the oxygen concentrator my mom was on for a full month, but at the same time I'm glad that I don't. After spending 8 days in the ICU due to COVID, my mom was finally sent home only because the hospitals were full in the Fort Worth area, and there were other people much more sick than her. In a normal year, she would have been in there at least another week or two, but they got her a concentrator and sent her home to be taken care of by my Dad, sister, and me. The sound the small motor made, producing the oxygen my mom's lungs weren't capable of getting. The high-pitched beeps that sounded when the battery was low, or if the cannula in her nose wasn't properly placed on her face--all of it is probably permanently etched in my memory. The sound that I've submitted here is an excerpt of what a nebulizer sounds like when it's turned on. In addition to the sound of the oxygen concentrator, we'd hear this sound at least twice daily as my mom inhaled her lung medications with the nebulizer, accompanied by a lot of coughing as she recovered fully. I'm grateful that she recovered and is still doing well, but I don't think I'll ever be able to hear a sound like this without remembering what the month of January was like this year for our family.
• 
  2020-02-14

  Happy Valentine's Day! We have COVID!

  For Valentine's Day 2021, I gave my boyfriend COVID! What a great gift, right? The week before I started to feel down, congested, and I had a sore throat. As it was mid-February, I thought it was just a regular cold, like I get every year. So I really thought it was no big deal, so my boyfriend and I spent the weekend together like normal. But on Feb 14th, I woke up, got in the shower, and realized I couldn't smell any of my soaps! I ran out of the shower in a panic and went to the kitchen to smell all the food we had. I couldn't smell the onion, the salsa, the garlic powder, the coffee...nothing! So we decided to cancel our date plans for the day and went to get tested. My test came back positive so we went in the quarantine together, as we had spent the last four days together. At this point, I was getting exponentially sicker and laid in bed for the next 5 days. About 3 days after I lost my sense of smell, I lost my sense of taste, but only for about 24 hours. What a terrible week! Hopefully, Valentine's Day 2022 is better for us!
• 
  2021-05-07

  Story of civic warrior 2 nd wave in india

  Daily diary of a covid doctor for last 2 months…. The message towards the end of 2nd wave of pandemic The last 2 months of 2nd wave of the pandemic have been the most hectic in all aspects emotionally, physically, personally. Finally got some time to pen down my experience towards the end of this 2 wave. Working in territory care hospital as an intensivist, managing own start-up Providing doctors on call for a home visit, tele and video consultation, free consultation for underprivileged people. Every day waking up after hardly 2 to 3 hours of sleep. I will would see 10 to 15 miss calls, Finish teleconsultation as much as possible and then do a home visit for few patients on the way to hospital, Home visit for covid patients has been a totally different experience, these were the patients under the most stressed condition not getting hospital beds, their family physician had stopped seeing them due to fear of self infection. with proper PPE protection treating patients at home successfully is so self satisfactory as a doctor which only COVID warriors like us can understand. Then reaching my COVID ICU where the sickest patients in the city are there, managing such a sharp surge in critical cases has been a Herculean task, time is key in critical care setup, the timely decision to give ventilator support or ECMO support saved few lives. thankfully I have the best doctors, nurses, paramedics, housekeeping, and management guys who make our work easy. Those grueling 8 hours In PPE without food water or toilet. And the most important was talking with the family of those sick patients, ask any 1 of our covid warriors every1 has hundreds of sad story of each family. This used to break us emotionally. Coming out of covid ICU, the number of missed calls for teleconsultation was pending. I would finish them while having lunch In the evening. During the peak of this my wife working as anesthesia Doctor at BHU got infected for 2 nd time, And lost 2 elder family member due to COVID, But the patient's family expectations from me kept me doing my work, and didn't visit my sick wife or attended the funeral of any of my relatives. Then in late-night had kept free teleconsultation slot for my native hometown Sindri, Dhanbad patients. And also underprivileged patients from pan India. After finishing calls, night again would start home visit for covid patients which would go till 2 to 3 am in the morning. Then finally to find a nap of few hours till the next day of battle. This is the story of lakhs of lakhs of covid warriors like me. But think about us now we are also getting burnt out, So request all people not to relax after 2 nd wave, get vaccinated use mask maintain social distancing even after govt unlocks, it's not over yet………... Dr Animesh Kumar Mishra Critical care medicine specialist Apollo Gleneagles Hospital. Founder of DCHS healthcare solutions. 9176138128
• 
  2020-02-01

  Timeline of political and personal events - Tyler Corcoran

  I got COVID-19 in late March and with the rapid changing of events, watching it all happen from my bed was a very sobering experience, so I created this timeline to show the most important events from the last 15 months
• 
  2021-05-18

  On Illness From a Virus and Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  In this essay, I reflect on my personal experiences with illness and recovering from surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2021-05-03

  Getting Covid as a 14 year old

  It is about me getting covid and my pretty mild experience with it
• 
  2021-03-26

  Choosing between Work and Health

  This short piece shares the struggles and experiences of choosing between working as an essential worker and worrying about my family's health during the peak of the pandemic.
• 
  2020-05-09

  Through the Eyes of Assimilation: Immigrant Families, Mental Illness, and COVID-19

  This story is about my partner's family, utilizing both of our perspectives to talk about how his mother, and subsequently my partner, was treated due to mental illness, ethnicity, and gender identity.
• 
  2021-04-23

  Was not close and personal with until it was

  We were crazy careful. In a bubble of two, for months. We went inside a grocery store maybe three times over the course of a year and not for the first six months. We always wore a mask. We honestly believed given given our personal situation, the best thing we could do was to remain isolated. We worked really hard at this. In the beginning, our mail sat in quarantine. Any groceries that came into the house, we we wiped them down. Some people, described my personal efforts as over the top neurotic. My parents older we’re careful as well. If you haven’t figured it out, this article was written with voice recognition software and the nuances that come with that. However they were older and this meant that they did require assistance. Fortunately they were not in a facility where it swept through. Instead they had caregivers who came from a reasonably fortunate demographic sample in terms of access to healthcare. In other words they probably had better than average odds then someone in an old age home. They always had masks, they have a supply of sanitizer in the car at all times. I’m at the beginning that is not in the beginning, they began to have their personal support workers do grocery shopping, thanking I know banking, pharmacy and pretty much anything that required them to occupy a shared space with others. In December, almost 10 months into the pandemic, my mom did not get Covid. However she required hospitalization. She had been sick for a long time and it appeared to be another infection. Well that was it. Just before Christmas, she began to make a recovery, which included physical therapy. My dad will go to the hospital every day. And during the other visiting hours, my brother would go. Unfortunately over the Christmas holidays, and due to hospital staff being overly per cautious, they had a shortage of staff and we’re not able to conduct the physical therapy. This certainly helped in terms of limiting their contact with others. However, My mom really needed physical therapy. So the progress that had been hard earned, prior to the holidays was Dowsett back and look like it was going to resume in January. My mom spent Christmas and New Year’s in the hospital, with my dad at her side. Then, the hospital restricted visiting. It wasn’t eliminated it was just more restrictive. In the end including my mom go to 13 patients four died of Covid. My dad who what is elderly and heard degenerative bone issues he’s not a patient had not been there obviously the entire time he passed five days before my mom. Once it was determined he had Covid and required hospitalization, they took him from his home to a different hospital than my mom. Each of them passed without any knowledge of the other passing. My dad had remark to me when I was expressing doubt over my overly per cautious approach did he didn’t think it was crazy, I actually thought it was wise. We held a virtual service, it was the first 100% virtual service the funeral home I had done. Again the grammar here is all messed up because of the voice recognition. We begin to settle back in our routine. And March I didn’t feel well, that was on a Thursday. I got tested on Saturday and by that time my wife is symptomatic yeah and we both had Covid. Fortunately, we didn’t require hospitalization, but it did hit us hard and we were never sure if we were going to end up going to the hospital. Our son, who took little to no precautions, lived at our house in a separate section. Where a wall had been constructed. Heating occurred through different systems. He was tested, he never got sick. Recently, I had my second shot, Moderna. The next day, I was as sick, same symptoms as during the Covid infection. It was a severe as the worst two days my Covid infection. Fact in fact, I had managed to work straight through by infection, however I did finish work early on a Friday and got out of bed maybe three hours until starting late on Monday. I’ve always heard that it was the second shot that hit people hard. I was discussing this with a friend of mine, who is generally pretty insightful and has a reputation for solving things others don’t. I don’t know if he was just trying to make me feel better or this was another one of his really good insights. Anyways he had suggested that this was like my body‘s second shot. I thought that was interesting and perhaps someone who reads this may also I’ve had a similar experience or comment on. That is my Covid story And my wife after patiently listening to me dictate this through voice recognition whispered as I was done and I’m sticking to it
• 
  2021-04-23

  COVID 19, BLM and Religion - My story of 2020

  This story tells my experience of having Covid-19 along with being the mother of a brown child during the pandemic and BLM movement. I also share how this year drew the line in the sand for our family's faith and how my partner and I finally found the courage to come out.
• 
  2021-04-22

  The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

  I am submitting this for my Rel 101: Religion, Culture, and Public Life course.
• 
  2021-04-09

  San Antonio Service Workers Receive Vaccines

  Heard, a local organization in San Antonio, Texas, set up a COVID-19 vaccine clinic specifically for service industry workers. This is absolutely essential, as Texas has opened restaurants to full capacity, putting servers at an extreme risk of exposure. While spaces for the April 15th clinic were limited, by only allowing service industry employees to reserve a vaccine, they allowed individuals to protect themselves sooner by getting vaccinated.
• 
  2020-01-04

  Battling COVID Before It Was "Mainstream"

  A few days after New Years 2020, I was working at RPM Italian as a polisher. The night was slightly busy but the night sky was cold. Being a polisher, my uniform would often get wet and seeing how part of my job was to throw out the linen bags, I would walk out into the cold with my wet uniform. The following days, I developed a cough and grew more persistent over time. At the time, I was prone to getting bronchitis because of an existing respiratory condition I have. I thought nothing of it and being a frequent news reader I was aware of a "pneumonia-like virus" breaking out in China, but I thought nothing of it. Over the next days, I realized that my apatite was lost and barely ate dinner because it felt that I had already eaten a large lunch. My wife chuckle and said it was probably my self-diagnosed lung infection. Thing is, I've had lung infections before and I NEVER lost my apatite. Around the same time, my father who rarely gets sick, came home from work early after getting a 103 f fever and was bedridden for three days. My little brother soon followed with my mom losing her sense of taste which she attributed to allergies or "the flu" as we thought my father and brother had. Then, on the day Kobe Bryant died, I developed a massive fever of 105 f and my coughing grew worse. I lost my apatite, I rarely slept, I had developed extreme body aches, felt chess pressure and often found myself grasping for air. My wife said that I may have developed pneumonia and I was reluctant to get it checked out because I had no insurance. Fearing for my health, I went to my healthcare provider Erie Health Center. There, I expected to be diagnosed with bronchitis, an upper respiratory tract infection or worst case scenario pneumonia. However, when the doctor saw my condition and heard my symptoms he said that it wasn't: pneumonia, bronchitis or a lung infection. Baffled I said then what do I have and he responded with: "mhmmmmm do you have asthma?" I said I did when I was younger but I out grew it. His response: "That's it. It's asthma". Unsatisfied, I said its not it because I haven't had any asthma complications in over a decade. He later said that a lung operation I had when I was three days old might be the culprit. Once again, I questioned it. He conceded and asked if I wanted to get x-rays done. I agreed and went to Northwestern Medical Center with Erie covering the costs. I got my x-rays done and I decided to go have lunch with my wife. Then, I started coughing, lost my apatite and developed a fever. We took an uber and went home were I collapsed on my bed and was knocked out cold in a nice sleep for 20 hours. The cough never went away until late February when talks of a potential lockdown to contain COVID was being discussed. I never thought much of what I had that winter until my mom got an anti-body test where she came out positive for the anti-bodies. The same day we watched a COVID special on Netflix and they highlighted the COVID symptoms. The ones that stuck out to me was: loss of apatite, chest pressure, fatigue, coughing, short-breaths, fever and trouble focusing. I clicked everything and realized: "Holy shit. I must've had COVID before it was cool" (ironically). Ever since my illness as I described, my mind has become more "foggy" with me having trouble focusing, remembering and even stuttering more often. Trouble focusing has been mentioned as a COVID complication in your post-battle with the infection. Fast forward to February 2021, I went back to Erie to get my yearly physical done expecting to hear my sugar levels were off the charts. Except, my doctor walked in and first thing he said was: "so you had problems breathing in last year January?" I gave him a stare and asked "you don't think that I had..." and he interrupted and said "sir, you either had COVID before we knew what it was or you had some exotic virus" mentioning the latter in a sarcastic tone. There I realized, how chill I took COVID and literally brushed it off multiple times as a lung infection and nothing serious when in reality it was. Had I known what I had was COVID at the time that I had it, I would have been panicking and picturing death at my door. Often, your mindset can be just as dangerous as the illness itself.
• 
  2021-04-11

  A year of my life...

  A year of my life… I tour ASU and decide it will be my college. Coronavirus arrives. My high school senior year abruptly ends. My twelfth and final season of high school baseball is cancelled. Our state goes on lockdown and we all stay home. Easter. No family get together. Church is closed. People around the world start to die by the thousands. Fear and anger spreads around social media. My grandfather falls and breaks his jaw and is in the hospital for a month. My older brothers and sisters keep their jobs but work from home. My nephew’s schools and daycares close. George Floyd dies at the hands of the police in Minnesota. All hell breaks loose in Portland…protests, riots, looting everywhere. Everyone takes sides. Blacks vs the police, the establishment, the government. Politician vs politician. Family member vs family member. Violence, tear gas, extremists. Whites stand with blacks. Moms join in protest. Black Lives Matter. All Lives Matter. No don’t say that. That is racist. Churches protest. They want to stay open. Freedom to worship, they say. Over 230 people get Covid at a Pentecostal church in Oregon. Pastors downplay the risks of the coronavirus, then die of coronavirus. They lose their battle in the courts. A wedding in Maine…55 guests…177 get sick with Covid…7 die – none of whom were at the wedding. A superspreader event. Superspreader. Our new vocabulary. Wear your mask. Our new normal. Another suicide in my school district. I turn 18. I am registered for classes at ASU but attending is up in the air. I work as a GrubHub deliverer because everyone is ordering food from home. We get together with family outdoors. I have a graduation party…in July. Graduated seniors get to play a couple of baseball games at the local minor league field. I am undefeated for my senior season. I pitch, hit, and field well. What might have been… August comes. August 15…I move into Hassayampa…115 degrees…new roommate…I start college…I get Covid…so does my roommate…so does our suitemate…and many others…September 8…I move out of Hassayampa…my roommate and I move into an apartment. Life gets better. Fires sweep through Oregon. And California. And Arizona. ASU cancels finals week. Election. All hell breaks loose. Again. I move home before Thanksgiving. My brother-in-law gets sick with Covid 19. My brother and sister-in-law get sick with Covid 19. My first term of college ends. Christmas. Politics. I won. No, I won. Sounds like kindergarten. These people run our government? I delete most of my social media. I am sick of it. I am sick of everybody. Sick of this year. January. ASU cancels spring break. Back to school. Things are different. The newness has worn off. Covid is a drag. School is a drag. I lose my best friend. I go home. I go back. Ice storm in Portland…power out…broken trees. I go home. I go back. Trying to keep going. Trying to survive. Class is a blur. I stare at the screen. The information goes through me. I am not there. I do my homework. I bomb my exams. My grades are ok…but am I learning anything? Who knows? Who cares? School will be over soon. Virtual work. Virtual school. Virtual life. I will finish the year with over 40 credits. I will never have stepped foot in a college classroom. I will never have talked to a college professor. I will have met very few people. Fall will come. I will be starting over. We all will be. I hope. #REL101
• 
  2021-04-10

  Child Care Concerns Persist Despite Returning to In-Person Instruction in Californian Schools

  Californian schools are opening back up, but there continue to be concerns over employees and their families. Although there have been some employees working at schools the past year (i.e. custodians), those working remotely (i.e. teachers) continue to face challenges in child care. Due to this, "Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this week announced it would provide a day care stipend of $500 a month for each child under age 5 to all full-time employees, including teachers." The Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1021) did clarify within the article by Sacramento Bee that some demands could not be met. Among the demands was a one-time stipend amount of $1,500 for employees with children aged 3 - 14. This is an ongoing issue with its latest update on April 10, 2021 being: a weekly stipend of $125 for employees with children aged under 14. This represents one of the issues employees of educational institutions are facing. They’re hesitant to return to in-person instruction. Although there’s a fair amount of news coverage of children returning to school, the ones hesitant (especially those responsible for the school to run smoothly) should also be acknowledged.
• 
  2021-04-07

  COVID-19 and the Brain

  COVID-19 has gone through a number of classifications. First as a “flu,” then as a “respiratory disease,” then as a “vascular disease,” and is in more recent studies, as a “brain disease.” Some reports are finding that one out of three COVID-19 survivors have mental health and/or neurological issues. This not only informs us of the complexity of COVID-19, but also brings light to the need to continue medical and psychological support of COVID survivors. Some survivors are described as having PTSD, and anxiety disorders are being diagnosed in a number of survivors. Neurologically, many survivors report “brain fog” and other issues. Another unexpected toll the virus takes on those infected.
• 
  2020-03

  Survivor Corps

  One of the more positive outcomes of COVID-19 has been the mobilization of people to support one another and help mitigate the spread of the virus. Survivor Corps, started by an early COVID-19 patient, is “a grassroots solution-based movement to mobilize the sharply increasing number of people affected by COVID-19 to come together, support and participate in the medical and scientific research community efforts and take a more active role in trying to mitigate this pandemic.” Organizations such as this demonstrate the best in people and our potential and desire to work toward the common goal of beating this virus.
• 
  2021-03-16

  Vaccines and Long Haulers

  When it comes to COVID-19, it seems there are more questions than answers. For some COVID-19 survivors, their COVID experience didn’t end after their infection ended. These people, referred to as “long haulers” have dealt with fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, breathing difficulties, and insomnia. However, a surprising and potentially positive development has come out of the vaccine - long haulers symptoms are disappearing! Many patients struggling with long term COVID effects are reporting these effects disappearing after receiving their vaccination. Research, of course, needs to be conducted to pinpoint why, but this seems to be another light at the end of the tunnel for so many people who have struggling with long term COVID symptoms.
• 
  2021-04-03

  Oral Interview with Toni Downs

  Toni Downs is in a lead position at a hospital in Kansas. In this interview, Toni tells me about changes that have occurred at the hospital as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also discusses the long term changes she suspects will stay in effect, such as visitation regulations to the hospital. Toni tells me about similarities and differences between this pandemic and the start of the AIDS pandemic. She also discusses how the number of people going to the emergency room have dropped significantly, more than 75% at the start of the pandemic. Toni believes if we all work together at stopping the spread, we will get this under control. However, she thinks many things may stay around for a while in the hospital setting, such as the before mentioned visitation rules, and even mask wearing, in order to protect hospital staff and the patients. I am researching the unexpected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as people skipping mammograms for fear of catching COVID at the doctors office. I chose to interview Toni for my research, due to her insider knowledge of the inner workings of a hospital.
• 
  2021-01-16

  Texas family without sense of smell escapes house fire

  WACO, Texas -- A Texas family suffering the effects of COVID-19 is safe after their home caught fire, and they weren't able to smell the smoke. Fortunately, a fourth family member, a 17-year-old girl, was able to alert her three relatives and get them to safety. The one-story home caught fire in Waco Friday morning with four people inside. Three people at the home where Bianca Rivera lives lost their sense of smell due to the virus and were oblivious to the danger that was consuming the structure. The teen told KWTX-TV she smelled something burning around 2 a.m. "I started smelling burnt plastic, and that's when I got more alert and ran outside of my room," Rivera told the station. "I couldn't even pass the hallway because it was filled with so much smoke." "I would just do whatever anyone else would do for their own family," Rivera told KWTX. "I just wanted to get everyone else safe and alive that's all I wanted that's all I wanted was to keep everyone alive. I don't really count myself a hero." The family members escaped with their lives, but weren't able to save much else. The Red Cross and other relatives are helping the family as they recover from COVID-19 and a destroyed home.
• 
  2021-03-28

  COVID story

  Hi! I'm writing in to tell my story as a college student who contracted COVID19. I currently attend Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH, however, I've been participating in online classes since March of 2020. I tested positive for COVID19 on March 28th, 2021. The story begins on March 21st, 2021: My brother, James, contracted the virus at his place of work (a local bar, he was a host). He had a fever and light cough (he was sent home from work that same day); the next day, March 22nd, he tested positive. I had very minimal exposure with him. When I found out he was exhibiting symptoms, I was on a small road trip with two of my friends, Katherine and Kylei. We heard the news and immediately returned to Kylei's apartment to quarantine together until we received results. When my brother tested positive, we hunkered down in the apartment together, we ordered groceries togo from Walmart, set up our own little areas in her apartment. We also decided to set up COVID test appointments for each of us individually. On March 23rd, I began to exhibit symptoms myself, with a mild fever, headache, and body aches. I got a rapid covid test that morning, and within the hour the results came back negative. After I tested negative, I was unsure about the accuracy of the rapid, so I scheduled/got a lab test that same day. The next few days, I tried to attend my online classes like per usual, with the fever and other symptoms coming and going. The 26th of March came around and I was brought to the ER with a fever of 105.3 and vomiting. This was a turning point; at the hospital they tested me for COVID, which came back positive Sunday, the 28th. After I received my diagnosis, I still felt exceptionally terrible, so my mother had us call an ambulance for me to the ER. They, again, weren't able to do much. I returned to my home after this visit, as I wanted to be in my own bed for the duration of COVID. I had bad symptoms: vomiting, constant nausea and chills, drenched with sweat, trouble catching my breath, and all around feeling like trash and unable to keep anything down. My mom was scared for me; I became almost unresponsive at one point. My mom took me back to the ER (Wednesday, March 31), demanding they give me an IV for hydration; they did so, along with pain relief and anti nausea. This was another turning point; the next day I was able to sit up by myself, to go to the bathroom, and to take a shower. I slept for hours, healing. Friday, April 2nd was the first day I was able to stand up and keep some food down, without it coming back up. Finally, today, April 4th, 2021 (Easter Sunday), I'm able to focus back on some schoolwork and eat a full meal with my family. Both of my parents contracted the virus, and they are still recovering, like myself.
• 
  2021-04-04

  Three Essex survivors recount their experiences of COVID-19

  This BBC news story shares the story of three British COVID-19 survivors. All three were hospitalized and recount how weak and close to death they felt. One survivor states it has taken her six months to fully recover, while another continues to struggle with breathing and walking due to damage to his lungs. All three are grateful to have survived.
• 
  03/31/2021

  George Martinez Oral History, 2021/03/31

  This oral history is with 36 year old George Martinez, who identifies as male and American Mexican. He tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021 and shared the physical and emotional impact of having COVID-19.
• 
  2021-03-29

  Nancy Martinez Oral History, 2021/03/29

  This oral history is with 35 year old Nancy Martinez, who identifies as female and Mexican. She tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021 and shared the physical and emotional impact of having COVID-19.
• 
  2021-03-22

  BIDMC and Long-term Covid Patients

  This article is about the new team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston whose purpose will be to study and support Covid-19 patients with long-term symptoms. These "long-haulers" have an array of physical and mental problems after their recovery from Covid-19. Unfortunately, since research on this virus and it's effects are quite new, experts are still finding out more everyday. This team at BIDMC is one of a few multi-disciplinary teams in the country that is specifically established to provide comprehensive care to these "long-haulers." With so many people contracting Covid-19, teams like this will be critical in how we move forward. As a matter of public health, we need to better understand if there are physiological changes to things like our lung and airway structures, brains, and other organs from having Covid, and if they are permanently damaged or not. This team will not only help these patients, but also help discover important answers for the public as a whole.
• 
  2021-03-20

  Michele Gable Oral History, 2021/03/21

  Michele Gable is a wife and mother living in a small suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. In her oral history, Michele reflects upon life before COVID-19 and shares how the pandemic has affected both her home and work life. She highlights her experience contracting a severe case of COVID-19 and how she navigated being around her family throughout her sickness. As an insurance underwriter, Michele describes the advantages of working from home while being ill and how her company handled her sick leave after the virus evolved into COVID-19 pneumonia. She shares the ongoing medical issues she still suffers from months after initially recovering as well as her thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine as well as wearing masks.
• 
  2020-12-25

  Jesus will understand if you stay home during a pandemic

  One of the first things my parents did when they retired and moved to Arizona was find a church. I was very vocal about wanting them to wait to return to large group gatherings but for some strange reason, they seemed to think that they couldn't get covid in church. My mom thought that after all the hardships brought on by the pandemic she needed to be back in church. A month later my dad got sick. We all naively thought it was the flu until I saw the shortness of breath. I told him to get sick and sure enough, he tested positive. Two weeks later my mom contracted Covid. I was hoping it wouldn't hit them too bad but my mom is a diabetic and they are older (late 50's and mid 60's) so I was a bit worried. As the days went by neither of them was getting better. My parents were sick through the holidays, I made Christmas dinner and we ate "together". I dropped off food at their front door then went to their back window where my kids and I ate picnic style. After three visits to the ER for my dad and four for my mom we finally started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I have lost many people to Covid, but it never hit me as hard as when I thought I was going to lose my parents. Thankfully, it was a massive lesson learned for my parents that covid spreads even in the church.
• 
  03/11/2021

  Tom Dickinson Oral History, 2020/03/11

  “Chef” Tom Dickinson is the Culinary Instructor for Fairfield High School in Northern California. A native of Oregon, Tom shares his journey in overcoming his personal challenges as a student with Autism who was often dismissed by his educators, to becoming a beloved teacher himself. He is currently organizing the development of a comprehensive culinary program that teaches students essential life and job skills. Tom reflects of the effects Covid-19 has had on his life, community, and students. He reflects on the challenges of online learning and shares the creative ways he has tried to connect with students using technology during the pandemic.
• 
  03/12/2021

  Anonymous Marine Oral History, 2021/03/12

  Interview with a Marine that details going through Basic Training during COVID-19.
• 2020-12-25

  a COVID Christmas

  This Christmas my father unfortunately contracted COVID-19. He was unable to leave his house for two weeks, and it was obvious it hit him hard. My father lives alone and is 71 so my brother and I took it upon ourselves to help him as much as possible and isolate ourselves. We would bring him food and medicine and leave it at his bedroom door to keep a safe distance. During Christmas it was just the three of us eating dinner, but my brother. and I ate in a separate room as our father. It was very lonely but he is all better now with the vaccine so next holiday will be better.
• 
  2021-03-06

  Cost me my job

  I had a severe case of COVID-19 that I caught at my office that included pneumonia and a lower intestinal infection, along with a trip to the ER of my local hospital. At the ER I received breathing treatments and two strong antibiotics for the pneumonia and intestinal infection. This was in addition to severe fatigue, body aches and breathing issues. I was in bed for a little over two weeks and when I got back to the office, I was terminated for not being available during the illness.
• 
  2021-02-19

  The Person I Can No Longer Be

  This pandemic has been a disaster for parents. We have two adults working from home, two remote learners, and a 3-year-old. Cut off from our usual support systems, many days we feel like we are hanging on by a thread. I write a lot and have been chronicling our day-to-day activities (or lack thereof) throughout the pandemic.
• 
  2021-01-25

  My Covid-19 Reflection

  I caught COVID-19 in January 2021 after being around a family member who was positive. The trail of transmission could’ve been my aunt to my cousins to my mother then to me and my brother but it is still unclear. I firstly got a headache one night then went to bed. I woke and felt my throat feeling tight and dry and had a very bad headache, with congestion, fever and body aches/pain all over. I did not want to eat, just wanted to stay in bed and sleep. It was very difficult because it was also my brother and mother who were sick with the virus as well. I tried to make as many herbal remedies as possible for me and my family. I made teas that helped expel mucus from the lungs and throat as well as garlic, honey, elderberry, zinc and vitamin C, B-12 & D. The first two days that I was sick, my fever was over 100 degrees and I had to take Ibuprofen. To help with my body pains I tried to stay out of the bed and keep my body moving. I lost a lot of weight from not eating as much and my body working hard and using energy to recover. What was very interesting about this experience was that I would feel empty even after I ate food. This strange feeling lasted few days after my COVID symptoms were over. It was discouraging because I got my regular appetite back and could not smell or taste at 100%. Everything tasted very plain no matter the amount of flavor. During this experience I was not very worried. I just knew I would get better quickly and remained positive.