Items
Date is exactly
2020-06-21
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2020-06-21
Disinfectant Battle at the Doctor's Office
The photo was taken at the beginning of the pandemic, probably a Friday in the summer because I was not wearing scrubs (casual Fridays). I was working in a pediatric office as a medical assistant in Litchfield County, Connecticut. If you know anything about that area, it was scary at the time because all of the families with any means in NYC were fleeing the city and coming to Litchfield and Fairfield Counties. We were quite nervous at the time that they would spread covid to our communities at the same rate as it was in NYC. Luckily it did not happen. It was a scary time, as every day we would get the ding in the morning and the end of the day of an email notification telling us how many deaths were in local hospitals, how many beds were left (spoiler- none), how much PPE was available (again, none) etc. We were so short on PPE we had to reuse our masks for a whole week (unless exposed of course). I can still remember the feeling of the little fabric “firs” that would start to itch my face after a few days, and the nice smelling essential oils we put in them to make wearing them tolerable- I used citrus smells, and my coworker used coconut. The worst was the lack of cleaning and disinfecting products. We tried to not see patients that were even remotely sick with covid symptoms because we did not have enough cleaner to disinfect the rooms after they left. When we were fortunate enough to get a new bottle of Lysol, we would take fun photos like this one of me threatening my coworker whom I suspected was covered in germs. Little moments like this helped to alleviate the stress of the moments when that email ding came in at the end of the day. -
2020-06-21
2020
This story shows my experience throughout the pandemic, it is important to me because it was an event that strongly impacted my life. -
2020-06-21
A Class of 2020 Student's Covid Story
When I was in the second grade, I remember my math teacher telling my whole class that we would be graduating high school in the year 2020. It seemed so long ago, like this far away land that didn't exist. We all smiled and chatted amongst ourselves about how 2020 was such a cool-sounding year and we liked having that year to look forward to. Elementary school became middle school which became high school and then it was my senior year all the sudden. My high school has a tradition in which seniors paint some boulders behind our school with our class colors and have a barbecue. At senior barbecue, we complained about how we just couldn't wait 7 more months until prom and graduation, and how excited we were for them. If only we had known that none of those things would happen. I remember in March of 2020 going to Chicago away from my hometown of Baltimore to visit the college I'd decided on, and the news was a storm of talk about a virus called covid-19. My high school friends were blowing up my phone with texts telling me that we were off school for 2 weeks and how "awesome" this was. I remember having a gut feeling that this would not be "awesome." Though everything virtually shut down from March to May, my 4 best friends from high school and I were luckily still able to have a somewhat normal summer safely; we went swimming in the lake by my house and camped and it forced us to actually get some exercise. I also was fortunate enough to still make some money over the summer at the childcare center I worked at. I was fortunate in those ways, but I think anyone would agree it just wasn't the same. I remember being heartbroken about prom and graduation at first, until it hit me that this was a problem so much larger than Dulaney High School in Maryland. Bigger than the east coast, bigger than all of America. This was a virus affecting virtually everyone on the planet. That mindset is crucial to keeping everyone safe; your parties can wait. Your trip to Disney can wait. I knew my prom and graduation being sacrificed was for a greater good. I've heard that your true character isn't how you act in your finest hour, but in your worst. I'd say COVID has become a identifier for that. -
2020-06-21
Father’s Day during Quarantine
“Here's what I did on Father's Day: delivered care packages to families of kids with cancer:” -
2020-06-21
A Seven-Year-Old Reacts to Coronavirus in a Drawing
I asked my friend, Jennifer Aspen, to send me something for this archive. She sent this drawing that her little girl did. She explained how her daughter captured their situation well: The girl is wearing a face mask, is crying, and surrounded by the virus. -
2020-06-21
Virtual Viewing of Partial Solar Eclipse
I am a member of the Manila Street Astronomers, a volunteer organization that brings astronomy to the public. Usually we hold free telescope viewings of the moon and other heavenly bodies in malls and other public places. Due to quarantine restrictions, we could not carry out our outreach projects. But we really missed bringing astronomy to the public. So when the partial solar eclipse occurred on June 21, 2020, we did a live broadcast of the partial solar eclipse. We had fun doing it and, based on the rave reviews we have been getting, so has the audience. It was fulfilling sharing our astronomy knowledge to the public, to remind ourselves and others amidst the disturbing things happening on earth that there is a bigger universe out there. -
2020-06-21
Incarcerated person dies while waiting for healthcare
This is a Twitter post (social media) from an incarcerated person using a contraband cell phone telling about their experience with covid-19. He saw a father die on Father's Day while struggling to breath and waiting for an ambulance. There are numerous news articles exposing similar stories. They say sources tell them inmates are not receiving medical attention either before or after being tested for covid-19. -
2020-06-21
Comparison for 1919 pandemic and racial violence to 2020 pandemic and racial violence
This is a good history lesson comparing 1919 pandemic and social unrest to that of today. -
2020-06-21
A Father's Sorrow
Father, Scott Heshinger, expresses his fear of his son dying in prison from covid-19 in a video he posted on Twitter. He brings to light the conversation that is happening among many. The question becomes is it fair or even humane for someone who has been sentenced to spend time in prison end up dying from covid-19? Some have suggested releasing inmates early or moving them from correctional facilities to house arrest. While others argue this puts public safety in jeopardy. -
2020-06-21
'They Just Dumped Him Like Trash'
An article describing the eviction of elderly residents from nursing homes to 'make room' for COVID-19 patients to generate more revenue. -
2020-06-21
And the Crowd Goes...Silent: Football Returns to the UK
All across the globe, COVID-19 forced sports leagues and tournaments to shut down completely, from Major League Baseball, the NBA, and NHL in the USA, to the the various football leagues in Europe. Not even the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were spared, as the IOC announced the Games' postponement until 2021. This photo captures the June return of the English Premier League following its March shutdown, with a match between Liverpool and Everton F.C. broadcasted on NBC. Like the German Bundesliga, players competed in silent stadiums filled with empty seats and strict testing in order to minimize exposure to the virus and prevent a mass outbreak among players and the surrounding community. To enhance the viewing experience, NBC superimposed crowd noise onto the match, although viewers could download an app to opt out of this feature if they so wished. Also, note the players' jerseys, which read "Black Lives Matter," a reflection of the push for racial justice that spread across the world amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. -
2020-06-21
Third migrant farm worker dies as Canada reaches deal with Mexico
Article discussing the disproportionate number of temporary foreign workers infected with coronavirus and the efforts to mitigate this. The temporary foreign worker program has been controversial in Canada for years, for a number of reasons including condition and treatment of workers, immigration status, the employment of foreign nationals over Canadian residents and citizens etc. Like many societal issues the pandemic has brought the ethics and practice of the program to a flash-point. "The outbreak has triggered heightened scrutiny of Canada’s temporary foreign worker program and the conditions in which foreign labourers live and work. In Ontario alone, more than 630 migrant farm workers have been infected with COVID-19; two men from Mexico – Bonifacio Eugenio Romero, 31, and Rogelio Munoz Santos, 24 – have died. The third worker who died is Juan Lopez Chaparro, 55; he had been coming to Canada since 2010 and is survived by his wife and four children, the Migrant Rights Network said in a release Monday. "Federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough told The Globe and Mail last week that Ottawa will overhaul the temporary foreign worker program, including through more surprise inspections of working and living conditions at farms that employ migrant workers. Mexico had temporarily stopped sending more workers, until Canadian officials got a handle on the outbreaks and ensured people are properly paid while they’re in isolation." -
2020-06-21
Conflict emerges between protests and public health
As large scale BLM protests have taken place all across the world, the morality of protesting during a global pandemic has often come up. I chose this tweet to submit to the archive because it highlights one of the more extreme reactions to protests during a pandemic in that this user is accusing the protestors of endangering the publics health. However, this is only one side of the argument as many argue fighting for justice takes priority. The fact that this is about protests in Australia also provides an important international and specifically non US element as the overall attitude towards social distancing and government enforcement of health guidelines differs greatly in the US than it does in other nations. -
2020-06-21
Harvard epidemiologist outlines steps still needed to flatten curve and doubts schools US reopening anytime soon.
Once again I felt the importance of this tweet is related to my own state and even my own school. Here we have a leading expert on Covid highlighting the steps needed to flatten the curve (masks, no large indoor gatherings, no reopening early), yet all these steps have been disregarded by my state. For example, Mill Ave, popular clubbing area in Tempe, had clubs fully open, packed with people, and no masks required just last weekend. And of course the state has already fully opened up. The epidemiologist also shares his doubts about schools reopening in the fall and still being safe, but ASU has already committed to being back on campus in the fall, which highlights the seemingly random decision making taking place all across the nation as institutions, states, and business have to decide between public health and economics. -
2020-06-21
NY Gov. Cuomo highlights the success New York has had in flattening their curve due to people following health guidelines
This tweet stood out to me because of the contrast that it had with my state current Covid status. While New York was hit hard early, strict health guidelines have been not only enforced but followed well by the citizens of the state, which has notably flattened their curve. Meanwhile, Arizona was not hit as hard early but has now become a global hotspot for the virus due to lax enforcement of health guidelines, the state opening back up early, and therefore less public following of health and safety guidelines. The two states serve as near opposites of each other in regards to the curve of the virus. -
2020-06-21
Skepticism on China's reporting of cases and overall handling of Covid-19 becomes popular talking point
Here we have a twitter user touting the popular talking point on skepticism regarding China's reporting of cases and handling of the virus. I found a lot of similar sentiments on twitter and felt it important to share this aspect of the online virus discourse to the archive to properly present the many ideas people have. In fact, I have heard similar sentiments not just online but in my own life from people I know personally. China has seen a drastic reduction in new cases, and as such many theories are thought of to explain this, especially due to the fact that the US and other western countries have not had similar success. It also highlights the new tension between global superpowers that the virus has brought up. -
2020-06-21
Thousands of workers at Tyson meat plants around the US test positive for Covid-19 as China suspends some Tyson imports
This tweet from the New York Times to one of its articles tells how poultry imports had been suspended by China. It explores how the US has handled the virus in comparison to China has begun to have significant effects on the meat industry. Thousands of meat plant workers have gotten sick, and many have died, and considering the importance of the meat industry this could lead to significant issues in the meat supply chain or overall US meat production. This tweet not only highlights this issue, but also puts the negative spotlight on a household name brand that nearly everyone is familiar with. I chose this tweet for the archive because it exemplifies the various global domino effects that the virus has caused. This tweet originated from a search of twitter using Tags 6.1.9.1 and using the hashtag #virus the week of June 21, 2020.