'Fear of the unknown'

By Aubrey Bing

It's the “the fear of the unknown that scares me most,” says Rishan Habte.

Habte, 39, works at the literary Council of Montgomery County in Rockville, Maryland, but has performed her job from home since the pandemic started in March.

When COVID-19 first surfaced as something that can affect people, her employer said they would leave for two weeks and to take enough work home.

Her boss said they would return the first week of April, but it became worse and worse.

So she couldn’t come back to work.

“It’s not the fact that I miss going to work and doing the daily commute that makes me miss work,” she said.

“It's the fact that I can’t have as many social interactions. That’s where I had most of them -- work, going to work, coming home from work.”

She now spends less on dining, buying makeup and accessories, on entertainment and on the metro.

Socializing has also changed for her because she hasn’t been able to see her friends very often. Most of her social interactions occur when she sits on her porch and sees other people walking by. She doesn’t go on trips as often.

Now that they’re all quarantined, Habte's family also can’t go to the theater or the park.

But she does like being able to spend more time bonding with her family.

My grandpa's ‘freedom is now limited’

By Noor Khan

The pandemic affects my grandpa Javed Khan’s movements and activities in a major way.

Before the pandemic my grandpa would go to Home Depot, do groceries and go for prayers, but now because of his old age he isn't allowed to go anywhere.

“Wherever I have to visit like shopping or anywhere I have to remember to wear a mask,” Khan said.

He also said that “in the early times when it started, when everything was closed down, I was totally locked down in the house. I couldn't go out.

“Even my son, my wife, they didn't allow me to go out because I am over 50.”

That's because Khan has a lot of factors that make him prone to the deadly virus.

Khan also thinks that “wearing a mask is not by choice. It is something that you do for your safety and now it's being imposed.

"It's something that you wouldn't want to wear but you have to wear it.”

Nevertheless, he feels that “his freedom has been taken away” because he is not allowed to attend events or visit crowded places.

Khan concluded, “You have to be careful. You feel scared.

"There's a type of fear that you may pick up that virus. It's a major thing. Your freedom is now limited.”

My mom misses socializing

By Londyn Hutt-Wright

The coronavirus has affected my mom Peri in many ways, but one big thing is social interactions.

My mom said, “It has been challenging and has presented alternative work and school accommodations.”

My mom is a social butterfly and is upset because she can't have those social interactions with co-workers or people in general.

During the time we have been home, it has increased our bond and allowed my mom to be more efficient and focused on accomplishing necessary tasks such as doing her job for Barclays Bank, which she is doing remotely from home.

At least she gets to talk on the phone with people, but it’s not the same.

Jianna misses her normal life

By Yadira Zepeda

Jianna is a 10-year girl from New Jersey who used to go to the beach, parties, sleepovers and her grandparents' house before the coronavirus pandemic.

“Covid-19 has affected my life because I personally feel quite upset that I can’t see any of my friends from school nor my family,” Jianna said.

Jianna said she is taking lots of safety precautions such as masks and avoiding crowded indoor gatherings. She also plans to wait as long as possible to go back to her normal life.

“I realized that COVID-19 could be a really big threat to myself and others in the beginning of the year when the big outbreak had happened,” Jianna said. “I was also frightened that my family could get infected including myself. It’ll all be worth it once this whole thing ends.”