How has covid affected your work life?

Covid has decimated my industry, which was live entertainment, theatre and music. I was planning to take some time off from working right when the lockdown hit, so luckily I was already in a headspace for a change.

How has covid affected your social life?

I socialize very little now. Of course in person socializing is almost completely gone except for some outdoor meetups, but even in the digital world I socialize less, mostly because it's hard to get past the inevitable conversation of how horrible everything is.

How has covid changed your view on life?

Covid has reinforced the importance of having functional leaders. The jackassery of politicians is not some far-fetched farce, it affects all of our lives. Like any event of a large enough magnitude it has reminded me of my mortality and encouraged me to absorb the beauty and peace of nature and existence, and care less about minor concerns.

What concerns you the most about pandemics?

That people are so uneducated and easily manipulated, to the point that they can be told something right in front of their eyes doesn't exist. And that the values of this country, namely the religion of profit, have prevented our government from preparing better for it's citizen's needs.

What's your opinion on wearing masks?

My opinion is that it is a fact that wearing masks helps to prevent the spread of the disease and in turn the deaths of many Americans.

How has covid changed the way you see things around the world today? With those who continuously choose not to wear masks, and those who just simply keep ignoring all protocols.

I have been a mask wearer since the beginning. I really don’t understand why people don’t wear them. I know of someone who didn’t wear a mask and he died of Covid. I never fully understood what the illness was and how it affected people. We are told the symptoms but many of those symptoms don’t seem life threatening so it is a hard illness to understand. I now see how people are dying from this. I am a strong, fairly younger person and if I was older and more frail, it would really take its toll on me. I am trying to educate people I interact with that the illness may not affect some very much but that is not true for all.

Can you explain briefly what the hospital at home program is, and the certain experiences you had to endure along your recovery?

The hospital at home program is a way to have patients treated at home when they are able to be. If you are physically able to walk around and will have some support at home, you can qualify for the HAH program. EMT’s took me home in the ambulance and they stayed and set up all my equipment. I had an oxygen machine, IV pole, meds, pulse ox monitor, thermometer and a scale. They provide an iPad that only connects to the Mayo systems. Each day an EMT came to my house (5 days) to administer an antibiotic via the IV. Four times throughout the day I had to take my own vitals and submit them to the doctor. Each day I met with the doctor virtually to discuss my condition. After I didn’t need the oxygen and IV anymore, they came to retrieve it and left me with more vitals equipment and a different iPad that I entered my vitals into and talked to the nurse. I was on the HAH program from Nov. 26^th to Dec. 10^th. At any time of the day you could use your iPad to contact Mayo for any reason. If it was severe they would send out an ambulance.

What was your first initial reaction when you found out that there wasn’t even enough room in the hospital for you, and that you had to partake in the hospital at home program?

I was pleased to be going home to recover. I was only in the hospital one day and one night and it is boring. No one can come to see you, you don’t get a lot of sleep and the bed was uncomfortable with all my tubes. My husband had tested positive as well and I didn’t like not being able to see how he was doing throughout the day. We could call but it is not the same. It was much better to be in my own home surrounded by my own things. I probably recovered faster because I wasn’t staying in a bed all day like I would be at the hospital.

How were you able to balance out your positivity as well as maintain every little ounce of hope from within telling yourself that you’ll get through this, when you were trying to regain your strength along the way as well?

I truly was confused about my health. I had felt sicker in my life so I was hesitant at first to even go to the hospital. I had had a coughing fit and vomited so that was enough to scare me into going. My children were very scared for me. They have only heard negative things about people who are hospitalized with covid and they didn’t know if I would live or not. My extended family is out of state and everyone was very worried. I really thought that I could go back to work after a week because I wasn’t on oxygen anymore and we were going virtual so I could stay at home. I didn’t know how exhausted I would be and how long it would take for me to feel better.

Is there a certain place where you think you may have received the virus from? (Gas station, grocery store, school, mall, etc..) And do you regret anything that you wish you could go back and fix by chance?

We believe that my husband contracted it from his work. We both wear masks at all times when we are out in public. We take responsibility for shopping and to the grocery store but we keep our distance and wear a mask. I knew that there is no way to protect myself 100%. So I was more concerned about having it and not knowing it and possibly giving it to others. I have kept a small bubble of people including two friends and my own six children who are all adults. My daughter in Madison contracted Covid from her work and she only had symptoms that made her exhausted. She was keeping herself isolated except from work and she still got it.

With being a teacher, how has your perspective on wearing masks changed compared to when this virus first erupted back in early March? Do you feel more strict about it? How do you feel when you see students lower/ remove their masks?

Although I had been wearing a mask since the beginning, I think that since no one was getting covid in Eau Claire, many people slacked off on it. I do enforce it with the kids and they are great about it. The only issues I have are with students who tend to be chewers, they want to take them off and chew on them. Other students never take them off except for eating.

Optional- any piece of advice or last words you’d like to mention for the people to see!(:

A struggle that I had was with my coworkers. They didn’t know “how sick I was” and were very judgmental about what level of work I could do from home. I couldn’t do anything from home such as lesson plans. I really needed them to step up and take care of things for me. It is difficult when they see others who have had covid and it didn’t affect them and they didn’t understand that I had pneumonia and was on oxygen. I want people to believe that some will not have any problems with covid and others will be very sick and then others will die from it.

Why do you wear the mask?

I wear the mask because it is to protect me and others from spreading the virus.

How has seeing others not wear the mask properly made you feel?

It makes me feel angry because its very easy to wear the mask correctly and so many people are saying that its hard to breathe with them on, but in reality it isn't.

Has wearing a mask become too political?

Yes, as i've seen some people associate wearing a mask with democrats and not wearing a mask with republicans, when really the mask is just a way to help keep people safe.

What do you miss?

I miss being able to go to public spaces without having to constantly worry about getting sick, and I very much miss being able to go to friends houses freely. I also miss not having the whole world tied into one big bad thing and having to try and find someone to blame for it. It was easier before covid, definitely.

Did you get a flu shot?

Yes I did, because with the current virus going around, you do not want to have your immune system compromised with something else, because then that opens you up to possibly get covid. I want to stay as healthy as possible.

If there were an early covid vaccine, would you take it?

I would wait for others to take it, and then see if there are any major side effects, and if there aren't any, I definitely would, because then that's one less person that could get covid.

How has covid affected your family relationship? Some being around one another 24/7 and some being totally isolated from everyone else during the pandemic.

I live alone, therefore I had no one around 24/7. I was totally isolated from my family as they live in different cities and did not come during that time. We did have good internet connection which helped a lot.

How has covid affected your social life, have you seen your friends much?

I did not see my friends again until we were all vaccinated. Now we are meeting at each other’s homes for lunch or a visit. Otherwise we connect through the internet. It has been a very quiet time.

How has covid changed your view on life, are you happy or sad in these times?

Covid has not changed my life. I live alone and I like it and I am used to it. Therefore, being more alone during Covid did not make me happy, but did not change my view on life. I have not been sad although I am glad that everything is beginning to look better.

What's your opinion on wearing masks and do you think you should be required to wear them?

I definitely think we should be wearing masks in stores and groups. If you are asked to wear a mask, you should definitely do it without fighting it. The masks are going to keep people safer and help to end the pandemic.

What concerns you the most about this pandemic?

I am mainly concerned that this pandemic will not end completely and soon. I am worried about all the families who have lost members from Covid. It has been very divisive for people in our communities. This could be the most difficult part of my life. I am 90 years old and I have not lived through anything similar to this. I was alive during WW2 and the Korean War, but was not separated from family. I was able to live with my husband in Hawaii during the Korean War. I also lived through the Polio epidemic. It is hard to remember completely as I was in my teens, but we were rationed certain foods and kept from traveling to some stores. It does not seen so bad when I think back on it.

How has covid affected your work life?

My industry (music, comedy, performing arts) is on hold during the pandemic, so I was out of work at the beginning. I found some new jobs and have honestly been figuring out a better balance between work and play. Thankful for unemployment.

How has covid affected your social life?

I live with my favorite human, so though I can't physically see my friends, I have a very nice social life with my favorite human. We have been connecting with the people we care about in different ways, so we're managing.

How has covid changed your view on life?

It has made me sadder but also healthier, more confused but also extremely grateful. It refocused my career and also changed every aspect of life so I feel unstable but supported and a little out of control and very content and joyful and tired.

What concerns you the most about pandemics?

The mental health of my friends being isolated, and out of work and emotionally exhausted.

What's your opinion on wearing masks?

Medically beneficial, necessary and just plain CONSIDERATE to demonstrate you care about the people around you.

How has Covid affected your work life?

Teachers had to relearn how to do their entire jobs in a matter of weeks, which added a ton of stress to the school year. I’m grateful that I’m 15 years into my career, as I have the experience to be flexible, but not all my colleagues are in the same place! I believe in-person is more effective that virtual or hybrid, but there have been a few silver linings. Some students work quite well in the hybrid or virtual model, and I appreciate the additional flexibility that comes with the new schedule and new lessons.

How has Covid affected your social life?

My social life has ground to a halt. I don’t see my writing group or my friends at all. We have some neighbors who we’ve hung out with a few times (more so over the summer), but even that is strange, as we try to maintain social distance and keep everyone comfortable.

How has Covid changed your view on life?

It’s a good reminder that humans are animals and we’re not very good at handling fear, stress, and shake-ups to our routines. I’ve been quite disappointed with much of humanity’s response to the pandemic – we are seeing the worst of people’s selfishness, ignorance, lack of self-control, and unwillingness to help out those who need it. It’s a sad reminder, but a necessary one sometimes.

What concerns you the most about pandemics?

Social media, misinformation, and politics. This pandemic cemented for me how ill-equipped most people are to manage these tools and areas of life.

What's your opinion on wearing masks?

No opinions, just facts. Masks help prevent the spread of the illness. Less illness spread means fewer sick and dead people. I’m still very confused why “opinion” is part of the equation, unless you’re of the “opinion” that people dying unnecessarily is nothing to be concerned about. That’s not the person I am, nor how I choose to live my life.

How has covid affected your work life?

I have no work life. I produce concerts, comedy shows, trivia nights, open mics, and live game shows for a living. As soon as Covid hit, we shut everything down.

How has covid affected your social life?

It has been brutal. I hang out with friends on Zoom every now and then, but that is it. I used to spend 6 nights a week at work and hanging out with friends afterwards- now I only find a reason to leave the house about once a week.

How has covid changed your view on life?

It has really been quite shocking. I am appalled by how selfish and self serving so many people can be. It has made me very aware, at the same time, how important kindness can be.

What concerns you the most about the pandemic?

The political mess we are left with afterwards. I read as much news as I can, for hours every day- and the fact that this became political is one of the most depressing and idiotic things I can possibly imagine. The farce of it all is beyond depressing. If we would have taken this seriously at first, told the country what to do, and put policy in place that took care of everyone, literally hundreds of thousands of people would still be alive, and life would resemble something close to normal. It makes me so sad and angry some days I can barely take it.

What's your opinion on wearing masks?

Wear them. For the love of God, wear them.

How has covid affected your family relationship? Some being around one another 24/7 and some being totally isolated from everyone else during the pandemic.

For the past 16 months it has been primarily my wife Clara and me together 24/7. We have taken the time to work on many projects together, become more healthy eaters and exercisers, and plan for the next few years. I think we both valued the time we had together but it was difficult to be isolated from our two daughters in Denver, our other daughter in Austin, and my 90 yr old mother in WI, along with other friends and family.

How has covid affected your social life, have you seen your friends much?

We of course took our the virus and it’s risks very seriously. Social outings stopped for a year+. FaceTime was a replacement for visits and holiday gatherings.

How has covid changed your view on life, are you happy or sad in these times?

I was sad for the polarization and lack of unity on battling the virus. I was very sad with our government’s leadership at the time - not being truthful and it’s actions resulting in unnecessary infections and deaths. I was personally happy by the decisions most of my immediate family and friends made to limit spread and exposure. I realize now how gullible many people are to misinformation.

What's your opinion on wearing masks and do you think you should be required to wear them?

I am a strong believer in following the science and this made mask wearing easy for me. I think people should be required to wear masks in public places with a virus this infectious and deadly. Allowing spread and infections also allows the virus to mutate and possibly become more harmful.

What concerns you the most about this pandemic?

I am concerned most about vaccine hesitantcy, and virus mutation. The virus could become more transmissible, and more deadly if people don’t unite to eradicate it!