Do you remember the year 2020? I personally had high hopes for that year. We were twenty years into the millennium, the summer Olympics were on the way, and I had a special convention look forward to in Las Angeles. Sadly, as you already know, everyone’s’ big plans were put on hold that year thanks to the global pandemic from Covid-19. Thanks to that virus, the whole world pretty much stopped on a dime. Honestly, 2020 was pretty much the worst year of my life, as I’m sure it was for many people. The pandemic was a tough time for everyone. Let me tell you how my family lived through the crisis of Covid-19.
Early signs of Covid
As I’m sure you remember, the earliest news of Covid-19 began in China. From there, it quickly spread across neighboring countries until it eventually became a global problem. At the time, my father took business trips to London, but soon, all major airlines were put on hold. I don’t remember the exact date, but you never really forget when all progress around you stops. Soon, Covid was in the U.S and everyone seemed to be under quarantine.
Adjusting to The Pandemic
Needless to say, everyone was scared when Covid reached the states. And with a vaccine yet to be made, we were all under an extreme sense of caution. Additionally, getting supplies was a real hassle. I don’t know if you remember, but early on in the pandemic, there were lots of hoarders when it came to toilet paper. Only one or two of us went to the store at a time. Once, in the local Wal-Mart, I saw a few rolls of paper towels with a sign in front saying, “Just Take what you need.” It was good to know some cooperate workers were looking out for the little guys. Having to live in face masks outside wasn’t fun either. The fact that masks went into high demand in such a short time really diminished supplies rapidly. If fact, during the pandemic many people started making a living selling custom face masks, which we were soon finding in local stores.
Cancelled and Postponed events Thanks to Covid-19
Obviously, with the whole world on lock down, many big events people were looking forward to couldn’t happen then. The 2020 Olympics were put on hold until the virus wasn’t as critical. That kind of thing really leaves longtime fans in despair. Additionally, events like Comic-Con were a no-go as well thanks to Covid. So much fandom left without conventions to attend, it was really a sad time. Obviously, movie theaters were out too since nobody could get close to anyone at the time. This really forced the entertainment industry to up its game. Going out to eat was off the table too, so it was just home cooked meals for a while. Some major things shut down were schools and sporting events. So sadly, kids like my niece and nephew couldn’t play with their teams. And I won’t even go into the absences over the holidays.
Our Infection
With covid-19 spread all over the place and no vaccine, it was hard to find a place to get a test. My parents and I searched for days, but it was tricky to find a clinic with an opening. Eventually, we were able to find a place that could test us, but we had to drive a way out of town to get there. Getting the test was pretty unusual but given the circumstances that was to be understood. Rather than go into the clinic, the staff just came out ant took our samples from the car. After that, they told us it would take forty-five minutes for a result. Obviously, the waiting was pretty stressful. Finally, when we came back for the results, all three of us had tested positive for Covid-19. As you can imagine, it was shocking. Thankfully, none of us were displaying any symptoms of the virus and simply had to lay low for two weeks. It was an adjustment, but thankfully, none of us would display major symptoms, and would later get the all clear.
The Covid Vaccine
I don’t remember when it was, but obviously, everyone was ecstatic about the news that a vaccine was finally here. My family and I went to get ours as soon as they became available. I don’t think as many hats have been tipped to the medical community as when the vaccine was produced. A few weeks after we got the vaccine, we went for another Covid test, and this time, the results were completely negative. That day was a relief. However, even with an antidote, the pandemic protocols were still in place for a good long while, so everyone still had to be careful.
Having to Move
During the pandemic, lots of different rates went up, including homeowner rates. At some point, in the Summer of 2020, my parents gave me some of the worst news of my life, they had sold our home in Houston. When the pandemic hit, we were at our house in Rockport, so we hadn’t been to Houston for a long time. The sad truth is, we’d been spending more of our time in Rockport than Houston since before Hurricane Harvey, and my parents decided with the rates going up, it was time to let our old house go. I won’t lie, this news devastated me. I’ve always loved the house in the town I grew up in, and I’ve never really liked big changes. A few weeks after they broke the news, we went down to the house where we built a life one last time. Even with hired help and friends coming to lend a hand, it took an entire month to pack up everything in our old home. Just about every day during the move, I would take a walk down to the Old Breaswood Park close to our house and reminisce. After a month of packing and planning, we left my childhood home one last time. I hear the people who live there now are doctors at the medical center. It took several days to unload everything and put organize the storage units for it. I’m sure a lot of people went through the same kind of ordeal. and my heart goes out to them.
Positives From the Pandemic
While Covid-19 mostly brough bad times to the world, there were some light positives that made the time a little better. With a pandemic going on, medical experts were more than willing to share research and work together with others in the field. Being unable to go out to eat wasn’t fun, but it did make people improve delivery services, and Door Dash really hit it big. I mentioned earlier that with theaters out of commission, entertainment had to adapt. Consequently, this was a major time for streaming services and on demand movies. While schools were out, kids got to learn through video chats. I also saw a graduating Asian class on the news perform the ceremony with robots. Crazy, right? And even though events like ComiCon couldn’t happen that year, DC did an amazing online fandom event. And of course, even though there New York was still in under caution, that didn’t stop the Macey’s Thanksgiving Parade.
Conclusion
It’s true, the year 2020 was not the year everyone was hoping for thanks to Covid-19. But despite the hardships, it has proven that people can work together and look out for each other in times of major duress. The next two years after 2020 were a little better, but all major events still took precautions, such as making sure attendees had vaccinations and wearing masks at all times. I know I’m not the only one glad that the worst of Covid-19 is over, and prey such an outbreak never occurs again. One thing that I am grateful for, I was able to spend that time close to my loved ones.