On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 to be a global pandemic. Two days later the United States designated it a national emergency.
Five years ago, Covid took hold and the world transformed almost overnight. As routines and rituals evaporated, often replaced by grief, fear and isolation, many of us wondered: When will things go back to normal? Could they ever?
Today, for many, the coronavirus pandemic seems far away and foggy, while for others it’s as visceral as yesterday.
What are your thoughts and feelings on the fifth anniversary of the worst pandemic in a century?
What do you remember about the earliest days of the pandemic? When did it first hit home for you? What are your most lasting memories of this difficult period? How did Covid affect you, your family and your community? What lessons did you learn about yourself and the world?
In “How Covid Changed the Lives of These 29 Americans,” The Times asked people to share the many ways, big and small, the pandemic shaped and reshaped their lives. Here are some of their responses:
Miguel Guzman, 56, San Antonio
He nearly died after getting Covid in late 2020.
The most important thing is being grateful to be alive, just being able to do the things that we love to do, to play mariachi music. Being in that dire situation, that’s the only thing that I wanted. I was thinking about my family — how they were going to manage if I didn’t live. But I’m still here.
Lynn Truong, 36, Las Vegas
My favorite thing I learned was how to love and appreciate my face with no makeup on. Pre-pandemic, I would put on makeup just to check the mail.
Paige Woodard, 21, Northampton, Mass.
It was the most drastic weight gain I had ever had in my life. And I think I didn’t notice it for a while, in part because I was living in, like, sweatpants and pajama pants, and I didn’t really have to go anywhere. And that weight has stayed on.
Charles Huang, 22, Rosemount, Minn.
He has not gotten Covid and continues to mask.
The isolation I still feel is painful. When I’m in a crowded elevator or on a fully booked flight, I try to act calm, but my mind frantically fixates on the possibility of contracting Covid, and puzzles over why post-pandemic life never came for me the same way it came for what looks like nearly everyone else.
Talia Falkenberg, 22, Atlanta
Her high school was still remote when she returned for her senior year in the fall of 2020.
There were a lot of firsts I was missing out on. My peers and I were so focused on our own futures, and it made us zoom out and focus on the big picture. I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, and I don’t feel as angry. I give a little more grace, now, to the administrators who made that decision.
