The COVID Time Capsule
COVID-19: A Medical Time Capsule
My name is Anna Victoria Bustos, and I'm now a 20 year old sophomore at the University of Arizona. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I was 14 years old and still in eighth grade. Regardless that time has passed and this major historical event has slowly been getting left behind in our past, together we can reflect on the ways it shaped us as individuals and as a community.
when the world was paused
11/100 Care Worker by Karwai Tang - Elstress, Hertfordshire
75/100 Never Without Her Grandma by Melanie Lowis - Teddington, London
7/100 Dadi's Love by Simran Janjua - London
Overview
*Photographs from: A Portrait Of Our Nation In 2020. Hold Still Gallery. National Portrait Gallery.
Physiology, Storytelling, and the Human Experience
This project explores COVID-19 through physiological and humanities standpoints. As a student studying Physiology and Medical Sciences at the University of Arizona on a pre-medical track, my peers and I typically learn about diseases through biological mechanisms. However, the pandemic showed us that science and the human experience go hand-in-hand with one another.
62/100 You're in Safe Hands by Lisa Miller-Glasgow
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"Hanna and her nurse heading to theatre for a procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this uncertain time, I felt it was important to document this shared experience and capture a moment which highlights care, compassion, and positivity"
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A Portrait Of Our Nation In 2020. Hold Still Gallery. National Portrait Gallery.
COVID-19 Themes
A Blend With a Bit of Everything
COVID-19 was not just a single event, but really a collection of interconnected experiences. The following main ideas highlight the scientific, storytelling, and social backgrounds that defined the pandemic.
Scientific Breakthroughs:Understanding the Virus
COVID-19 not only reshaped our world as we knew it, but it also altered modern day science. As researchers and scientists hurried to understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including how it was spread, how it entered the body, and more, they were the ones who were guiding our response to it as a whole.
Community Care: Helping Each Other Through Crisis
While COVID was physically separating people from one another, it also revealed the strength of their communities. Neighbors were delivering groceries to isolated families, teachers learned to adapt their curriculum to online learning, and essential workers became the main backbone for our society. We collectively found new ways to be together, even when we were forced apart.
Mental Health & Isolation: The Emotional Side
COVID-19 caused a mental health crisis unlike anything else in recent history. The huge amounts of fear, grief, loneliness, and burnout we felt became our new "normal". The emotional experiences we had were just as real and as challenging as the physical illness itself.
Where We Are Today
After a thorough reflection, a lot of memories were brought back up from during this time period, and it feels important to pause and acknowledge what they mean now.