Chronicles of COVID-19

Title

Mary, Blackpool

Contributor

Mary

Subject

COVID-19 (Disease)

Coverage

Ireland; Cork; 2020s:

Date

14 April 2020

Language

English

Creator

Cork Folklore Project

Rights

Cork Folklore Project

Description

GENERAL PHYSICAL LOCATION RIGHT NOW

Blackpool, Cork City

USUAL LOCATION

Same

Q. 1 STAGES

What feels like a lifetime ago now, but in reality was only about 2/3 months ago, I first heard of this so called COVID-19 virus on the media. It was in China at the time but there was talk of it spreading. Very quickly cases started being heard of in neighbouring countries. Within a week there was a case in England and we were pretty much told it was only a matter of time before it would arrive in Ireland, which is how I had felt myself. Travelling in and out of countries had stopped, but it was too late. We were given information from the media and through HSE leaflets and posters on the correct way to hand wash, the symptoms and what to do if you thought you may have it. At the beginning life stayed the same pretty much, but there was talk of possibly closing schools. Leaders of countries, our own included, were being asked questions, but had no definite answers. Words never heard before but are now a way of life such as, "social distance", "social isolation", "lock down", "cocooning" etc. were being used. As new cases were being reported each day it started to change daily life. Hand sanitizer, antiseptic hand wash, toilet roll (yes toilet roll!) started becoming impossible to get as people panic-bought. I felt at times people were over reacting, that yes some people might get it, but if we all did what were told, hand wash, cover our mouths when we sneeze and cough, bin our tissues, we would be ok and this would pass. When I would hear that a person had died, I believed it had to be because they had an underlying illness, which I unfortunately now know is not the case. In my job we started having to wear gloves at all times. As the virus started taking over, things changed very quickly. It was all everyone spoke about. Every time you turned on a TV and radio or looked at a paper it was everywhere. Information on what to do and what was happening seemed to change every hour. Within the space of 3 days it went from schools may close to a sudden announcement that from 4 o clock that day all schools and colleges were closing for the next 2 weeks. As we now know, is for the rest of the school year, maybe even longer. We as parents were told that our children would have online school, and quickly had to get our heads around this new information. Hand sanitizer before entering a shop had at this stage started to become the norm. But things got worse as businesses started to close one by one. Gloves were worn at all times now and seeing someone wearing a mask on their face was nothing new. All sports and events were cancelled and it seemed that life itself started to become cancelled. We were told to stay away from our elderly parents and grandparents. We were not to be in close contact with anyone outside our household. St. Patrick's day 2020 had no parades. Instead we spent it in our homes and that evening had a live message from our Taoiseach telling us that there were dark days ahead and to be strong. Then Friday evening 23 March we were told the news, from 12 midnight, the country was going into a 2 week lockdown. That means only leaving your house to go to shops for essential items, going for no more than a 2km walk and if you are over 70 or have serious medical issues no leaving the house at all. Last Friday (Good Friday) was that 2 week deadline, but it has now been extended.

Q. 2 EVERYDAY ROUTINE

I am a librarian and as I said at first it was a case of washing our hands and putting up information for the public to stay safe. But as the virus came into the country things changed. We had to start wearing gloves at all times. The public and ourselves started getting paranoid about touching things or someone sneezing or coughing. A morning came where we got an email saying the public could no longer use the pc's and touch screens. Then as businesses started closing, we were constantly being asked were we to close. It seemed like every hour we were getting a new update email. When the news of school and college closures happened, we were told we were closing to the public for the same period of time, but would be doing clerical work inside our branches. Events that had taken time to organise and plan had to be cancelled. We were given information about what to do if we felt we may have symptoms or indeed tested positive for the coronavirus. We spent our time in work doing jobs we could normally couldn't do, which is fine for the first couple of days or week, but when you are used to having people around all the time, becomes incredibly hard and isolating. I felt when I was with the few people left in my branch that I was annoying them at times or we just ended up talking of nothing else but the virus, which can be draining when we already listen 24 hours a day about it, so I would spend time on my own for time to time and listen to music just for a break. Then the lock down happened, so I'm no longer in work. Some staff had volunteered to do "contact tracing" before the lockdown happened, which they are still doing as one of my friends in work is one of those people. I have been at home since and this is my third week. If feels so much longer. I got an email last week asking would I be willing to put my name down for the task of ringing vulnerable people on a daily basis to check in. I said I would, but have not heard anything since.
I live with my 14 year old daughter and my parents. My dad is over 70, so he is cocooning. Some days I don't know what day of the week it is because it's like ground hog day. I try to keep routine and get up at 8 every morning. I go to Dunnes every day and pray the queues won't be too long to get the food for the house. I go for a walk everyday if I can while listening to the radio on my phone.
When you walk down the street now everywhere is closed, only certain big shops, chemists, banks and the credit union. Sanitizing your hands, queues, 2 metre distance and wearing gloves have now become everyday life. I make dinner and me and mam tidy up around the house. I've lost track of how many cakes I've made!!
I had gone on 3 lovely dates with the most amazing guy when this all happened. We haven't been able to see each other in weeks and it's really hard, but we talk everyday with phone calls, WhatsApp messages and video calls and Snapchat. We actually have had 2 virtual dates!! We watch a film at the same time and message each other while it's on. We can't wait to finally be able to kiss and hug in person again, whenever that may be."

Q. 3 GROUPS

I'm finding it hard because I'm used to routine, but I'm in good health and am able to go to the food shop or for a walk.
My mam who is in her 60s is finding this hard because she is so used to her routine of meeting her friend on Tuesdays and Saturdays to go to town. She used have mass every day and now that's gone, she can watch live streams, but she is not tech savvy at all and when I play it on my phone she says it's not the same. She suffers from arthritis in her knees so she finds going for a walk hard. She used to go for a drive or even just see one of her brothers every Sunday, but that's gone. She's finding it very hard.
My dad is in his 70s so is cocooning. But early in the morning he does go for his walk. He is very stubborn and won't listen to me and mam about staying in at all times.
Every day I hear or read stories that break my heart. An elderly gentleman standing on a wooden bench to look in the hospital window at his dying brother. People not being able to go to a loved one’s burial and not giving them a funeral.
But there are also the heart-warming stories. People going above and beyond to help others. Whether that is getting the shopping for their elderly neighbour or children giving their Easter eggs to the front line staff who are working incredibly hard to keep us safe and well.
The novelty of no school has definitely worn off for my 14 year old daughter. She has even said she wants to go back. She misses her friends so much. She seems to either sleep all day and be awake all night or vice versa. We can't look at each other some days we fight so much at times. But the times we do get on, it's nice because we do things like baking or making something from scratch on a Saturday or Sunday because takeaways are now closed. This is the longest she has ever been apart from her dad and all his family. She told me it broke her heart to have to look at her little brothers through a car window on Saturday when her dad dropped down her Easter eggs. Sunday she asked me if we could drive up to her nan and granddad (her dad's parents). They both ran out to the car when she rang to say we were outside. She got upset as we drove off because she said she wanted to hug them so much.

Q. 4 WAYS WE TALK

It’s so hard not to be able to hug a friend. As I spoke about earlier about funerals, me and my mam went for a drive out the countryside where my mam is from about 2 weeks ago. We noticed that at some houses a husband and wife and maybe their children were standing at the side of the road outside their houses. As we drove further along we met a hearse. The people outside their houses were showing their respect by standing at the side of the road. To see the tears in the eyes of your neighbour who is literally across the road from you and not be able to console them, was a very hard thing to witness.

Q. 5 COMMUNITY RESPONSE

No Response.

Q. 6 THOUGHTS AND PREOCCUPATIONS

No Response.

Q. 7 SIMILARITY TO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

No Response.

Q. 8 CHALLENGES AND COPING

No Response.

Q. 9 THE FUTURE

No Response.

Q. 10 IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND?

No Response.

Q. 11 IN A NUTSHELL

No Response.

age

26-35

gender

Female