essay on perseverance during the pandemic

Perseverance in the Time of the Pandemic

Don't look now, but the pepperdine community has already succeeded in responding to the covid-19 crisis.

As I have watched my daughter, Megan, transition from a third-year student on Pepperdine's Malibu campus to her virtual classroom at the end of our dining room table, I have come to recognize one tried-and-true fact of life in action.  We control what we can control–no matter the circumstances–and we persevere.

Our response to the COVID-19 pandemic shouldn't be any different.

Before you read on, please understand that this isn't meant to be another inspirational call to action citing this "unprecedented virus" and encouraging you to "stay safe."  Of course, we are all in this together.  This is a call to examine your perspective, simply because you can.

When the pandemic started closing businesses and schools, the transition was difficult for everyone.  Students felt like they lost a healthy portion of their connections with their friends, their professors, their campus, and maybe even their school.  More importantly, they had to shift the way that they learned at the same time that professors had to shift the way that they taught.

Zoom became a way of life.  Bandwidth became a truly priceless commodity.  And most of us now realize that TV news anchors really can get away with sweatpants and suit coats, because we learned that we only have to worry about what our laptop cameras can capture from the waist up as we join classes, calls, and meetings from the comfort of our couch, bed, or chair.  But here's the thing...

The Pepperdine faculty and staff who were at the forefront of the transition from closing a top-50 university's campuses on a Friday, to making the seismic shift to resuming the class schedule online by the following Wednesday, pulled off a genuinely Herculean task in the relative blink of an eye.  And that's not bragging, because the students stood the tallest in making it happen.  After closing our classrooms in March, the Pepperdine community didn't skip a beat on our academic schedule, and students moved forward in their academic careers and in their lives.

Why stop there?

Colleges and universities across the country and around the world are grappling with a range of possible scenarios for the fall term, from continued online learning to campuses functioning normally with students back in the classrooms with their professors.  Wherever we land in the fall, the lesson we have already learned is that we can and will persevere.  Students don't have to be content to hit pause on their studies, because they have already navigated that path during this crisis.  And who handles adversity better than a Wave?

I'm reminded of what genuinely separates Pepperdine University from other schools: Purpose, Service, and Leadership.  No academic community has greater strength of character or faith, and Pepperdine's students, faculty, and staff proved it in the spring semester in the most profound way possible.  We kept our heads; we kept our focus; and we kept our commitment to finish the academic year.  If we could come together to pivot our entire pedagogy in five days and finish the semester on schedule, just imagine what the Pepperdine community is capable of this fall and beyond.

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Methods article, study of resilience in learning environments during the covid-19 pandemic.

• 1 School of Computing Science and Engineering, VIT Bhopal University, Bhopal, India
• 2 Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 3 Department of Mathematics, University of South Pacific, Suva, Fiji

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a great change in the world. One aspect of the pandemic is its effect on Educational systems. Educators have had to shift to a pure online based system. This shift has been sudden and without any prior warning. Despite this the Educational system has survived and exhibited resilience. The resilience of a system can be determined if the system continues to operate or function as effectively as before a change. Resilience in a system implies the ability to work and develop when the forces in the environment are unexpected, abrupt and sudden as well. The environment may change or evolve but the underlying system must keep functioning, developing and responding. Resilience is a trait in a system. It is a set of characteristics in the system that enables it to sustain itself in the face of change. A resilient system can cope and prosper in the face of change. For the domain of education, the Covid-19 pandemic served as a phenomenal change event and a wakeup call to the education fraternity. As a social system, resilience meant that the people in the educational environment continued to function albeit differently. The environment, meaning the processes, hierarchy and the intricate social ties in the system contributed to the resiliency of the system. Thus the measure of resilience in education has three major facets—people, the technology which facilitates the process and the process environment. This work aims to understand the resilience of the teachers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially how learning continued and what contributed to this continuity. Resilience research and understanding is as important as the pedagogical and technological aspects in an Educational system as it is a trait that encompasses the people, the socio-economic system and their relationships. In this work, we analyzed resilience as trait, its relevance in an Educational system, factors that make up resilience in an Educational system and finally the relevant research about resilience in Education during Covid-19. Based on the results of our literature review we formed a model for Educators. A survey was conducted among educators of three countries namely Malaysia, Fiji, and India to determine the essential elements of resilience that were relevant to the continuity of an educational system from the point of view of teachers. We arrived at a set of factors that are relevant to the teachers in the educational systems which can be an impetus for policy makers to focus on and develop. The major results from the study are the need for Educational systems to focus on three facets—internal, interpersonal and external aspects of teachers and strengthen factors such as support for teachers, strong academic leadership, trust of teachers, increase self-motivation, enhance communication with stakeholders and emphasize systems that enhance student-teacher communication. The future areas of research are also discussed in the work.

Introduction

For decades, educational systems have rarely changed willingly and swiftly. However, the Covid-19 pandemic changed this mind-set, whereby online distance learning (ODL) and emergency remote teaching (ERT) became a normal mode of learning and physical in-class teaching and learning became abnormal.

Let us first trace the challenges faced by educational systems during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a part of a multi-country study, Reimers and Schleicher (2020) listed the key factors ensuring the continuity of academic learning for students, supporting the students who lack skills for independent study, ensuring continuity and integrity of the assessment of student learning, ensuring support for parents so they can support student learning, and ensuring the well-being of students and of teachers.

The educational response of China’s system was studied by Xue et al. (2020) and factors such as ensuring the well-being of teachers, standardizing online teaching, motivating teachers, communication with teachers and parents and focus on the mental health of students were listed as important factors.

Pokhrel and Chhetri (2021) analyzed various publications during Covid-19 and emphasized the role of e-learning tools, mindsets of teachers and students, challenges of access, affordability, students with disability and guidance and highlighted the opportunities for creative learning that are available for the faculty. The challenges for universities in terms of access, opportunity, need for preparedness of teachers, issues in student’s difficulties to adjust, need for resources for teaching and opportunities for teachers to innovate were focused on the research spotlighted by Mseleku (2020) .

In Bond (2020) , the teacher focused skills, support for teachers, student focused factors such as motivation, self-regulation, support by the institutions, need for a proper learning environment and the need for peer support was discussed. The work by Carrillo and Flores (2020) summarizes the research during Covid-19 and emphasized teacher centric factors such as social presence, cognitive presence, participation in online communities, and teaching presence.

The above publications were literature reviews during Covid-19 and brought out the challenges for Educational systems and teachers. The common factors that emerged are

o Motivation

o Support (moral, health and technical)

o Strong notion of backing and trust

• Student centric

o Academic process communication

o Affordability

o Presence of teachers in terms of teaching and moral support

• Communication

o All stakeholders on overall aspects

o Teachers and students in a supportive manner

There was also a lot of focus on resilience as one of mitigating factors during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The work by Appolloni et al. (2021) focuses on the actions by institutions in Italy and highlights the resilience in the educational system in Italy. The key findings were the need for strong leadership, effective communication with all stakeholders, a sense of community among the faculty, and administrative support for the system.

Naidu (2021) advocated the need for a rethink and reengineer the educational and institutional systems to avoid future catastrophes. Giovannini et al. (2020) focused on the institutional parameters and explained that in a resilient society, not only the individuals are important but the support by institutions, well-crafted policies, social ties, etc., are crucial for success.

In Bartusevičienė et al. (2021) , the student and faculty perceptions about the migration to online learning during Covid-19 were examined. The factors experienced in the transition were resources, support and competencies. The three capabilities (anticipation, coping and adaptation), and the transitions the University took were traced. The key aspects that emerged was that resilience depended on availability of resources, continuous professional development, continuous communication with teachers and students, support networks, adaptation and building the knowledge base.

Nandy et al. (2020) focused on the resilience at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) level. The focus was on the interventions the HEIs can take to address risks and transition to a post pandemic environment. Their suggested steps for HEIs to follow included identifying the factors that helped the institutions tide over the crisis, skill mapping to identify the needs of training, examine the strength and weakness of the Educational system, appreciation of faculty and documenting the lessons learned.

Beale (2020) focused on the academic resilience from a student centric view and traced factors such as self-efficacy, coordination, sense of control, composure and perseverance. Some of these factors can be postulated to focus on institutional resilience as well. In a similar vein, Sánchez Ruiz et al. (2021) analyzed student’s perceptions of educational resilience of a university and found that blended learning methodologies facilitated the university’s resilience and improved the quality of learning. In systems where the adoption of blended learning was done prior to the pandemic, the resilience and adaptation in the eyes of students was higher.

Thus we have traced the relevant publications that focus on resilience in academic environments during Covid-19.

The common factors that emerged are

• Strong leadership

• Support for faculty

• Continuous professional development

• Communication with stakeholders

• Well-crafted policies

• Sense of community

Let us examine the foundations of resilience and trace the relevant studies about resilience in education and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Resilience is a property of a system that helps the system adapt to change so as to function as effectively as before or better. Resilience studies seem to start with disruption and return to normalcy and have helped many natural systems survive over the years. In its most simplistic sense, resilience is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” (Merriam Webster). The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors. The term refers to how one copes, manages emotions, and seeks support in challenging times. The APA also stresses that building resilience takes time and intentionality. In engineered systems, the major terms surveyed in literature ( Cottam et al., 2019 ) focus on the ability to complete a mission in the face of current and future adversity. The common assumption is the ability of the system to maintain stability and keep functioning at a level of acceptability in the face of threats and perturbations.

Biggs et al. (2015) focus on the seven essential principles of resilience encompassing diversity, managing connectivity, feedback, encouraging learning etc.

The work of Kaye-Kauderer et al. (2021) focuses on resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic and explains that positive effects, cognitive reappraisal and social support can be factors which can help the individuals cope with the pandemic.

The classification of student resilience in Theron (2021) focused on a range of factors at a macro level in terms of students and educational institution. In Educational institution level, leadership, infrastructure, organizational climate, the supportive network, peer support, resilient teachers, teacher-student and student-student relationships, adaptive assessment approaches are focused on. The student resilience with respect to online education was explored by Simons et al. (2018) as internal challenges to managing studies, persistence factors such as faculty feedback, motivation and self-belief, support such as tutors, students, friends, family etc.

McIntosh and Shaw (2017) classified student resilience in terms of internal and external factors. The internal factors encompass self-management and emotional ability. The external factors focused on social integration and the support networks.

Morales-Rodríguez et al. (2021) , analyzed the relation between stress and coping strategies during Covid-19. This is an interesting aspect of the university setting as the resilience, stress and coping mechanisms are together important.

The Connor Davidson resilience scale ( Connor and Davidson 2003 ) is one of the earliest known measures providing a measure of an individual’s resilience. It has been applied in a variety of contexts in Covid-19 scenario as well ( Ferreira et al., 2020 ; Alameddine et al., 2021 ; Zysberg and Maskit 2021 ).

An allied work in the same direction is the Academic Resilience Scale ( Cassidy, 2016 ) providing a measure of student academic resilience to the challenges in HEIs. This comprised of major factors such as perseverance, reflection, emotion responses and measures the self-efficacy of students. Fullerton et al. (2021) focused on the personal resilience resources and their interaction in an academic setting. The focus of study was mental toughness, self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimizing, meaning in life and adaptability. The role of academic leadership on motivation, burnout and performance were correlated with academic resilience by Trigueros et al. (2020) based on a study of students. One of the important postulates in Kimhi et al. (2020) is the importance of psychological attributes on resilience and recovery from Covid-19.

In Dohaney et al. (2020) a systematic outline of capabilities of resilient Individuals and institutions are given. Flexibility, adaptability, collaboration, digital literacy, quick thinking and pedagogical soundness are the hall marks of individuals. Institutional factors are communication strategies, leadership, emergency response plans, support for faculty, community building and motivation.

Liu et al. (2017) provided a framework and theoretical basis postulating that moderate exposure to adversity seems to increase resilience which is seen as a personality trait and a time based evolution. Their multi-level model of resilience focused on the following:

1) core resilience–individual factors

2) internal resilience–interpersonal factors, and

3) external resilience–socio-economic factors

Thus we can see resilience from its definition, principles, dimensions and various studies during Covid-19. The key factors that emerged can be organized as

• Individual–positivity, motivation, self-belief, emotional ability, perseverance, self-reflection,

• Interpersonal–social support, support system, peer support, stakeholder support

• Institution–leadership, organizational climate, community building

From the above we can infer that educational resilience comes from the teachers, the system in the academic environment and the relational capital with the community. We seek to focus on the narrower subset of this and explore teacher centric resilience of the academic environment with respect to three characteristics, namely—internal, interpersonal and external factors.

The selection of the three characteristics comes from the Literature reviewed so far and summarized again in Table 1 and shown in Figure 1 .

TABLE 1 . Factors in Teacher resilience.

FIGURE 1 . Smart Learning and Resilience.

This paper adopts a view to discuss teachers’ resilience with regards the following:

• Internal which encapsulates resilience related to mindset, upskilling, motivation, positivity, reflection, and adapting

• Interpersonal–consisting of resilience related to relationships or communication with learners, between peers and with the parents/guardians.

• External resilience which includes trust, support and institutional measures.

Methodology

The primary method of research was the survey method. The data for this study was collected using a survey instrument built by the authors which secured a reliability of 0.829 using the Cronbach alpha test. The survey was distributed using an online method, where teachers from Fiji, India and Malaysia were provided a link to the survey created using Google docs which addressed constructs related to their teaching experiences during the Covid-19 scenario.

A total of 102 teachers (belonging to all sections of the educational environment—tutors, teachers, educators, professors) responded to the survey which was made up of 58 percent males and 42 percent females (See Table 2 ). As a follow up, interviews with a cross section of teachers who responded to the survey were also carried out.

TABLE 2 . Gender of respondents.

The survey was conducted at the end of January 2021 and as follow up, interviews with a cross section of teachers who responded to the survey were also carried out. This coincided with the schools/colleges reopening for face-to- face classes in some institutions while ODL and ERT mode of teaching continued in parallel in many institutions. The timing was deliberate as we wanted to study the scenario when teachers could reflect on the past year (as opposed to being in the moment during Covid-19) and give constructive thoughts on their challenges and learning.

Table 3 shows the domains of the respondents with the highest respondents in math, science, computer science and engineering (the STEM domains) representing 55%; followed by English and Language (24%) and others such as Chemistry, Geography, Social Sciences (21%), whereas Table 4 shows the countries represented by the participants and Table 5 their years of experience.

TABLE 3 . Domains of respondents.

TABLE 4 . Country represented by participants.

TABLE 5 . Number of years of experience.

The study respondents belong predominantly to three different countries viz, India, Fiji and Malaysia. The domains the respondents belonged to were diverse. The experience levels are also diverse with educators from all the levels of seniority participating. We wanted to pursue a multi-country study with Educators from different domains and experience levels. This help us understand the factors in Education that matter and also capture a snapshot of the resilience in the Educational systems during Covid-19.

In the next section, we will show the factors in resilience that emerged from the study. The results are shown in terms of internal, interpersonal and external resilience.

Internal Resilience

For internal resilience, the responses were linked to the following parameters: mindset and upskilling or reskilling of the participants. For upskilling and reskilling, the participants were asked to respond on the upskilling and re-skilling efforts undertaken by them with regards digital and pedagogical skills with regards the following parameters:

▪ Management of administrative work online

▪ Training efforts on how to teach online

▪ Video editing skills for online learning

▪ Mindset changes undertaken with regards online teaching

▪ Skills development related to various technology skills

Table 6 shows the types of skills the participants improved during the transition of the teaching and learning process amid Covid-19. A large portion of the participants improved on various technology skills for teaching and learning such as learned how to teach online, learned video editing, improve various technology skills and learned how to manage my work online after the Covid-19 pandemic.

TABLE 6 . Percentage improvement in techno-pedagogical skills as a result of remote teaching and learning in a Covid-19 pandemic.

The biggest change for teachers that they expressed was the mindset change. 97% of the teachers felt that this was the most important skill that was needed. This was followed by learning how to teach online which was expressed by 96% of teachers. The open mindedness part was remarked upon by 85% of the respondents followed by the pedagogical skills 82%. These are logical conclusions.

Interpersonal Resilience

Interpersonal resilience ( Table 7 ) in this study referred to how teachers continuously communicated with learners and connected them with their peers as well as communications with parents/guardians. manage their learners and provided support in times of difficulties.

• Engaging students so that they were attentive

• Communication with students through positive or advise based (scolding) measures

• Use of questioning techniques in classes

• Use of interactive media

TABLE 7 . Interpersonal resilience.

The strongest interpersonal resilient attribute ( Table 1 ) amongst the 102 teachers was the teaching methods that promoted questioning with more than 65% agreeing that this was the best method. Use of praise or scolding was not that effective with only 30% of teachers advocating the effectiveness of the approach. The methods such as dialogue and pure lecturing were also not that effective as with only 37% of the overall respondents agreeing about the methods. Interactive media based methods promoted engagement through a social presence, livening up the classes and increasing interest among students.

The result shows an interesting paradigm on inter-personal resilience viz. the major methods that showed results. Questioning is a method that showed student and teacher presence. This also meant a personal touch and empathy. The use of interactive media based methods helped the teachers in reaching students. The medium of the web could be better used with even normally reticent students engaging in classes.

External Resilience

External resilience is exhibited when participants are able to continue to perform when there is institutional trust in them, knowledge of latest policies/ordinances, new infrastructures are well supported and rules are well communicated, especially when the teachers were working from home (WFH).

From Table 8 , it can be seen that a total of 61% of teachers agreed that the management and leaderships’ trust pushed them to be resilient to conduct their classes although they were working remotely despite the fact that the online assistance from their institutions was low (approximately 27%). When asked if the institution supported them in the teaching and learning process, during the Covid-19 pandemic, 72% said yes (see Figure 2 ). However, family support was seen as the highest (86%), followed by students (68%) and friends/colleagues (66%). With regards working from home, teachers managed to keep up with their resiliency in ensuring that they did not compromise on the use of innovative methods to engage learners.

TABLE 8 . External resilience.

FIGURE 2 . Factors related to external resilience. Note. 1 = Strongly Agree and five Strongly Disagree.

From the above we can conclude that the teaching community had support from the system. They had a good range of support from the institution and the community of learners.

In this work, we have done a survey on the resilience of 102 teachers from three different countries, namely India, Malaysia and Fiji and traced the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their resiliency to continue the teaching and learning process. We mapped the resilience according to internal, interpersonal and external factors. We will discuss the findings below.

In our work, variables such as institutional support, peer support and student support are modeled as coping mechanisms for stress. We build on Morales-Rodríguez et al. (2021) whose focus was stress and coping strategies. We seek to examine resilience as a composite trait. Our work is similar to the Connor Davidson Resilience scale ( Connor and Davidson, 2003 ) and aspects of Connor Davidson scale are incorporated in the survey questions.

The data showed positively that teachers made an effort to upskill themselves during the pandemic. Teachers made an effort to upskill themselves in techniques to engage learners in online learning especially on how to use live session technologies, the use of mobile phones, LMS and lecture recording; learn how to edit videos and change their mindsets to ensure they were able to better serve their students. These findings are important in relation to internal resilience as they were the core attributes of online learning that impacted teaching and learning in a remote online learning environment. The findings on internal resilience corroborates with Kimhi et al. (2020) , Connor and Davidson (2003) , Fullerton et al. (2021) , Beale (2020) .

The interpersonal resilience in teaching focuses on the communication with students and the way this communication takes place. From the data, we found that around two thirds (65.6%) of respondents did adopt methods that helped drive engagement among students. The primary method of communication was questioning based techniques. One of the interesting aspects in the innovative teaching methods aspect is that more than 75% used interactive media based communication method to engage with students. These teachers also devised new strategies. Resilience also means having the ability to design ways to ensure an acceptable level of student engagement.

The data showed that the trust and support from institution, family, colleagues and students enabled teachers to exhibit a high external resilience ( Figure 3 ). Literature shows that trust especially positive effects, cognitive reappraisal and social support can be factors which can help the individuals cope with the pandemic ( Kaye-Kauderer et al., 2021 ). The trust is also related to the support by institutions, well-crafted policies, and maintenance of social ties, for success in the job ( Giovannini et al., 2020 ). Further, the work by Appolloni et al. (2021) testifies that strong leadership, effective communication with all stakeholders, a sense of community among the faculty, and administrative support for the system were important to maintain external resilience.

FIGURE 3 . External resilience.

Limitations

The following are limitations of this study. The geographic scope is tilted towards Malaysia. The mitigating factor is that the study respondents were from all the domains of education not just STEM and all strata of experience and seniority.

Nonetheless, the study does provide some indicators. The indicators are that trust by institutions, support by family, institutions, friends and students are a big factor. This may have given a boost to upskilling and thus innovative methods in teaching. We were able to find this in interviews but were unable to establish this thread using data.

This work outlines teacher resilience as a factor during the Covid-19 pandemic. Given the widespread adaptation that was needed by teachers in a short period of time, it was important to understand the internal, inter-personal and external factors that affected teacher resilience during the pandemic. This is an important result. Factors of Educational resilience showcase not only the areas for educational systems to strengthen but shed light on aspects that do not make much of a difference. Trust is an important factor. Communication networks (teacher-teacher, teacher-student) help teachers a lot. The role of student champions is not a factor. Technology used in the respective domains is not a factor. The major contribution of this work is thus to showcase Teacher resilience in terms of internal, interpersonal and external categories. This aligns with the existing literature in Table 1 . The factors in teacher resilience are important for administrators. Every aspect of the teaching eco-system has an implication from this study. From internal resilience, the factors of strengthening self-reliance, well-being, motivation, learning skills and technical skills are showcased. From inter-personal resilience, the need for the pedagogy to incorporate teaching presence, communication between teachers and students and technologies that can foster that emerge. One interesting dynamic of the presence is that many teachers were concerned at not being able to reach the students who could not communicate (silence, non-participation) and had limited technology. Trust and support networks for teachers are a key factor that emerged in external resilience. Strong leadership is also another factor that emerged. The results of this study cannot be generalized, but it gives a panoramic view of the importance of resilience in educational systems during a pandemic and how to be more prepared in future. This study has also thrown a few areas for further researchers to pursue. Teacher resilience and its role in enhancing learning is an area of interest. The relation between smart and innovative learning and teacher resilience is something that we could not establish in this work. Teacher resilience is a ripe area worth pursuing as a domain and our future work will seek to pursue this with data analytics as a base as well.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because The datasets have the potential to contain private data. Hence depending on approval of all the authors, we can furnish anonymized datasets. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to BS, [email protected] .

Ethics Statement

Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Naidu, S. (2021). Building Resilience in Education Systems post-COVID-19. Distance Edu. 42, 11–14. doi:10.1080/01587919.2021.1885092

Nandy, M., Lodh, S., and Tang, A. (2020). Lessons from COVID-19 and a Resilience Model for Higher Education. Ind. High. Edu. 35, 3–9. doi:10.1177/0950422220962696

Pokhrel, S., and Chhetri, R. (2021). A Literature Review on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning. Higher Edu. Future 8 (1), 133–141. doi:10.1177/2347631120983481

Reimers, F. M., and Andreas, S. (2020). A Framework to Guide an Education Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020. OECD . Avaliable at: https://oecd.dam-broadcast.com/pm_7379_126_126988-t63lxosohs.pdf (Accessed April, 2021).

Sánchez Ruiz, L. M., Moll-López, S., Moraño-Fernández, J. A., Llobregat-Gómez, N., and Llobregat-Gómez, J. A. (2021). B-learning and Technology: Enablers for university Education Resilience. An Experience Case under COVID-19 in Spain. Sustainability 136, 3532. doi:10.3390/su13063532

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Keywords: Resilience, Covid-19, education, educational system, teacher

Citation: Raghunathan S, Darshan Singh A and Sharma B (2022) Study of Resilience in Learning Environments During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Front. Educ. 6:677625. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2021.677625

Received: 08 March 2021; Accepted: 14 December 2021; Published: 28 January 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Raghunathan, Darshan Singh and Sharma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Bibhya Sharma, [email protected]

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Resilience in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How to Bend and not Break

Ernest j. barthélemy.

1 Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA

Nqobile S. Thango

2 Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Julius Höhne

3 Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

Laura Lippa

4 Department of Neurosurgery, Ospedali Riuniti, Livorno, Italy

Angelos Kolias

5 Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Addenbrooke's Hospital and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

6 NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Isabelle M. Germano

Introduction.

As a global medical community, we are facing an unprecedented time. The novel coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in several nations experiencing a severe health crisis, at the center of which are medical professionals combating an invisible enemy at great personal risk. This has changed the way in which many of us are practicing medicine, and as neurosurgeons we are placed in a particularly challenging situation. Neurosurgeons are accustomed to dealing with critically ill patients and the complexities of making life and death decisions daily, and as such our profession has a long tradition of cultural resilience. This has resulted in neurosurgical trainees acquiring both physical and mental stamina very early in their training while facing extreme situations. These attributes have been called on in an intense manner as we have added to our scope of practice care and service of the critically ill, victims of COVID-19.

At the beginning of the pandemic, little was known about the natural history, pathophysiology, and infectivity risk of COVID-19, especially regarding potential self-endangerment while working with patients. Like other physicians and health care coworkers, we were called to assume the risk of working in a uniquely unknown health care environment. This led to a host of questions regarding our safety and well-being as neurosurgeons on the COVID-19 frontline: How do I protect myself, my family, and especially my parents? How can I build social distance? How can I avoid making mistakes in an unfamiliar working environment? The pandemic has resulted in a major paradigm shift in health care, with physicians in some countries being forced to triage, and many neurosurgeons having to make difficult decisions about the relative risk of neurosurgical intervention in patients for whom we know our treatment would otherwise have a profoundly positive impact on life and quality of life. The scenario might be likened to that of a lifeguard on a sinking ship where not everyone can be rescued, and the ones left behind will knowingly face significant morbidity and mortality; the application of ethical and moral reasoning to neurosurgical problem-solving becomes extremely difficult in these cases.

At the time of publication, we are now 10 months into the pandemic, but the effects still compound on the widely known and acknowledged stresses of neurosurgery training and practice. In the early stages, the challenges that specifically threatened the well-being and performance of neurosurgeons, and neurosurgery trainees within our community, were as follows:

• • Higher risk of contagion for neurosurgeons, similar to other frontline clinicians performing aerosol generating procedures, and therefore the need to separate ourselves from our family members during this time. 1
• • A high death toll paid by the medical community in general and the neurosurgical community in particular. 1
• • Progressive regional suspension of outpatient activity and elective neurosurgery cases with a substantial impact on the lives of patients with conditions that require neurosurgical treatment. 1
• • Far-reaching stresses on entire health systems that will leave an uncertain impact on the future of neurosurgery training and practice. 1

An additional burden is now placed on staff who are facing physical exhaustion from being the backbone of service delivery during the pandemic. Literature has shown that during communicable disease outbreaks staff workforce numbers diminish, this can be attributed to personal stressors, unclear guidelines from administration along with financial stressors and burnout. 2 , 3 In a cross-sectional study among health care workers on factors associated with mental health outcomes, risk groups for depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders were nurses, women, and frontline workers directly engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with COVID-19. Consequently, psychiatrists from Italy and Iran recommended early involvement of mental health experts for health care workers with guidance on self-care, regular access to information, and maintaining social contacts and communication. 4 , 5 , 6 In a meta-analysis of 59 articles, the factors associated with reduced morbidity for clinicians were found to be clear communication, adequate rest, and access to adequate personal protection, as well as both practical and psychological support. 7

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental well-being of doctors and its direct impact on patient well-being was being recognized as a concern, and a growing body of literature was emerging on this important topic. 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 Neurosurgical training and practice is already challenging in isolation, with the additional stressors stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic it has put neurosurgeons under incredible psychological stress. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 In the absence of proactive interventions that will foster physician wellness, the increasing threat of this context on neurosurgeon well-being will ultimately put patient safety at increasing risk. In an effort to support our colleagues during this trying time, the WFNS Young Neurosurgeons Forum Resilience Task Force has prepared evidence-based recommendations and advice on developing resilience in an attempt to encourage healthy, protective mechanisms for neurosurgical trainees and practicing neurosurgeons who face the risks and adversity of the current era.

What is Resilience/Resiliency?

From a psychological perspective, resilience is a multidimensional construct that has been defined as the ability to adapt positively to life conditions. Resilience may also be understood as the ability to, “bounce back from hardship and trauma,” and as defined by the American Psychological Association, “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of threat”. 17 , 18 This is a dynamic process that evolves over time and implies a type of adaptive functioning that specifically allows us to face difficulties by observing an initial balance or bouncing back as an opportunity for growth. 19

The Neurobiology of Resilience

Within the field of neuroscience, the quest for understanding resilience at a neurochemical level is a rapidly evolving field. Why do humans display such a wide spectrum of responses to life stressors? We readily observe that some people navigate life's gravest challenges with the ability to come out on the other side unscathed, while others who undergo similar circumstances experience psychological trauma that threatens their mental and/or physical well-being. What is it that differentiates the former group from the latter? The contemporary literature on resilience neurobiology suggests that resilience in humans is an adaptive, active process implicating multiple neurohormonal systems and can no longer be simply viewed as the absence of a pathological response to stress. 20 , 21

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis appears to play a critical role in how humans respond to stress and perceived threat. As neurosurgeons, we have extensively studied neuroendocrine physiology as it pertains to pituitary disorders and the autonomic physiology and pathophysiology underlying phenomena such as the sympathetic “flight or flight response” and chronic diseases such as the metabolic syndrome. The relationship between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and disorders of mood or memory may however be less familiar to some of us. Other potential neural pathways implicated in the presence and expression of resilience traits include:

• • Cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): Glucocorticoid hormones involved in stress and resilience. When exposed to a stressor, the body's hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system is activated and corticotropin-releasing hormone is released from the hypothalamus, which in turn activates anterior pituitary secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone, resulting in downstream release of cortisol from the adrenal glands, as well as DHEA to counteract the effects of hypercortisolemia. DHEA exerts a neuroprotective function by blocking glucocorticoid-induced neurotoxicity via interruption of normal uptake in the hypothalamus. 1 20 Numerous studies have suggested that DHEA has a positive correlation with psychological resilience, for example, with high DHEA-cortisol ratio offering putative protection against posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. 20 , 22 , 23
• • Neuropeptide Y: Counteracts the stress-related effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone, specifically at the amygdala. The increase in neuropeptide Y is associated with decrease in stress-induced depression/anxiety. 20

As this field continues to evolve with areas of investigation that include understanding genetic factors in proresilience or predisposition to psychopathology in the absence of resilience, novel psychotherapeutic strategies may emerge to support the development of resilience. 21

How Might the Development of Resilience Support Me as a Neurosurgeon?

The response that human beings exhibit to extreme stress and trauma is varied and complex. Currently, as health care workers functioning during a global pandemic, each time a neurosurgeon or neurosurgery resident enters her or his hospital environment, she or he is exposed to a potentially life-threatening situation. As described earlier, the development of habits that enable neurosurgeons to adapt well in the face of these threats can protect them from pathological consequences of poor adaptations to ongoing professional stresses and threats.

Can Resilience/Resiliency be Developed?

Much of the literature fails to show a consistent relationship between demographic variables and resilence. 24 Resilience and resiliency therefore appear unlikely to be strongly associated with a physician's age or gender. It is encouraging to note that several modifiable factors likely favor and augment the development of resilience. As a multifactorial construct that includes a variety of gene-environment interactions, the heritability of resilience has been found to range between 33% and 52%, suggesting that environmental factors can significantly influence the trait of resilience. 25 Moreover, several studies suggest that resilience and resiliency can be increased through behavioral interventions. 18 25

Developing Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The development of resilience may begin with acknowledging that negative emotions, such as grief, anger, sadness, or anxiety, are natural consequences of being human in the midst of a crisis, and not necessarily a problem to be fixed. Emotional responses to crises or adverse events are usually finite; they have a beginning, middle, and end.

When emotional responses begin to interfere with one's ability to live a productive and fulfilling life, the gold-standard intervention is structured psychosocial support. As the demands on a neurosurgeon's time can make it challenging to readily identify sources of such support, consider beginning by scheduling conversations with trusted colleagues, and lowering one's threshold to accept invitations for conversations with other colleagues. Remember that experiencing negative emotions during crisis is normal but failing to constructively express those emotions to others when they occur or recur can aggravate the negative experience. 25

Although many recommendations for the development of resilience may appear to be “common sense,” some may not be as intuitive to the practicing neurosurgeon or neurosurgical trainee, especially when engaged delivering health care during a uniquely threatening time. We therefore present, summarized in, Table 1 , Table 2 , Table 3 , Table 4 lists of evidence-based recommendations for fostering resilience during, and beyond, the COVID-19 pandemic. Table 5 summarizes a reading list from the positive psychology and personal development literature that the WFNS Young Neurosurgeons Forum Resilience Task Force proposes as additional reading on the topic of the development of neurosurgeons' resilience.

Table 1

Recommendations from the American Psychological Association 25

Table 2

Recommendations from Charney and Southwick, “10-Step Prescription for Resilience” 26

Table 3

Recommendations from Southwick and Charney 2012 18

Table 4

Recommendations from Leibniz Institute Resilience, “The 10 key recommendations for strengthening mental health during the coronavirus pandemic” 27

Table 5

Recommended Reading List

Change your Perspective and be Supported

There is a strong association between certain personality traits and the ability to function in a stressful environment. These include a positive attitude , optimism , effective management of one's emotions , and the ability to observe failure as beneficial feedback . 28 , 29 These traits tend to synergize with an environment that is supportive, and should therefore not be viewed as sufficient, in isolation, for optimal stress management. 30

Conclusions

Left unaddressed, the challenges and uncertainties that medical professionals are facing in the current era can have dire consequences in the long run. Pathological responses, such as lasting bouts of depression and/or anxiety, substance abuse, addictive behaviors, or even suicide, can occur, with ensuing negative impact on the social networks in one's professional and personal life. 31 It is important that we encourage self-care within the neurosurgical community to ensure that we continue to be productive, happy surgeons that offer high-quality care to our patients.

The WFNS YNF Resilience Task Force would be happy to hear from any neurosurgeon and neurosurgeon-in-training around the world regarding any wellness-related concerns around training, dealing with the pandemic, or coping with burnout, as well as any further recommendations for the development of resilience that may contribute to our neurosurgical community. Please send inquiries or comments to Ernest J. Barthélemy, M.D., M.A., M.P.H. (corresponding author).

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Ernest J. Barthélemy: Conceptualization, Data curation, Writing - original draft. Nqobile S. Thango: Conceptualization, Writing - original draft. Julius Höhne: Writing - review & editing. Laura Lippa: Writing - review & editing. Angelos Kolias: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing.

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that the article content was composed in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Essays reveal experiences during pandemic, unrest.

Field study students share their thoughts 

Members of Advanced Field Study, a select group of Social Ecology students who are chosen from a pool of applicants to participate in a year-long field study experience and course, had their internships and traditional college experience cut short this year. During our final quarter of the year together, during which we met weekly for two hours via Zoom, we discussed their reactions as the world fell apart around them. First came the pandemic and social distancing, then came the death of George Floyd and the response of the Black Lives Matter movement, both of which were imprinted on the lives of these students. This year was anything but dull, instead full of raw emotion and painful realizations of the fragility of the human condition and the extent to which we need one another. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for our students to chronicle their experiences — the good and the bad, the lessons learned, and ways in which they were forever changed by the events of the past four months. I invited all of my students to write an essay describing the ways in which these times had impacted their learning and their lives during or after their time at UCI. These are their voices. — Jessica Borelli , associate professor of psychological science

Becoming Socially Distant Through Technology: The Tech Contagion

The current state of affairs put the world on pause, but this pause gave me time to reflect on troubling matters. Time that so many others like me probably also desperately needed to heal without even knowing it. Sometimes it takes one’s world falling apart for the most beautiful mosaic to be built up from the broken pieces of wreckage. 

As the school year was coming to a close and summer was edging around the corner, I began reflecting on how people will spend their summer breaks if the country remains in its current state throughout the sunny season. Aside from living in the sunny beach state of California where people love their vitamin D and social festivities, I think some of the most damaging effects Covid-19 will have on us all has more to do with social distancing policies than with any inconveniences we now face due to the added precautions, despite how devastating it may feel that Disneyland is closed to all the local annual passholders or that the beaches may not be filled with sun-kissed California girls this summer. During this unprecedented time, I don’t think we should allow the rare opportunity we now have to be able to watch in real time how the effects of social distancing can impact our mental health. Before the pandemic, many of us were already engaging in a form of social distancing. Perhaps not the exact same way we are now practicing, but the technology that we have developed over recent years has led to a dramatic decline in our social contact and skills in general. 

The debate over whether we should remain quarantined during this time is not an argument I am trying to pursue. Instead, I am trying to encourage us to view this event as a unique time to study how social distancing can affect people’s mental health over a long period of time and with dramatic results due to the magnitude of the current issue. Although Covid-19 is new and unfamiliar to everyone, the isolation and separation we now face is not. For many, this type of behavior has already been a lifestyle choice for a long time. However, the current situation we all now face has allowed us to gain a more personal insight on how that experience feels due to the current circumstances. Mental illness continues to remain a prevalent problem throughout the world and for that reason could be considered a pandemic of a sort in and of itself long before the Covid-19 outbreak. 

One parallel that can be made between our current restrictions and mental illness reminds me in particular of hikikomori culture. Hikikomori is a phenomenon that originated in Japan but that has since spread internationally, now prevalent in many parts of the world, including the United States. Hikikomori is not a mental disorder but rather can appear as a symptom of a disorder. People engaging in hikikomori remain confined in their houses and often their rooms for an extended period of time, often over the course of many years. This action of voluntary confinement is an extreme form of withdrawal from society and self-isolation. Hikikomori affects a large percent of people in Japan yearly and the problem continues to become more widespread with increasing occurrences being reported around the world each year. While we know this problem has continued to increase, the exact number of people practicing hikikomori is unknown because there is a large amount of stigma surrounding the phenomenon that inhibits people from seeking help. This phenomenon cannot be written off as culturally defined because it is spreading to many parts of the world. With the technology we now have, and mental health issues on the rise and expected to increase even more so after feeling the effects of the current pandemic, I think we will definitely see a rise in the number of people engaging in this social isolation, especially with the increase in legitimate fears we now face that appear to justify the previously considered irrational fears many have associated with social gatherings. We now have the perfect sample of people to provide answers about how this form of isolation can affect people over time. 

Likewise, with the advancements we have made to technology not only is it now possible to survive without ever leaving the confines of your own home, but it also makes it possible for us to “fulfill” many of our social interaction needs. It’s very unfortunate, but in addition to the success we have gained through our advancements we have also experienced a great loss. With new technology, I am afraid that we no longer engage with others the way we once did. Although some may say the advancements are for the best, I wonder, at what cost? It is now commonplace to see a phone on the table during a business meeting or first date. Even worse is how many will feel inclined to check their phone during important or meaningful interactions they are having with people face to face. While our technology has become smarter, we have become dumber when it comes to social etiquette. As we all now constantly carry a mini computer with us everywhere we go, we have in essence replaced our best friends. We push others away subconsciously as we reach for our phones during conversations. We no longer remember phone numbers because we have them all saved in our phones. We find comfort in looking down at our phones during those moments of free time we have in public places before our meetings begin. These same moments were once the perfect time to make friends, filled with interactive banter. We now prefer to stare at other people on our phones for hours on end, and often live a sedentary lifestyle instead of going out and interacting with others ourselves. 

These are just a few among many issues the advances to technology led to long ago. We have forgotten how to practice proper tech-etiquette and we have been inadvertently practicing social distancing long before it was ever required. Now is a perfect time for us to look at the society we have become and how we incurred a different kind of pandemic long before the one we currently face. With time, as the social distancing regulations begin to lift, people may possibly begin to appreciate life and connecting with others more than they did before as a result of the unique experience we have shared in together while apart.

Maybe the world needed a time-out to remember how to appreciate what it had but forgot to experience. Life is to be lived through experience, not to be used as a pastime to observe and compare oneself with others. I’ll leave you with a simple reminder: never forget to take care and love more because in a world where life is often unpredictable and ever changing, one cannot risk taking time or loved ones for granted. With that, I bid you farewell, fellow comrades, like all else, this too shall pass, now go live your best life!

Privilege in a Pandemic 

Covid-19 has impacted millions of Americans who have been out of work for weeks, thus creating a financial burden. Without a job and the certainty of knowing when one will return to work, paying rent and utilities has been a problem for many. With unemployment on the rise, relying on unemployment benefits has become a necessity for millions of people. According to the Washington Post , unemployment rose to 14.7% in April which is considered to be the worst since the Great Depression. 

Those who are not worried about the financial aspect or the thought never crossed their minds have privilege. Merriam Webster defines privilege as “a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor.” Privilege can have a negative connotation. What you choose to do with your privilege is what matters. Talking about privilege can bring discomfort, but the discomfort it brings can also carry the benefit of drawing awareness to one’s privilege, which can lead the person to take steps to help others. 

I am a first-generation college student who recently transferred to a four-year university. When schools began to close, and students had to leave their on-campus housing, many lost their jobs.I was able to stay on campus because I live in an apartment. I am fortunate to still have a job, although the hours are minimal. My parents help pay for school expenses, including housing, tuition, and food. I do not have to worry about paying rent or how to pay for food because my parents are financially stable to help me. However, there are millions of college students who are not financially stable or do not have the support system I have. Here, I have the privilege and, thus, I am the one who can offer help to others. I may not have millions in funding, but volunteering for centers who need help is where I am able to help. Those who live in California can volunteer through Californians For All  or at food banks, shelter facilities, making calls to seniors, etc. 

I was not aware of my privilege during these times until I started reading more articles about how millions of people cannot afford to pay their rent, and landlords are starting to send notices of violations. Rather than feel guilty and be passive about it, I chose to put my privilege into a sense of purpose: Donating to nonprofits helping those affected by COVID-19, continuing to support local businesses, and supporting businesses who are donating profits to those affected by COVID-19.

My World is Burning 

As I write this, my friends are double checking our medical supplies and making plans to buy water and snacks to pass out at the next protest we are attending. We write down the number for the local bailout fund on our arms and pray that we’re lucky enough not to have to use it should things get ugly. We are part of a pivotal event, the kind of movement that will forever have a place in history. Yet, during this revolution, I have papers to write and grades to worry about, as I’m in the midst of finals. 

My professors have offered empty platitudes. They condemn the violence and acknowledge the stress and pain that so many of us are feeling, especially the additional weight that this carries for students of color. I appreciate their show of solidarity, but it feels meaningless when it is accompanied by requests to complete research reports and finalize presentations. Our world is on fire. Literally. On my social media feeds, I scroll through image after image of burning buildings and police cars in flames. How can I be asked to focus on school when my community is under siege? When police are continuing to murder black people, adding additional names to the ever growing list of their victims. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd. David Mcatee. And, now, Rayshard Brooks. 

It already felt like the world was being asked of us when the pandemic started and classes continued. High academic expectations were maintained even when students now faced the challenges of being locked down, often trapped in small spaces with family or roommates. Now we are faced with another public health crisis in the form of police violence and once again it seems like educational faculty are turning a blind eye to the impact that this has on the students. I cannot study for exams when I am busy brushing up on my basic first-aid training, taking notes on the best techniques to stop heavy bleeding and treat chemical burns because at the end of the day, if these protests turn south, I will be entering a warzone. Even when things remain peaceful, there is an ugliness that bubbles just below the surface. When beginning the trek home, I have had armed members of the National Guard follow me and my friends. While kneeling in silence, I have watched police officers cock their weapons and laugh, pointing out targets in the crowd. I have been emailing my professors asking for extensions, trying to explain that if something is turned in late, it could be the result of me being detained or injured. I don’t want to be penalized for trying to do what I wholeheartedly believe is right. 

I have spent my life studying and will continue to study these institutions that have been so instrumental in the oppression and marginalization of black and indigenous communities. Yet, now that I have the opportunity to be on the frontlines actively fighting for the change our country so desperately needs, I feel that this study is more of a hindrance than a help to the cause. Writing papers and reading books can only take me so far and I implore that professors everywhere recognize that requesting their students split their time and energy between finals and justice is an impossible ask.

Opportunity to Serve

Since the start of the most drastic change of our lives, I have had the privilege of helping feed more than 200 different families in the Santa Ana area and even some neighboring cities. It has been an immense pleasure seeing the sheer joy and happiness of families as they come to pick up their box of food from our site, as well as a $50 gift card to Northgate, a grocery store in Santa Ana. Along with donating food and helping feed families, the team at the office, including myself, have dedicated this time to offering psychosocial and mental health check-ups for the families we serve. 

Every day I go into the office I start my day by gathering files of our families we served between the months of January, February, and March and calling them to check on how they are doing financially, mentally, and how they have been affected by COVID-19. As a side project, I have been putting together Excel spreadsheets of all these families’ struggles and finding a way to turn their situation into a success story to share with our board at PY-OCBF and to the community partners who make all of our efforts possible. One of the things that has really touched me while working with these families is how much of an impact this nonprofit organization truly has on family’s lives. I have spoken with many families who I just call to check up on and it turns into an hour call sharing about how much of a change they have seen in their child who went through our program. Further, they go on to discuss that because of our program, their children have a different perspective on the drugs they were using before and the group of friends they were hanging out with. Of course, the situation is different right now as everyone is being told to stay at home; however, there are those handful of kids who still go out without asking for permission, increasing the likelihood they might contract this disease and pass it to the rest of the family. We are working diligently to provide support for these parents and offering advice to talk to their kids in order to have a serious conversation with their kids so that they feel heard and validated. 

Although the novel Coronavirus has impacted the lives of millions of people not just on a national level, but on a global level, I feel that in my current position, it has opened doors for me that would have otherwise not presented themselves. Fortunately, I have been offered a full-time position at the Project Youth Orange County Bar Foundation post-graduation that I have committed to already. This invitation came to me because the organization received a huge grant for COVID-19 relief to offer to their staff and since I was already part-time, they thought I would be a good fit to join the team once mid-June comes around. I was very excited and pleased to be recognized for the work I have done at the office in front of all staff. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity. I will work even harder to provide for the community and to continue changing the lives of adolescents, who have steered off the path of success. I will use my time as a full-time employee to polish my resume, not forgetting that the main purpose of my moving to Irvine was to become a scholar and continue the education that my parents couldn’t attain. I will still be looking for ways to get internships with other fields within criminology. One specific interest that I have had since being an intern and a part-time employee in this organization is the work of the Orange County Coroner’s Office. I don’t exactly know what enticed me to find it appealing as many would say that it is an awful job in nature since it relates to death and seeing people in their worst state possible. However, I feel that the only way for me to truly know if I want to pursue such a career in forensic science will be to just dive into it and see where it takes me. 

I can, without a doubt, say that the Coronavirus has impacted me in a way unlike many others, and for that I am extremely grateful. As I continue working, I can also state that many people are becoming more and more hopeful as time progresses. With people now beginning to say Stage Two of this stay-at-home order is about to allow retailers and other companies to begin doing curbside delivery, many families can now see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Let’s Do Better

This time of the year is meant to be a time of celebration; however, it has been difficult to feel proud or excited for many of us when it has become a time of collective mourning and sorrow, especially for the Black community. There has been an endless amount of pain, rage, and helplessness that has been felt throughout our nation because of the growing list of Black lives we have lost to violence and brutality.

To honor the lives that we have lost, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Michael Brown, Trayon Martin, and all of the other Black lives that have been taken away, may they Rest in Power.

Throughout my college experience, I have become more exposed to the various identities and the upbringings of others, which led to my own self-reflection on my own privileged and marginalized identities. I identify as Colombian, German, and Mexican; however navigating life as a mixed race, I have never been able to identify or have one culture more salient than the other. I am visibly white-passing and do not hold any strong ties with any of my ethnic identities, which used to bring me feelings of guilt and frustration, for I would question whether or not I could be an advocate for certain communities, and whether or not I could claim the identity of a woman of color. In the process of understanding my positionality, I began to wonder what space I belonged in, where I could speak up, and where I should take a step back for others to speak. I found myself in a constant theme of questioning what is my narrative and slowly began to realize that I could not base it off lone identities and that I have had the privilege to move through life without my identities defining who I am. Those initial feelings of guilt and confusion transformed into growth, acceptance, and empowerment.

This journey has driven me to educate myself more about the social inequalities and injustices that people face and to focus on what I can do for those around me. It has motivated me to be more culturally responsive and competent, so that I am able to best advocate for those around me. Through the various roles I have worked in, I have been able to listen to a variety of communities’ narratives and experiences, which has allowed me to extend my empathy to these communities while also pushing me to continue educating myself on how I can best serve and empower them. By immersing myself amongst different communities, I have been given the honor of hearing others’ stories and experiences, which has inspired me to commit myself to support and empower others.

I share my story of navigating through my privileged and marginalized identities in hopes that it encourages others to explore their own identities. This journey is not an easy one, and it is an ongoing learning process that will come with various mistakes. I have learned that with facing our privileges comes feelings of guilt, discomfort, and at times, complacency. It is very easy to become ignorant when we are not affected by different issues, but I challenge those who read this to embrace the discomfort. With these emotions, I have found it important to reflect on the source of discomfort and guilt, for although they are a part of the process, in taking the steps to become more aware of the systemic inequalities around us, understanding the source of discomfort can better inform us on how we perpetuate these systemic inequalities. If we choose to embrace ignorance, we refuse to acknowledge the systems that impact marginalized communities and refuse to honestly and openly hear cries for help. If we choose our own comfort over the lives of those being affected every day, we can never truly honor, serve, or support these communities.

I challenge any non-Black person, including myself, to stop remaining complacent when injustices are committed. We need to consistently recognize and acknowledge how the Black community is disproportionately affected in every injustice experienced and call out anti-Blackness in every role, community, and space we share. We need to keep ourselves and others accountable when we make mistakes or fall back into patterns of complacency or ignorance. We need to continue educating ourselves instead of relying on the emotional labor of the Black community to continuously educate us on the history of their oppressions. We need to collectively uplift and empower one another to heal and rise against injustice. We need to remember that allyship ends when action ends.

To the Black community, you are strong. You deserve to be here. The recent events are emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting, and the need for rest to take care of your mental, physical, and emotional well-being are at an all time high. If you are able, take the time to regain your energy, feel every emotion, and remind yourself of the power you have inside of you. You are not alone.

The Virus That Makes You Forget

Following Jan. 1 of 2020 many of my classmates and I continued to like, share, and forward the same meme. The meme included any image but held the same phrase: I can see 2020. For many of us, 2020 was a beacon of hope. For the Class of 2020, this meant walking on stage in front of our families. Graduation meant becoming an adult, finding a job, or going to graduate school. No matter what we were doing in our post-grad life, we were the new rising stars ready to take on the world with a positive outlook no matter what the future held. We felt that we had a deal with the universe that we were about to be noticed for our hard work, our hardships, and our perseverance.

Then March 17 of 2020 came to pass with California Gov. Newman ordering us to stay at home, which we all did. However, little did we all know that the world we once had open to us would only be forgotten when we closed our front doors.

Life became immediately uncertain and for many of us, that meant graduation and our post-graduation plans including housing, careers, education, food, and basic standards of living were revoked! We became the forgotten — a place from which many of us had attempted to rise by attending university. The goals that we were told we could set and the plans that we were allowed to make — these were crushed before our eyes.

Eighty days before graduation, in the first several weeks of quarantine, I fell extremely ill; both unfortunately and luckily, I was isolated. All of my roommates had moved out of the student apartments leaving me with limited resources, unable to go to the stores to pick up medicine or food, and with insufficient health coverage to afford a doctor until my throat was too swollen to drink water. For nearly three weeks, I was stuck in bed, I was unable to apply to job deadlines, reach out to family, and have contact with the outside world. I was forgotten.

Forty-five days before graduation, I had clawed my way out of illness and was catching up on an honors thesis about media depictions of sexual exploitation within the American political system, when I was relayed the news that democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was accused of sexual assault. However, when reporting this news to close friends who had been devastated and upset by similar claims against past politicians, they all were too tired and numb from the quarantine to care. Just as I had written hours before reading the initial story, history was repeating, and it was not only I who COVID-19 had forgotten, but now survivors of violence.

After this revelation, I realize the silencing factor that COVID-19 has. Not only does it have the power to terminate the voices of our older generations, but it has the power to silence and make us forget the voices of every generation. Maybe this is why social media usage has gone up, why we see people creating new social media accounts, posting more, attempting to reach out to long lost friends. We do not want to be silenced, moreover, we cannot be silenced. Silence means that we have been forgotten and being forgotten is where injustice and uncertainty occurs. By using social media, pressing like on a post, or even sending a hate message, means that someone cares and is watching what you are doing. If there is no interaction, I am stuck in the land of indifference.

This is a place that I, and many others, now reside, captured and uncertain. In 2020, my plan was to graduate Cum Laude, dean's honor list, with three honors programs, three majors, and with research and job experience that stretched over six years. I would then go into my first year of graduate school, attempting a dual Juris Doctorate. I would be spending my time experimenting with new concepts, new experiences, and new relationships. My life would then be spent giving a microphone to survivors of domestic violence and sex crimes. However, now the plan is wiped clean, instead I sit still bound to graduate in 30 days with no home to stay, no place to work, and no future education to come back to. I would say I am overly qualified, but pandemic makes me lost in a series of names and masked faces.

Welcome to My Cage: The Pandemic and PTSD

When I read the campuswide email notifying students of the World Health Organization’s declaration of the coronavirus pandemic, I was sitting on my couch practicing a research presentation I was going to give a few hours later. For a few minutes, I sat there motionless, trying to digest the meaning of the words as though they were from a language other than my own, familiar sounds strung together in way that was wholly unintelligible to me. I tried but failed to make sense of how this could affect my life. After the initial shock had worn off, I mobilized quickly, snapping into an autopilot mode of being I knew all too well. I began making mental checklists, sharing the email with my friends and family, half of my brain wondering if I should make a trip to the grocery store to stockpile supplies and the other half wondering how I was supposed take final exams in the midst of so much uncertainty. The most chilling realization was knowing I had to wait powerlessly as the fate of the world unfolded, frozen with anxiety as I figured out my place in it all.

These feelings of powerlessness and isolation are familiar bedfellows for me. Early October of 2015, shortly after beginning my first year at UCI, I was diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Despite having had years of psychological treatment for my condition, including Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Retraining, the flashbacks, paranoia, and nightmares still emerge unwarranted. People have referred to the pandemic as a collective trauma. For me, the pandemic has not only been a collective trauma, it has also been the reemergence of a personal trauma. The news of the pandemic and the implications it has for daily life triggered a reemergence of symptoms that were ultimately ignited by the overwhelming sense of helplessness that lies in waiting, as I suddenly find myself navigating yet another situation beyond my control. Food security, safety, and my sense of self have all been shaken by COVID-19.

The first few weeks after UCI transitioned into remote learning and the governor issued the stay-at-home order, I hardly got any sleep. My body was cycling through hypervigilance and derealization, and my sleep was interrupted by intrusive nightmares oscillating between flashbacks and frightening snippets from current events. Any coping methods I had developed through hard-won efforts over the past few years — leaving my apartment for a change of scenery, hanging out with friends, going to the gym — were suddenly made inaccessible to me due to the stay-at-home orders, closures of non-essential businesses, and many of my friends breaking their campus leases to move back to their family homes. So for me, learning to cope during COVID-19 quarantine means learning to function with my re-emerging PTSD symptoms and without my go-to tools. I must navigate my illness in a rapidly evolving world, one where some of my internalized fears, such as running out of food and living in an unsafe world, are made progressively more external by the minute and broadcasted on every news platform; fears that I could no longer escape, being confined in the tight constraints of my studio apartment’s walls. I cannot shake the devastating effects of sacrifice that I experience as all sense of control has been stripped away from me.

However, amidst my mental anguish, I have realized something important—experiencing these same PTSD symptoms during a global pandemic feels markedly different than it did years ago. Part of it might be the passage of time and the growth in my mindset, but there is something else that feels very different. Currently, there is widespread solidarity and support for all of us facing the chaos of COVID-19, whether they are on the frontlines of the fight against the illness or they are self-isolating due to new rules, restrictions, and risks. This was in stark contrast to what it was like to have a mental disorder. The unity we all experience as a result of COVID-19 is one I could not have predicted. I am not the only student heartbroken over a cancelled graduation, I am not the only student who is struggling to adapt to remote learning, and I am not the only person in this world who has to make sacrifices.

Between observations I’ve made on social media and conversations with my friends and classmates, this time we are all enduring great pain and stress as we attempt to adapt to life’s challenges. As a Peer Assistant for an Education class, I have heard from many students of their heartache over the remote learning model, how difficult it is to study in a non-academic environment, and how unmotivated they have become this quarter. This is definitely something I can relate to; as of late, it has been exceptionally difficult to find motivation and put forth the effort for even simple activities as a lack of energy compounds the issue and hinders basic needs. However, the willingness of people to open up about their distress during the pandemic is unlike the self-imposed social isolation of many people who experience mental illness regularly. Something this pandemic has taught me is that I want to live in a world where mental illness receives more support and isn’t so taboo and controversial. Why is it that we are able to talk about our pain, stress, and mental illness now, but aren’t able to talk about it outside of a global pandemic? People should be able to talk about these hardships and ask for help, much like during these circumstances.

It has been nearly three months since the coronavirus crisis was declared a pandemic. I still have many bad days that I endure where my symptoms can be overwhelming. But somehow, during my good days — and some days, merely good moments — I can appreciate the resilience I have acquired over the years and the common ground I share with others who live through similar circumstances. For veterans of trauma and mental illness, this isn’t the first time we are experiencing pain in an extreme and disastrous way. This is, however, the first time we are experiencing it with the rest of the world. This strange new feeling of solidarity as I read and hear about the experiences of other people provides some small comfort as I fight my way out of bed each day. As we fight to survive this pandemic, I hope to hold onto this feeling of togetherness and acceptance of pain, so that it will always be okay for people to share their struggles. We don’t know what the world will look like days, months, or years from now, but I hope that we can cultivate such a culture to make life much easier for people coping with mental illness.

A Somatic Pandemonium in Quarantine

I remember hearing that our brains create the color magenta all on their own. 

When I was younger I used to run out of my third-grade class because my teacher was allergic to the mold and sometimes would vomit in the trash can. My dad used to tell me that I used to always have to have something in my hands, later translating itself into the form of a hair tie around my wrist.

Sometimes, I think about the girl who used to walk on her tippy toes. medial and lateral nerves never planted, never grounded. We were the same in this way. My ability to be firmly planted anywhere was also withered. 

Was it from all the times I panicked? Or from the time I ran away and I blistered the soles of my feet 'til they were black from the summer pavement? Emetophobia. 

I felt it in the shower, dressing itself from the crown of my head down to the soles of my feet, noting the feeling onto my white board in an attempt to solidify it’s permanence.

As I breathed in the chemical blue transpiring from the Expo marker, everything was more defined. I laid down and when I looked up at the starlet lamp I had finally felt centered. Still. No longer fleeting. The grooves in the lamps glass forming a spiral of what felt to me like an artificial landscape of transcendental sparks. 

She’s back now, magenta, though I never knew she left or even ever was. Somehow still subconsciously always known. I had been searching for her in the tremors.

I can see her now in the daphnes, the golden rays from the sun reflecting off of the bark on the trees and the red light that glowed brighter, suddenly the town around me was warmer. A melting of hues and sharpened saturation that was apparent and reminded of the smell of oranges.

I threw up all of the carrots I ate just before. The trauma that my body kept as a memory of things that may or may not go wrong and the times that I couldn't keep my legs from running. Revelations bring memories bringing anxieties from fear and panic released from my body as if to say “NO LONGER!” 

I close my eyes now and my mind's eye is, too, more vivid than ever before. My inner eyelids lit up with orange undertones no longer a solid black, neurons firing, fire. Not the kind that burns you but the kind that can light up a dull space. Like the wick of a tea-lit candle. Magenta doesn’t exist. It is perception. A construct made of light waves, blue and red.

Demolition. Reconstruction. I walk down the street into this new world wearing my new mask, somatic senses tingling and I think to myself “Houston, I think we’ve just hit equilibrium.”

How COVID-19 Changed My Senior Year

During the last two weeks of Winter quarter, I watched the emails pour in. Spring quarter would be online, facilities were closing, and everyone was recommended to return home to their families, if possible. I resolved to myself that I would not move back home; I wanted to stay in my apartment, near my boyfriend, near my friends, and in the one place I had my own space. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, things continued to change quickly. Soon I learned my roommate/best friend would be cancelling her lease and moving back up to Northern California. We had made plans for my final quarter at UCI, as I would be graduating in June while she had another year, but all of the sudden, that dream was gone. In one whirlwind of a day, we tried to cram in as much of our plans as we could before she left the next day for good. There are still so many things – like hiking, going to museums, and showing her around my hometown – we never got to cross off our list.

Then, my boyfriend decided he would also be moving home, three hours away. Most of my sorority sisters were moving home, too. I realized if I stayed at school, I would be completely alone. My mom had been encouraging me to move home anyway, but I was reluctant to return to a house I wasn’t completely comfortable in. As the pandemic became more serious, gentle encouragement quickly turned into demands. I had to cancel my lease and move home.

I moved back in with my parents at the end of Spring Break; I never got to say goodbye to most of my friends, many of whom I’ll likely never see again – as long as the virus doesn’t change things, I’m supposed to move to New York over the summer to begin a PhD program in Criminal Justice. Just like that, my time at UCI had come to a close. No lasts to savor; instead I had piles of things to regret. In place of a final quarter filled with memorable lasts, such as the senior banquet or my sorority’s senior preference night, I’m left with a laundry list of things I missed out on. I didn’t get to look around the campus one last time like I had planned; I never got to take my graduation pictures in front of the UC Irvine sign. Commencement had already been cancelled. The lights had turned off in the theatre before the movie was over. I never got to find out how the movie ended.

Transitioning to a remote learning system wasn’t too bad, but I found that some professors weren’t adjusting their courses to the difficulties many students were facing. It turned out to be difficult to stay motivated, especially for classes that are pre-recorded and don’t have any face-to-face interaction. It’s hard to make myself care; I’m in my last few weeks ever at UCI, but it feels like I’m already in summer. School isn’t real, my classes aren’t real. I still put in the effort, but I feel like I’m not getting much out of my classes.

The things I had been looking forward to this quarter are gone; there will be no Undergraduate Research Symposium, where I was supposed to present two projects. My amazing internship with the US Postal Inspection Service is over prematurely and I never got to properly say goodbye to anyone I met there. I won’t receive recognition for the various awards and honors I worked so hard to achieve.

And I’m one of the lucky ones! I feel guilty for feeling bad about my situation, when I know there are others who have it much, much worse. I am like that quintessential spoiled child, complaining while there are essential workers working tirelessly, people with health concerns constantly fearing for their safety, and people dying every day. Yet knowing that doesn't help me from feeling I was robbed of my senior experience, something I worked very hard to achieve. I know it’s not nearly as important as what many others are going through. But nevertheless, this is my situation. I was supposed to be enjoying this final quarter with my friends and preparing to move on, not be stuck at home, grappling with my mental health and hiding out in my room to get some alone time from a family I don’t always get along with. And while I know it’s more difficult out there for many others, it’s still difficult for me.

The thing that stresses me out most is the uncertainty. Uncertainty for the future – how long will this pandemic last? How many more people have to suffer before things go back to “normal” – whatever that is? How long until I can see my friends and family again? And what does this mean for my academic future? Who knows what will happen between now and then? All that’s left to do is wait and hope that everything will work out for the best.

Looking back over my last few months at UCI, I wish I knew at the time that I was experiencing my lasts; it feels like I took so much for granted. If there is one thing this has all made me realize, it’s that nothing is certain. Everything we expect, everything we take for granted – none of it is a given. Hold on to what you have while you have it, and take the time to appreciate the wonderful things in life, because you never know when it will be gone.

Physical Distancing

Thirty days have never felt so long. April has been the longest month of the year. I have been through more in these past three months than in the past three years. The COVID-19 outbreak has had a huge impact on both physical and social well-being of a lot of Americans, including me. Stress has been governing the lives of so many civilians, in particular students and workers. In addition to causing a lack of motivation in my life, quarantine has also brought a wave of anxiety.

My life changed the moment the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the government announced social distancing. My busy daily schedule, running from class to class and meeting to meeting, morphed into identical days, consisting of hour after hour behind a cold computer monitor. Human interaction and touch improve trust, reduce fear and increases physical well-being. Imagine the effects of removing the human touch and interaction from midst of society. Humans are profoundly social creatures. I cannot function without interacting and connecting with other people. Even daily acquaintances have an impact on me that is only noticeable once removed. As a result, the COVID-19 outbreak has had an extreme impact on me beyond direct symptoms and consequences of contracting the virus itself.

It was not until later that month, when out of sheer boredom I was scrolling through my call logs and I realized that I had called my grandmother more than ever. This made me realize that quarantine had created some positive impacts on my social interactions as well. This period of time has created an opportunity to check up on and connect with family and peers more often than we were able to. Even though we might be connecting solely through a screen, we are not missing out on being socially connected. Quarantine has taught me to value and prioritize social connection, and to recognize that we can find this type of connection not only through in-person gatherings, but also through deep heart to heart connections. Right now, my weekly Zoom meetings with my long-time friends are the most important events in my week. In fact, I have taken advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with many of my old friends and have actually had more meaningful conversations with them than before the isolation.

This situation is far from ideal. From my perspective, touch and in-person interaction is essential; however, we must overcome all difficulties that life throws at us with the best we are provided with. Therefore, perhaps we should take this time to re-align our motives by engaging in things that are of importance to us. I learned how to dig deep and find appreciation for all the small talks, gatherings, and face-to-face interactions. I have also realized that friendships are not only built on the foundation of physical presence but rather on meaningful conversations you get to have, even if they are through a cold computer monitor. My realization came from having more time on my hands and noticing the shift in conversations I was having with those around me. After all, maybe this isolation isn’t “social distancing”, but rather “physical distancing” until we meet again.

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Community Reflections

My life experience during the covid-19 pandemic.

Melissa Blanco Follow

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Affiliation with sacred heart university.

Undergraduate, Class of 2024

My content explains what my life was like during the last seven months of the Covid-19 pandemic and how it affected my life both positively and negatively. It also explains what it was like when I graduated from High School and how I want the future generations to remember the Class of 2020.

Class assignment, Western Civilization (Dr. Marino).

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Blanco, Melissa, "My Life Experience During the Covid-19 Pandemic" (2020). Community Reflections . 21. https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/covid19-reflections/21

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Read these 12 moving essays about life during coronavirus

Artists, novelists, critics, and essayists are writing the first draft of history.

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The world is grappling with an invisible, deadly enemy, trying to understand how to live with the threat posed by a virus . For some writers, the only way forward is to put pen to paper, trying to conceptualize and document what it feels like to continue living as countries are under lockdown and regular life seems to have ground to a halt.

So as the coronavirus pandemic has stretched around the world, it’s sparked a crop of diary entries and essays that describe how life has changed. Novelists, critics, artists, and journalists have put words to the feelings many are experiencing. The result is a first draft of how we’ll someday remember this time, filled with uncertainty and pain and fear as well as small moments of hope and humanity.

At the New York Review of Books, Ali Bhutto writes that in Karachi, Pakistan, the government-imposed curfew due to the virus is “eerily reminiscent of past military clampdowns”:

Beneath the quiet calm lies a sense that society has been unhinged and that the usual rules no longer apply. Small groups of pedestrians look on from the shadows, like an audience watching a spectacle slowly unfolding. People pause on street corners and in the shade of trees, under the watchful gaze of the paramilitary forces and the police.

His essay concludes with the sobering note that “in the minds of many, Covid-19 is just another life-threatening hazard in a city that stumbles from one crisis to another.”

Writing from Chattanooga, novelist Jamie Quatro documents the mixed ways her neighbors have been responding to the threat, and the frustration of conflicting direction, or no direction at all, from local, state, and federal leaders:

Whiplash, trying to keep up with who’s ordering what. We’re already experiencing enough chaos without this back-and-forth. Why didn’t the federal government issue a nationwide shelter-in-place at the get-go, the way other countries did? What happens when one state’s shelter-in-place ends, while others continue? Do states still under quarantine close their borders? We are still one nation, not fifty individual countries. Right?

Award-winning photojournalist Alessio Mamo, quarantined with his partner Marta in Sicily after she tested positive for the virus, accompanies his photographs in the Guardian of their confinement with a reflection on being confined :

The doctors asked me to take a second test, but again I tested negative. Perhaps I’m immune? The days dragged on in my apartment, in black and white, like my photos. Sometimes we tried to smile, imagining that I was asymptomatic, because I was the virus. Our smiles seemed to bring good news. My mother left hospital, but I won’t be able to see her for weeks. Marta started breathing well again, and so did I. I would have liked to photograph my country in the midst of this emergency, the battles that the doctors wage on the frontline, the hospitals pushed to their limits, Italy on its knees fighting an invisible enemy. That enemy, a day in March, knocked on my door instead.

In the New York Times Magazine, deputy editor Jessica Lustig writes with devastating clarity about her family’s life in Brooklyn while her husband battled the virus, weeks before most people began taking the threat seriously:

At the door of the clinic, we stand looking out at two older women chatting outside the doorway, oblivious. Do I wave them away? Call out that they should get far away, go home, wash their hands, stay inside? Instead we just stand there, awkwardly, until they move on. Only then do we step outside to begin the long three-block walk home. I point out the early magnolia, the forsythia. T says he is cold. The untrimmed hairs on his neck, under his beard, are white. The few people walking past us on the sidewalk don’t know that we are visitors from the future. A vision, a premonition, a walking visitation. This will be them: Either T, in the mask, or — if they’re lucky — me, tending to him.

Essayist Leslie Jamison writes in the New York Review of Books about being shut away alone in her New York City apartment with her 2-year-old daughter since she became sick:

The virus. Its sinewy, intimate name. What does it feel like in my body today? Shivering under blankets. A hot itch behind the eyes. Three sweatshirts in the middle of the day. My daughter trying to pull another blanket over my body with her tiny arms. An ache in the muscles that somehow makes it hard to lie still. This loss of taste has become a kind of sensory quarantine. It’s as if the quarantine keeps inching closer and closer to my insides. First I lost the touch of other bodies; then I lost the air; now I’ve lost the taste of bananas. Nothing about any of these losses is particularly unique. I’ve made a schedule so I won’t go insane with the toddler. Five days ago, I wrote Walk/Adventure! on it, next to a cut-out illustration of a tiger—as if we’d see tigers on our walks. It was good to keep possibility alive.

At Literary Hub, novelist Heidi Pitlor writes about the elastic nature of time during her family’s quarantine in Massachusetts:

During a shutdown, the things that mark our days—commuting to work, sending our kids to school, having a drink with friends—vanish and time takes on a flat, seamless quality. Without some self-imposed structure, it’s easy to feel a little untethered. A friend recently posted on Facebook: “For those who have lost track, today is Blursday the fortyteenth of Maprilay.” ... Giving shape to time is especially important now, when the future is so shapeless. We do not know whether the virus will continue to rage for weeks or months or, lord help us, on and off for years. We do not know when we will feel safe again. And so many of us, minus those who are gifted at compartmentalization or denial, remain largely captive to fear. We may stay this way if we do not create at least the illusion of movement in our lives, our long days spent with ourselves or partners or families.

Novelist Lauren Groff writes at the New York Review of Books about trying to escape the prison of her fears while sequestered at home in Gainesville, Florida:

Some people have imaginations sparked only by what they can see; I blame this blinkered empiricism for the parks overwhelmed with people, the bars, until a few nights ago, thickly thronged. My imagination is the opposite. I fear everything invisible to me. From the enclosure of my house, I am afraid of the suffering that isn’t present before me, the people running out of money and food or drowning in the fluid in their lungs, the deaths of health-care workers now growing ill while performing their duties. I fear the federal government, which the right wing has so—intentionally—weakened that not only is it insufficient to help its people, it is actively standing in help’s way. I fear we won’t sufficiently punish the right. I fear leaving the house and spreading the disease. I fear what this time of fear is doing to my children, their imaginations, and their souls.

At ArtForum , Berlin-based critic and writer Kristian Vistrup Madsen reflects on martinis, melancholia, and Finnish artist Jaakko Pallasvuo’s 2018 graphic novel Retreat , in which three young people exile themselves in the woods:

In melancholia, the shape of what is ending, and its temporality, is sprawling and incomprehensible. The ambivalence makes it hard to bear. The world of Retreat is rendered in lush pink and purple watercolors, which dissolve into wild and messy abstractions. In apocalypse, the divisions established in genesis bleed back out. My own Corona-retreat is similarly soft, color-field like, each day a blurred succession of quarantinis, YouTube–yoga, and televized press conferences. As restrictions mount, so does abstraction. For now, I’m still rooting for love to save the world.

At the Paris Review , Matt Levin writes about reading Virginia Woolf’s novel The Waves during quarantine:

A retreat, a quarantine, a sickness—they simultaneously distort and clarify, curtail and expand. It is an ideal state in which to read literature with a reputation for difficulty and inaccessibility, those hermetic books shorn of the handholds of conventional plot or characterization or description. A novel like Virginia Woolf’s The Waves is perfect for the state of interiority induced by quarantine—a story of three men and three women, meeting after the death of a mutual friend, told entirely in the overlapping internal monologues of the six, interspersed only with sections of pure, achingly beautiful descriptions of the natural world, a day’s procession and recession of light and waves. The novel is, in my mind’s eye, a perfectly spherical object. It is translucent and shimmering and infinitely fragile, prone to shatter at the slightest disturbance. It is not a book that can be read in snatches on the subway—it demands total absorption. Though it revels in a stark emotional nakedness, the book remains aloof, remote in its own deep self-absorption.

In an essay for the Financial Times, novelist Arundhati Roy writes with anger about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anemic response to the threat, but also offers a glimmer of hope for the future:

Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.

From Boston, Nora Caplan-Bricker writes in The Point about the strange contraction of space under quarantine, in which a friend in Beirut is as close as the one around the corner in the same city:

It’s a nice illusion—nice to feel like we’re in it together, even if my real world has shrunk to one person, my husband, who sits with his laptop in the other room. It’s nice in the same way as reading those essays that reframe social distancing as solidarity. “We must begin to see the negative space as clearly as the positive, to know what we don’t do is also brilliant and full of love,” the poet Anne Boyer wrote on March 10th, the day that Massachusetts declared a state of emergency. If you squint, you could almost make sense of this quarantine as an effort to flatten, along with the curve, the distinctions we make between our bonds with others. Right now, I care for my neighbor in the same way I demonstrate love for my mother: in all instances, I stay away. And in moments this month, I have loved strangers with an intensity that is new to me. On March 14th, the Saturday night after the end of life as we knew it, I went out with my dog and found the street silent: no lines for restaurants, no children on bicycles, no couples strolling with little cups of ice cream. It had taken the combined will of thousands of people to deliver such a sudden and complete emptiness. I felt so grateful, and so bereft.

And on his own website, musician and artist David Byrne writes about rediscovering the value of working for collective good , saying that “what is happening now is an opportunity to learn how to change our behavior”:

In emergencies, citizens can suddenly cooperate and collaborate. Change can happen. We’re going to need to work together as the effects of climate change ramp up. In order for capitalism to survive in any form, we will have to be a little more socialist. Here is an opportunity for us to see things differently — to see that we really are all connected — and adjust our behavior accordingly. Are we willing to do this? Is this moment an opportunity to see how truly interdependent we all are? To live in a world that is different and better than the one we live in now? We might be too far down the road to test every asymptomatic person, but a change in our mindsets, in how we view our neighbors, could lay the groundwork for the collective action we’ll need to deal with other global crises. The time to see how connected we all are is now.

The portrait these writers paint of a world under quarantine is multifaceted. Our worlds have contracted to the confines of our homes, and yet in some ways we’re more connected than ever to one another. We feel fear and boredom, anger and gratitude, frustration and strange peace. Uncertainty drives us to find metaphors and images that will let us wrap our minds around what is happening.

Yet there’s no single “what” that is happening. Everyone is contending with the pandemic and its effects from different places and in different ways. Reading others’ experiences — even the most frightening ones — can help alleviate the loneliness and dread, a little, and remind us that what we’re going through is both unique and shared by all.

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Pandemic Perseverance

October 29, 2020

UBC researchers show resilience during global pandemic

While the past several months have been undeniably challenging, UBC researchers are doing their best to adapt to new ways of doing things, mitigating disruptions to their work, and leveraging opportunities to expand their research programs and support student trainees.

“COVID-19 has disrupted everything we do but the campus research community has displayed remarkable resilience”, according to associate vice-principal, research, Paul van Donkelaar, who has been central to ensuring UBCO researchers have the swift and safe access to the campus resources and remote support they need to manage their research programs during the pandemic.

We recently asked Paul for an update on the research resumption plan and his outlook for the 2020/21 academic year.

“The campus research community has displayed remarkable resilience.”

PVD: In mid-March, we curtailed on-campus research activity and reduced lab-based activities to essential COVID-19 related research, time-sensitive data collection, and critical maintenance activities. We approved over 30 research exemption applications, which permitted upwards of 50 researchers and trainees to be on campus during the initial COVID-19 planning phase.

In June, the Resumption Planning & Coordination Committee (RPCC) began approving faculty and administrative unit parent plans and associated safe work plans to help researchers, support staff and essential service units get back to work (a list of approved parent plans can be found here ).

Today, it’s estimated that about 20 percent of our research, scholarly, and creative activity is taking place on campus with the remainder occurring from home, in the field, or at community partner sites. That means approximately 200 faculty members and student trainees are back in their labs and research spaces on campus, operating with safety as their top priority.

The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies was among the first to get its scholars back on campus, alongside the School of Engineering. Access to specialized equipment, studio spaces and in-progress projects were undoubtedly a key driver.

Other faculties and departments, like the Faculty of Management and some of the Humanities disciplines, have been quick to adapt and continue to do much of their scholarly work remotely. Access to library archives, services and support, including virtual consultations with subject librarians, contactless curbside pick-up, and a live chat portal, has made a huge difference to these researchers.

Q: How have we adapted since the pandemic started to ensure research continuity?

PVD:   No question, it was easier to stop than start. Getting researchers back on campus required complex planning and coordination but I actually think we were well-positioned to get the restart plans approved efficiently once we had our process in place. A key to this was having Campus Operations and Risk Management involved from the very beginning, which allowed us to implement an integrated, one-step approval process.

Another one of our top priorities was to ensure student trainees nearing graduation were not adversely affected by the research curtailment. We had to rethink, in an extreme way, how we do things and make the necessary changes and accommodations to keep UBCO’s research enterprise functioning as smoothly as possible. For example, supervisory committees have been incredibly accommodating in terms of allowing graduate trainees to move forward with online thesis defences. Externally, grant-funding agencies have also adapted by moving to online review panels and providing supplemental funding to support research trainees and staff.

Q: What does the next phase of expanded on-campus research activity and scholarship look like?

PVD:   The end of summer and early fall has seen an increasing number of researchers on campus for a wide variety of projects. One challenge during this time has been how best to safely restart face-to-face human participant research.

For example, the Faculty of Health and Social Development and the School of Health and Exercise Sciences are currently working towards implementing safety protocols that would enable this work to resume in the present COVID context, but it remains to be seen what the response rates will be. Recruitment for research studies will inevitably be influenced by public confidence in the systems we put in place.

Following this, I suspect it will be status quo until a vaccine is in place and provincial health authorities have lifted the physical distancing requirements currently in place.

Q: How has your own work been impacted by the pandemic and what advice would you offer new faculty joining the UBCO research community?

PVD:  I would say one of the biggest challenges has been onboarding new team members. We recently filled our Research Development Officer position for the health portfolio, which has been vacant for some time, and had to conduct the entire process virtually.

I also have new trainees joining my lab whom I have not had the opportunity to meet face-to-face yet. There’s no replacement for getting to know someone in-person but we can’t give up on finding opportunities for connection.

We hosted our annual Research Orientation Day online this year, for the first time ever, and the response from new faculty seeking opportunities for connection was overwhelming. My advice to new faculty would be to reach out to us in the VPRI office. We’re here to support you and can help you get to know your way around.

So, even though the pandemic has significantly impacted every aspect of life, the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of UBCO’s campus has helped us navigate new territory and persevere during these unprecedented times.

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How to Write About Coronavirus in a College Essay

Students can share how they navigated life during the coronavirus pandemic in a full-length essay or an optional supplement.

Writing About COVID-19 in College Essays

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Experts say students should be honest and not limit themselves to merely their experiences with the pandemic.

The global impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, means colleges and prospective students alike are in for an admissions cycle like no other. Both face unprecedented challenges and questions as they grapple with their respective futures amid the ongoing fallout of the pandemic.

Colleges must examine applicants without the aid of standardized test scores for many – a factor that prompted many schools to go test-optional for now . Even grades, a significant component of a college application, may be hard to interpret with some high schools adopting pass-fail classes last spring due to the pandemic. Major college admissions factors are suddenly skewed.

"I can't help but think other (admissions) factors are going to matter more," says Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy, a website that offers free and paid essay-writing resources.

College essays and letters of recommendation , Sawyer says, are likely to carry more weight than ever in this admissions cycle. And many essays will likely focus on how the pandemic shaped students' lives throughout an often tumultuous 2020.

But before writing a college essay focused on the coronavirus, students should explore whether it's the best topic for them.

Writing About COVID-19 for a College Application

Much of daily life has been colored by the coronavirus. Virtual learning is the norm at many colleges and high schools, many extracurriculars have vanished and social lives have stalled for students complying with measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

"For some young people, the pandemic took away what they envisioned as their senior year," says Robert Alexander, dean of admissions, financial aid and enrollment management at the University of Rochester in New York. "Maybe that's a spot on a varsity athletic team or the lead role in the fall play. And it's OK for them to mourn what should have been and what they feel like they lost, but more important is how are they making the most of the opportunities they do have?"

That question, Alexander says, is what colleges want answered if students choose to address COVID-19 in their college essay.

But the question of whether a student should write about the coronavirus is tricky. The answer depends largely on the student.

"In general, I don't think students should write about COVID-19 in their main personal statement for their application," Robin Miller, master college admissions counselor at IvyWise, a college counseling company, wrote in an email.

"Certainly, there may be exceptions to this based on a student's individual experience, but since the personal essay is the main place in the application where the student can really allow their voice to be heard and share insight into who they are as an individual, there are likely many other topics they can choose to write about that are more distinctive and unique than COVID-19," Miller says.

Opinions among admissions experts vary on whether to write about the likely popular topic of the pandemic.

"If your essay communicates something positive, unique, and compelling about you in an interesting and eloquent way, go for it," Carolyn Pippen, principal college admissions counselor at IvyWise, wrote in an email. She adds that students shouldn't be dissuaded from writing about a topic merely because it's common, noting that "topics are bound to repeat, no matter how hard we try to avoid it."

Above all, she urges honesty.

"If your experience within the context of the pandemic has been truly unique, then write about that experience, and the standing out will take care of itself," Pippen says. "If your experience has been generally the same as most other students in your context, then trying to find a unique angle can easily cross the line into exploiting a tragedy, or at least appearing as though you have."

But focusing entirely on the pandemic can limit a student to a single story and narrow who they are in an application, Sawyer says. "There are so many wonderful possibilities for what you can say about yourself outside of your experience within the pandemic."

He notes that passions, strengths, career interests and personal identity are among the multitude of essay topic options available to applicants and encourages them to probe their values to help determine the topic that matters most to them – and write about it.

That doesn't mean the pandemic experience has to be ignored if applicants feel the need to write about it.

Writing About Coronavirus in Main and Supplemental Essays

Students can choose to write a full-length college essay on the coronavirus or summarize their experience in a shorter form.

To help students explain how the pandemic affected them, The Common App has added an optional section to address this topic. Applicants have 250 words to describe their pandemic experience and the personal and academic impact of COVID-19.

"That's not a trick question, and there's no right or wrong answer," Alexander says. Colleges want to know, he adds, how students navigated the pandemic, how they prioritized their time, what responsibilities they took on and what they learned along the way.

If students can distill all of the above information into 250 words, there's likely no need to write about it in a full-length college essay, experts say. And applicants whose lives were not heavily altered by the pandemic may even choose to skip the optional COVID-19 question.

"This space is best used to discuss hardship and/or significant challenges that the student and/or the student's family experienced as a result of COVID-19 and how they have responded to those difficulties," Miller notes. Using the section to acknowledge a lack of impact, she adds, "could be perceived as trite and lacking insight, despite the good intentions of the applicant."

To guard against this lack of awareness, Sawyer encourages students to tap someone they trust to review their writing , whether it's the 250-word Common App response or the full-length essay.

Experts tend to agree that the short-form approach to this as an essay topic works better, but there are exceptions. And if a student does have a coronavirus story that he or she feels must be told, Alexander encourages the writer to be authentic in the essay.

"My advice for an essay about COVID-19 is the same as my advice about an essay for any topic – and that is, don't write what you think we want to read or hear," Alexander says. "Write what really changed you and that story that now is yours and yours alone to tell."

Sawyer urges students to ask themselves, "What's the sentence that only I can write?" He also encourages students to remember that the pandemic is only a chapter of their lives and not the whole book.

Miller, who cautions against writing a full-length essay on the coronavirus, says that if students choose to do so they should have a conversation with their high school counselor about whether that's the right move. And if students choose to proceed with COVID-19 as a topic, she says they need to be clear, detailed and insightful about what they learned and how they adapted along the way.

"Approaching the essay in this manner will provide important balance while demonstrating personal growth and vulnerability," Miller says.

Pippen encourages students to remember that they are in an unprecedented time for college admissions.

"It is important to keep in mind with all of these (admission) factors that no colleges have ever had to consider them this way in the selection process, if at all," Pippen says. "They have had very little time to calibrate their evaluations of different application components within their offices, let alone across institutions. This means that colleges will all be handling the admissions process a little bit differently, and their approaches may even evolve over the course of the admissions cycle."

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How to Build Resilience During the Post-Pandemic Transition

Being flexible is key to coping with uncertainty..

Posted April 27, 2021 | Reviewed by Devon Frye

• During the past year, COVID-19 has been a chronic stressor. Research has shown that chronic stressors can be psychologically challenging.
• The confusion and stress of the pandemic have damaged many people's confidence in their own capabilities and ability to make good decisions.
• The science of emotion—and in particular, psychological flexibility—can provide an anchor and compass in navigating this unsettling journey.

This post was written by Robert M. Gordon, Psy.D., and Jed N. McGiffin, Ph.D. Dr. Gordon is a member of the Medicine & Addictions workgroup (established by 14 divisions of the American Psychological Association) that sponsors this blog.

During the past year, COVID-19 has been a chronic stressor , which research has shown to be more psychologically challenging than acute adversity events (Bonanno & Diminich, 2013).

Numerous factors have made COVID-19 potentially traumatic for individuals, including persistent anxiety about being both the agent spreading the virus and the victim of it, the prolonged state of vulnerability and uncertainty as to when the pandemic will end, collective grief and loss, social isolation , and the disruption of daily life (Gordon et al., 2020). The pandemic has precipitated an acute awareness of the fragility of life and aspects of our life that were previously taken for granted (Gold & Zahm, 2020).

In the aftermath of chronic stress or adversity, individuals typically undergo a transition period that involves readjusting to a state of relative safety and adapting behaviors accordingly.

There are a number of unique features of the transition phase. While we are no longer in the acute early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, neither are we in a post-pandemic world. There is a sense of uncertainty of “standing in the spaces” between different identities (Bromberg, 1998). In certain situations, we may feel confident and more like our “old self,” but at other moments, we may experience a lack of confidence —especially when judging which decisions are safe. Much of the tension during the transition phase comes from the anxiety that we are not getting it right, and we may fear that changing patterns and coping strategies developed during the pandemic might be too risky (Shea, 2021).

These psychological challenges have left many individuals feeling unsettled about how best to move forward during this time of uncertainty and unsure what psychological skills might facilitate inner strength and a sense of agency (Shea, 2021). The science of emotion —and in particular psychological flexibility— can provide an anchor and compass in navigating this unsettling journey.

Flexibility as a Mechanism for Resilience

Psychological flexibility is an important and modifiable predictor of resilience and has even been proposed as an explanation for how resilience works (Bonanno, 2021a; Bonanno, 2021b). Being flexible in the midst of a life stressor has been described as a sequence of three stages (Bonanno & Burton, 2013):

• Evaluating the demands of the situation or context
• Selecting a response or coping strategy
• Monitoring the success of an approach and modifying as needed (Bonanno et al., 2013)

Facilitators of Flexibility and Resilience

What then, can we do to improve psychological flexibility and resilience during the current time of transition? At least one answer lies in creating the optimal conditions for being flexible.

Both resilience and flexibility are facilitated by several constructs, such as hope, optimism , grit, perseverance, and mindfulness . These traits indirectly influence outcomes by providing internal resources and increasing motivation for flexibility and problem solving (Bonanno, 2021a).

Hope and Optimism

Hope and optimism are two psychological constructs that focus on an individual’s beliefs about the future (Rabinowitz et al., 2018). While optimism is a stable personality state related to a sense that good things will happen in the future, hope involves the will to effect positive outcomes and the ability to generate flexible problem-solving strategies when facing obstacles to achieve desired goals (Rabinowitz et al., 2018).

Grit and Perseverance

Grit is a personality construct initially described by Angela Duckworth and colleagues as perseverance, persistence, and passion toward long-term goals (Duckworth et al, 2007). Grit enables individuals to engage in effortful activities including studying or exercising, particularly when practicing may not be intrinsically rewarding (Duckworth et al., 2011; Rabinowitz et al., 2018).

Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves the ability to be open and to observe rather than judge or “push away” thoughts and feelings (Harris, 2018). Being mindful enables us to appreciate our common humanity and to reflect on the present moment with awareness, self-compassion, and perspective (Germer et al., 2013).

Strategies to Develop Flexibility During the COVID-19 Re-Entry Phase

The following tips are related to improving psychological flexibility and resilience:

• Cultivate optimism. Questions including “What have you discovered about yourself through the pandemic?” and “Are you aware of any aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that has changed you for the better?” allow one to construct a more flexible and self-compassionate narrative (Gordon et al., 2020).
• Make a list of things you can and cannot control.
• Accept events as they actually happen during the transition and focus on your reactions and attitudes.
• See your struggles as part of the human condition rather than an isolated experience.
• Your decisions during the transition phase should be consistent with your most important values, what kind of person you want to be, and long-term goals (Harris, 2018).
• Consider context—determine whether you are appraising the situation accurately, then adjust your coping strategy to match the situational demands.
• Self-monitor and give feedback. After trying a strategy, ask yourself “How well is what I am doing working?” “Could I try something else that might work better?”

Concluding Thoughts

Making time to cultivate mindfulness, optimism, and hope can provide the motivation for flexible coping and resilience during the pandemic transition, while harnessing our inner perseverance and grit can help us not give up when we realize that our previous approach to the threat needs to change.

Robert M. Gordon, Psy.D. is the Director of Intern Training and Associate Director of Postdoctoral Fellow Training at Rusk Rehabilitation and Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Gordon has specialties in the areas of neuropsychological and forensic testing and psychotherapy with children and adults with physical and learning disabilities and chronic illness . Dr. Gordon is a member of the COVID Psychology Task Force (est. by 14 divisions of the American Psychological Association working group: Hospital, Healthcare, and Addiction Workers, Patients, and Families that sponsor this blog.

Jed N. McGiffin, Ph.D. received his doctorate in clinical psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University under the research mentorship of Dr. George A. Bonanno in the Loss, Trauma, and Emotional Lab. He has research interests at the intersection of psychology and medicine, including the psychological impact of acute medical events and more broadly the process of psychological adjustment to disability.

Bonanno, G. A., & Burton, C. L. (2013). Regulatory flexibility: An individual differences perspective on coping and emotion regulation. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8 (6), 591–612. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691613504116

Bonanno, G. A., & Diminich, E. D. (2013). Annual Research Review: Positive adjustment to adversity—Trajectories of minimal-impact resilience and emergent resilience. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54 (4), 378–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12021

Bonanno, G. A. (2021a). The resilience paradox. European Journal of Psychotraumatology.

Bonanno, G. A. (2021b). The end of trauma: How the new science of resilience is changing how we think about PTSD (1st ed). Basic Books, Inc.

Bromberg, P. M. (1998). Standing in the spaces: Essays on clinical process, trauma, & dissociation. The Analytic Press.

Germer, C. K. & Neff (2013). Self-compassion in clinical practice. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 69 (8), 856-867. http://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22021

Gold, E. & Zahm, S. (2000). Buddhist psychology informed gestalt therapy for challenging times. The Humanistic Psychologist, 48 (4), 373-377. http://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000213

Gordon, R. M., Dahan, J. F., Wolfson, J. B., Fults, E., Lee, Y. S. C., Smith-Wexler, L., Liberta, T. A., & McGiffin, J. N. (2020). Existential-humanistic and relational psychotherapy during COVID-19 with patients with preexisting conditions. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. Published online: November 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167820973890

Harris, R. (2018). The happiness trap: How to stop struggling on start living. Trumpeter Books.

Rabinowitz, A. R., & Arnett, P.A. (2008). Positive psychology perspective on traumatic brain injury recovery and rehabilitation. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult. 25 (4), 295-303. https://doi.org/0.1080/23279095.2018.1458514

Shea, L. M. (2021). The courage to be: Using DBT skills to choose who to be in uncertainty. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 61 (1), 260-274. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167820950887

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How to draw on the power of perseverance during COVID-19

People’s ability to keep up their spirits is being put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health concerns, job concerns and disruptions to day-to-day routines have combined to create a challenging situation for Americans and for people throughout the world.

But for anyone wondering whether they can persevere through these difficult times, it’s important to keep something in mind — others are likely counting on you.

Anytime you are in a tough place in life or in business, when you feel as if you cannot go on, you can summon energy from knowing you must carry the load so others can succeed along with you. Whether it’s your employees, your co-workers or your family, you do not want to let them down.

Here’s the positive: People have inside themselves the capability to develop the kind of perseverance that will see them through the world’s current health and economic crisis — and through future crises they are certain to encounter. Here are some tips for developing that level of perseverance include:

• HAVE A STRONG VISION OF THE FUTURE.

Olympic athletes often picture a perfect routine or a perfect race, playing it over and over in their minds until they can actually perform it. I attended West Point, and the only thing that kept me from dropping out of the demanding military academy was to visualize myself tossing my hat in the air on graduation day. I envisioned that day on every single one of the nearly 1,410 days I was on the academy grounds. People can get through our current times the same way. Try to envision what success will mean to you once this crisis is over.

• UNDERSTAND HOW OTHERS SURVIVED TOUGH TIMES.

History is filled with stories of individuals or entire populations who struggled through the most difficult of times. Friends and family members who overcame health concerns, financial troubles or personal tragedies can be the source of such stories, too. Look at how they prevailed over challenges or obstacles in life. Draw lessons and inspiration from what they did.

• BE OK WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE.

People who consistently challenge themselves are more likely to persevere when they fail or when they encounter difficult times because they don’t feel that failure is a permanent condition. The more times you put yourself out there in tough situations and fail, the more failure just doesn’t matter. Those who get comfortable and avoid risks don’t develop that fortitude.

The one major thing that I’ve learned about perseverance is that we can all become mentally tougher. In the end, the only thing that makes a person give up and quit are the thoughts that drive their final behavior; it’s all about mental fatigue. The question to ask yourself is this: Do you have the grit to overcome that fatigue?

Troy Nix , author of “Eternal Impact: Inspire Greatness in Yourself and Others,” is the founder, president, and CEO of First Resource Inc., an innovative association management company for America’s manufacturers. Nix, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, served in the armed forces for a decade before moving into the business world.

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Seven short essays about life during the pandemic

The boston book festival's at home community writing project invites area residents to describe their experiences during this unprecedented time..

My alarm sounds at 8:15 a.m. I open my eyes and take a deep breath. I wiggle my toes and move my legs. I do this religiously every morning. Today, marks day 74 of staying at home.

My mornings are filled with reading biblical scripture, meditation, breathing in the scents of a hanging eucalyptus branch in the shower, and making tea before I log into my computer to work. After an hour-and-a-half Zoom meeting, I decided to take a long walk to the post office and grab a fresh bouquet of burnt orange ranunculus flowers. I embrace the warm sun beaming on my face. I feel joy. I feel at peace.

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I enter my apartment and excessively wash my hands and face. I pour a glass of iced kombucha. I sit at my table and look at the text message on my phone. My coworker writes that she is thinking of me during this difficult time. She must be referring to the Amy Cooper incident. I learn shortly that she is not.

I Google Minneapolis and see his name: George Floyd. And just like that a simple and beautiful day transitions into a day of sorrow.

Nakia Hill, Boston

It was a wobbly, yet solemn little procession: three masked mourners and a canine. Beginning in Kenmore Square, at David and Sue Horner’s condo, it proceeded up Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

S. Sue Horner died on Good Friday, April 10, in the Year of the Virus. Sue did not die of the virus but her parting was hemmed by it: no gatherings to mark the passing of this splendid human being.

David devised a send-off nevertheless. On April 23rd, accompanied by his daughter and son-in-law, he set out for Old South Church. David led, bearing the urn. His daughter came next, holding her phone aloft, speaker on, through which her brother in Illinois played the bagpipes for the length of the procession, its soaring thrum infusing the Mall. Her husband came last with Melon, their golden retriever.

I unlocked the empty church and led the procession into the columbarium. David drew the urn from its velvet cover, revealing a golden vessel inset with incandescent tiles. We lifted the urn into the niche, prayed, recited Psalm 23, and shared some words.

It was far too small for the luminous “Dr. Sue”, but what we could manage in the Year of the Virus.

Nancy S. Taylor, Boston

On April 26, 2020, our household was a bustling home for four people. Our two sons, ages 18 and 22, have a lot of energy. We are among the lucky ones. I can work remotely. Our food and shelter are not at risk.

As I write this a week later, it is much quieter here.

On April 27, our older son, an EMT, transported a COVID-19 patient to the ER. He left home to protect my delicate health and became ill with the virus a week later.

On April 29, my husband’s 95-year-old father had a stroke. My husband left immediately to be with his 90-year-old mother near New York City and is now preparing for his father’s discharge from the hospital. Rehab people will come to the house; going to a facility would be too dangerous.

My husband just called me to describe today’s hospital visit. The doctors had warned that although his father had regained the ability to speak, he could only repeat what was said to him.

“It’s me,” said my husband.

“It’s me,” said my father-in-law.

“I love you,” said my husband.

“I love you,” said my father-in-law.

“Sooooooooo much,” said my father-in-law.

Lucia Thompson, Wayland

Would racism exist if we were blind?

I felt his eyes bore into me as I walked through the grocery store. At first, I thought nothing of it. With the angst in the air attributable to COVID, I understood the anxiety-provoking nature of feeling as though your 6-foot bubble had burst. So, I ignored him and maintained my distance. But he persisted, glaring at my face, squinting to see who I was underneath the mask. This time I looked back, when he yelled, in my mother tongue, for me to go back to my country.

In shock, I just laughed. How could he tell what I was under my mask? Or see anything through the sunglasses he was wearing inside? It baffled me. I laughed at the irony that he would use my own language against me, that he knew enough to guess where I was from in some version of culturally competent racism. I laughed because dealing with the truth behind that comment generated a sadness in me that was too much to handle. If not now, then when will we be together?

So I ask again, would racism exist if we were blind?

Faizah Shareef, Boston

My Family is “Out” There

But I am “in” here. Life is different now “in” Assisted Living since the deadly COVID-19 arrived. Now the staff, employees, and all 100 residents have our temperatures taken daily. Everyone else, including my family, is “out” there. People like the hairdresser are really missed — with long straight hair and masks, we don’t even recognize ourselves.

Since mid-March we are in quarantine “in” our rooms with meals served. Activities are practically non-existent. We can sit on the back patio 6 feet apart, wearing masks, do exercises there, chat, and walk nearby. Nothing inside. Hopefully June will improve.

My family is “out” there — somewhere! Most are working from home (or Montana). Hopefully an August wedding will happen, but unfortunately, I may still be “in” here.

From my window I wave to my son “out” there. Recently, when my daughter visited, I opened the window “in” my second-floor room and could see and hear her perfectly “out” there. Next time she will bring a chair so we can have an “in” and “out” conversation all day, or until we run out of words.

Barbara Anderson, Raynham

My boyfriend Marcial lives in Boston, and I live in New York City. We had been doing the long-distance thing pretty successfully until coronavirus hit. In mid-March, I was furloughed from my temp job, Marcial began working remotely, and New York started shutting down. I went to Boston to stay with Marcial.

We are opposites in many ways, but we share a love of food. The kitchen has been the center of quarantine life —and also quarantine problems.

Marcial and I have gone from eating out and cooking/grocery shopping for each other during our periodic visits to cooking/grocery shopping with each other all the time. We’ve argued over things like the proper way to make rice and what greens to buy for salad. Our habits are deeply rooted in our upbringing and individual cultures (Filipino immigrant and American-born Chinese, hence the strong rice opinions).

On top of the mundane issues, we’ve also dealt with a flooded kitchen (resulting in cockroaches) and a mandoline accident leading to an ER visit. Marcial and I have spent quarantine navigating how to handle the unexpected and how to integrate our lifestyles. We’ve been eating well along the way.

Melissa Lee, Waltham

It’s 3 a.m. and my dog Rikki just gave me a worried look. Up again?

“I can’t sleep,” I say. I flick the light, pick up “Non-Zero Probabilities.” But the words lay pinned to the page like swatted flies. I watch new “Killing Eve” episodes, play old Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats songs. Still night.

We are — what? — 12 agitated weeks into lockdown, and now this. The thing that got me was Chauvin’s sunglasses. Perched nonchalantly on his head, undisturbed, as if he were at a backyard BBQ. Or anywhere other than kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, on his life. And Floyd was a father, as we all now know, having seen his daughter Gianna on Stephen Jackson’s shoulders saying “Daddy changed the world.”

Precious child. I pray, safeguard her.

Rikki has her own bed. But she won’t leave me. A Goddess of Protection. She does that thing dogs do, hovers increasingly closely the more agitated I get. “I’m losing it,” I say. I know. And like those weighted gravity blankets meant to encourage sleep, she drapes her 70 pounds over me, covering my restless heart with safety.

As if daybreak, or a prayer, could bring peace today.

Kirstan Barnett, Watertown

Until June 30, send your essay (200 words or less) about life during COVID-19 via bostonbookfest.org . Some essays will be published on the festival’s blog and some will appear in The Boston Globe.

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Persevering through pandemic: science during covid-19.

In late March, the world came to a virtual standstill. The COVID-19 pandemic forced leaders around the world to limit large gatherings and shutter schools and businesses. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a shelter-in-place order on March 21, recommending Illinoisans stay at home except for essential activities such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy. The order lasted more than two months.

For Feinberg’s research enterprise, this was a serious disruption — but science kept moving forward. While some projects were deemed essential and employees navigated a new world of socially distant laboratories and facilities, other scientists worked from home, analyzing data and devising new experiments. This effort was only possible through the hard work of investigators, research staff, administrators and the essential employees caring for animals and cell cultures.

“Our people were able to respond to the need to go to essential work only on campus, be productive at home and devise plans so that we didn’t lose a lot of important work and projects,” said Rex Chisholm, PhD , vice dean for Scientific Affairs and Graduate Education and the Adam and Richard T. Lind Professor of Medical Genetics. “It was also impressive to see the passion of our people who pivoted their programs to COVID-19 research, it was truly incredible.”

One investigator who made that pivot was Michael Ison, MD, MS , professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences ( NUCATS ) Institute’s  Center for Clinical Research . Ison studies viral infections, sometimes in transplant recipients, but those projects had to be put on hold.

“Our non-COVID research ground to a halt,” said Ison, who is also a professor of Surgery in the Division of Organ Transplantation . “We decided not to do trials this year because of the complexity of COVID-19 with the respiratory virus season.”

Rather, Ison quickly adapted a current project studying influenza to instead collect blood samples from patients with COVID-19. While it was challenging to obtain additional approvals and limit direct contact with patients, Ison has obtained more than 60 samples from patients.

“The processes that we learned from this will improve our clinical research moving forward,” Ison said.

Ison also worked with other Feinberg investigators on a variety of COVID-19 projects, including evaluating the effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy, studying cardiovascular outcomes and working to understand antibody response in patients.

“The biggest thing I have learned during this time are the opportunities to collaborate with incredible researchers,” Ison said.

Other investigators, such as Mary McDermott, MD , the Jeremiah Stamler Professor and a professor of Medicine in the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics , were forced to get creative to continue their clinical trials. McDermott studies interventions for peripheral artery disease, meaning her patients are older people with cardiovascular disease — a population at high risk of complications from COVID-19.

To minimize contact with patients, McDermott and her team converted in-person exercise sessions to telehealth visits and mailed medications to patients who would have normally received their study medications at clinical visits. Measuring outcomes is another matter, however.

To measure efficacy of drug or exercise interventions, patients take six-minute walk tests throughout the trials. However, these tests are usually conducted during clinical visits in downtown Chicago at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

In order to properly socially distance, McDermott received approval to conduct these tests outdoors on Northwestern’s downtown campus. In cases where study participants felt unsafe traveling to the medical center, McDermott and her team went to them, setting up the walk tests in condo hallways and suburban driveways.

While certain secondary outcomes of the trials had to be left behind, McDermott said not a single patient dropped out of the trials due to the pandemic, a testament to both patient enthusiasm and the flexibility of her investigative team.

“It’s not just about the science and the funders, it’s the participants who have dedicated their time and energy to each trial and we don’t want to let them down,” said McDermott, who is also a professor of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology . “Even the patients who have already completed the trial participated in good faith that their efforts were contributing to important scientific endeavors. It is important that we complete the trials that we started with the highest integrity possible, so that we can deliver the truth about the benefits of the treatments studied.”

Deep Freeze

For some investigators working in wet laboratories, the stay-at-home order forced a more concrete pause. Bruce Bochner, MD , the Samuel M. Feinberg Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy and Immunology , studies mast and eosinophil cells and diseases related to these cells such as allergies. When the shutdown order came, Bochner’s group had to practically close up shop — storing cell lines in freezers and maintaining just a couple vital animal models.

“We essentially emptied the incubator and stopped working with nearly all cells and cell lines,” said Bochner, who is a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

They weren’t generating any new data for about three months, but this gave Bochner and his laboratory members time to analyze previously collected data and plan for future experiments. Weekly laboratory meetings — held on Zoom and scheduled around nap time to accommodate parents on the team — turned into journal discussions and featured guest lecturers to keep everyone abreast of new developments in the field.

Now, the laboratory is back up to about 60 percent capacity and they’ve pulled their cell lines out of the freezer and are running experiments again. The liminal phase was productive — they submitted several papers and grants — but laboratory members are glad to get back to the bench.

“We’ve learned a lot during forced hibernation, and it hasn’t changed our eagerness or enthusiasm for science,” Bochner said. “If anything, we’re itching to get stuff going again.”

Behind the Scenes

This work is enabled by long hours and dedication of administrators across the Office for Research and Feinberg who bring a breadth of expertise to support the research enterprise. Since early March there have been more than 270 Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions for COVID-19 new projects, 220 of which are being conducted by Feinberg-affiliated investigators. The Northwestern IRB team was working to quickly assess these projects, according to Nathalia Henry Whitely, executive director of the IRB Office at Northwestern.

“Effective, timely communication and collaboration between the IRB Office, various research administrative offices and the research community was essential for a smooth and quick IRB review of COVID-19 submissions,” Henry Whitely said. “As one example, we were able to have an expanded access protocol for Remdesivir approved within four business days, which allowed for smooth enrollment of patients that obtained an expanded access IND for the drug,”

There are more than 10,000 research subjects involved in Feinberg COVID-19 research projects, many of whom are involved in COVID-19 antibody test studies . The Northwestern Research Safety team has been dedicated to creating new protocols to keep everyone safe while working during the pandemic.

“At times, multiple meetings were held per week to get through as many protocols as possible in a timely fashion,” said Andrea Hall, director of Northwestern’s Research Safety Chicago Office and biosafety officer. “It was very difficult and many IBC members and biosafety staff members worked well into the nights and most weekends to make sure the investigators could perform their research.”

In addition, the Office for Sponsored Research has supported a range of investigations throughout the pandemic, representing the interconnected research ecosystem throughout the entire Northwestern University system.

Continuing research, maintaining current projects and starting new ones during a pandemic required enormous effort from every part of the Feinberg research infrastructure. While the future of life under COVID-19 remains uncertain, the experience has reinforced the principles of biomedical science, according to McDermott.

“Flexibility in research has always been important,” McDermott said. “Things never go exactly as you hope, obstacles always come up. I have never encountered an obstacle like a pandemic before, but it required creativity, leadership and courage from all of us.”

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Writing about COVID-19 in a college admission essay

by: Venkates Swaminathan | Updated: September 14, 2020

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For students applying to college using the CommonApp, there are several different places where students and counselors can address the pandemic’s impact. The different sections have differing goals. You must understand how to use each section for its appropriate use.

The CommonApp COVID-19 question

First, the CommonApp this year has an additional question specifically about COVID-19 :

Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.

This question seeks to understand the adversity that students may have had to face due to the pandemic, the move to online education, or the shelter-in-place rules. You don’t have to answer this question if the impact on you wasn’t particularly severe. Some examples of things students should discuss include:

• The student or a family member had COVID-19 or suffered other illnesses due to confinement during the pandemic.
• The candidate had to deal with personal or family issues, such as abusive living situations or other safety concerns
• The student suffered from a lack of internet access and other online learning challenges.
• Students who dealt with problems registering for or taking standardized tests and AP exams.

Jeff Schiffman of the Tulane University admissions office has a blog about this section. He recommends students ask themselves several questions as they go about answering this section:

• Are my experiences different from others’?
• Are there noticeable changes on my transcript?
• Am I aware of my privilege?
• Am I specific? Am I explaining rather than complaining?
• Is this information being included elsewhere on my application?

If you do answer this section, be brief and to-the-point.

Counselor recommendations and school profiles

Second, counselors will, in their counselor forms and school profiles on the CommonApp, address how the school handled the pandemic and how it might have affected students, specifically as it relates to:

• Grading scales and policies
• Graduation requirements
• Instructional methods
• Schedules and course offerings
• Testing requirements
• Your academic calendar
• Other extenuating circumstances

Students don’t have to mention these matters in their application unless something unusual happened.

Writing about COVID-19 in your main essay

Write about your experiences during the pandemic in your main college essay if your experience is personal, relevant, and the most important thing to discuss in your college admission essay. That you had to stay home and study online isn’t sufficient, as millions of other students faced the same situation. But sometimes, it can be appropriate and helpful to write about something related to the pandemic in your essay. For example:

• One student developed a website for a local comic book store. The store might not have survived without the ability for people to order comic books online. The student had a long-standing relationship with the store, and it was an institution that created a community for students who otherwise felt left out.
• One student started a YouTube channel to help other students with academic subjects he was very familiar with and began tutoring others.
• Some students used their extra time that was the result of the stay-at-home orders to take online courses pursuing topics they are genuinely interested in or developing new interests, like a foreign language or music.

Experiences like this can be good topics for the CommonApp essay as long as they reflect something genuinely important about the student. For many students whose lives have been shaped by this pandemic, it can be a critical part of their college application.

Want more? Read 6 ways to improve a college essay , What the &%$! should I write about in my college essay , and Just how important is a college admissions essay? .

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Practicing Perseverance

It is true that COVID-19 has altered our normal daily routines in ways that we could have never imagined. Our everyday lives upended, our plans and some of our major life milestones cancelled or changed, our ability to leave home, to enjoy festivities, to eat at restaurants, to play outdoors with our friends and co-workers, and our overall ability to socialize in person is no longer a socially acceptable practice (at the moment). 

It is not surprising then that people are experiencing a flurry of emotions including fear, anger, loneliness, frustration, and even some rebellion.  And with those emotions are often thoughts and questions about what is really going on? How long is this Shelter-in-Place Order going to last? How long will we be fighting this virus? How do I continue to do my job, as this outbreak grows? How can I stay safe while working and trying to protect my family from possible exposure? If I am not sick, then what will it hurt if I show up for that family reunion or go out to the beach? When can I get back to my “normal” life or go out to dinner with my friends?

It is not uncommon to have these kinds of emotions or thoughts, but they can often leave us feeling drained and out of control of our own lives. The very magnitude of change brought on by this outbreak is HUGE and it has been extremely difficult for many of us.

Additionally, as members of the correctional community, we are often held to a higher standard of social responsibility. Despite our individual roles within the correctional community, our families, our communities, and our peers are looking to us to maintain some type of balance and to handle this uncertainty with a sense of confidence. This is not an easy task on a normal day, so then how do we continue to maintain balance, regain control of spiraling thoughts and emotions, and continue to serve our communities when we don’t know what is going to happen.

Tenacity, Grit, and Perseverance

Each of us comes into the field of corrections (no matter what our job title is) with sincere determination, strength of character, courage, resolve, and the willingness to continue doing something despite it being difficult. We are constantly learning, adapting, and growing in our professional roles and we can apply these same concepts to managing our thoughts and feelings around this pandemic. So we must “DIG deep – get deliberate, inspired, and going” (Brené Brown). This is how we keep going, this is how we move past the uncertainty of not knowing what the future holds for us or when this pandemic will end, this is how we regain and maintain control over our own lives, we preserve and continue to face each challenge and setback head on one step at a time, together.

Five Tips to Practice Perseverance

1. Self-Compassion

We all make mistakes and we all experience failures. Instead of dwelling on the mistake or becoming angry with yourself, allow yourself permission to not be perfect. Instead, look at these failures or mistakes as an opportunity to adjust your approach, to try again differently, and to practice kindness and self- encouragement so that you can better adapt, learn, and grow.

2. Being Intentional

Take this opportunity to examine your goals/purpose. What is your WHY?

Be specific in defining your purpose for both personal and professional goals.  Are you taking steps to help you reach those goals? What is holding you back? How will you approach challenges and setbacks? Why is it important for you to achieve these goals?

Be clear, be specific, be realistic, make adjustments when needed, write it down and review it regularly. Having a firm grip on our WHYs in life strengthens our determination and can help us push past difficult moments.

3. Gratitude

Practice being thankful. Spend 5-10 minutes every day reflecting on the good aspects of your life. Find ways to express what makes you happy, what makes you feel connected, what makes you feel loved. Considering sharing your positive thoughts and appreciation for people, for kind words and for actions throughout your day.

4. Patience

Practicing patience allows us to experience the journey before we get to the destination.  Patience can be described as the art of remaining calm without becoming angry, anxious, or worried when faced with obstacles, challenges, and setbacks . One way to practice this is to focus on slowing down and deepening your breathing when you become angry, upset, sad, or anxious.

5. Teamwork

Practicing teamwork by supporting and encouraging each other during difficult times makes teams stronger and brings them closer together. When we work as a team, our goals and our determination are strengthened. We are in this together and we all need each other to get through it.

“DIG deep–get deliberate, inspired, and going.” – Brené Brown

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Perseverance during a pandemic

How do hospitals care for patients with the virus? How do they keep other patients and frontline staff safe? When is a procedure essential and when can it be delayed?

Those are the questions leaders at the UK Markey Cancer Center faced in March of 2020.

As other hospitals around the country made the difficult decision to delay some cancer treatments and procedures because of the pandemic, Markey weighed its options. To ensure Kentucky hospitals had enough space for COVID-19 patients, as well as those experiencing other emergencies, Gov. Andy Beshear recommended health care facilities pause any non-urgent and elective procedures.

The governor’s directive relied on hospitals to decide which treatments were elective. After careful consideration, University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare leadership came to a decision: Cancer treatments are essential, not elective.

Safety during a pandemic

This decision set in motion a host of responses to ensure patients still received vital cancer care in an environment that was safe for them, as well as for faculty and staff. The Markey team worked in tandem with UK HealthCare’s infection prevention and control team, following constantly evolving guidelines and information and making adjustments both big and small to help Markey adapt to this new climate.

“We had to rise to the occasion to make sure treatment would continue to be our primary focus,” said Dr. Mark Evers, UK Markey Cancer Center director. “At the same time, we needed to ensure the atmosphere was suitable for care.”

This meant procuring enough PPE (personal protective equipment) for staff and patients. It also meant visitors were prohibited, physical spaces had to be reconfigured to provide added safety, and physical distancing was implemented wherever practical. “We had to ensure that everyone was safe and that patients received the care they needed,” said Dr. Frederick R. Ueland, Markey’s director of oncology clinical operations. “The Markey response speaks to the passion and the commitment our team has to one another and our patients.”

Patients were screened for COVID-19 symptoms over the phone before their in-person appointments. These calls provided an opportunity for Markey staff to reassure patients of their safety and describe the latest precautions put in place to ensure a safe care environment. “These prescreening questions have since become a standard practice around the country, but we lived it in real time,” Ueland said.

Welcoming patients old and new

Once patients arrived at Markey, they were welcomed by familiar, albeit masked, faces, who performed additional on-site symptom screenings. This helped patients feel more at ease in the new hospital environment.

Visitor restrictions were put in place across care settings, including the chemotherapy and infusion clinic. To help patients feel less alone and more connected with others during their chemotherapy treatment, Markey staff provided video conferencing access and other communication options.

And while the Markey care team nurtured relationships with existing patients, new patients also arrived. Patients from around the region in need of cancer surgery came to Markey when other hospitals delayed their procedures. Markey typically accounts for about 15 percent of all surgeries at UK HealthCare. In April 2020, Markey was responsible for 25 percent of surgical procedures. “We persisted with providing surgeries for patients when other areas could not,” Evers said.

Clinical trials continue - and grow

Clinical research is an integral part of Markey’s mission, and that mission did not stop in the face of COVID-19.

Across the country, as COVID-19 cases surged, many academic medical centers had to pause cancer clinical trials. UK leadership made the decision to continue as much of Markey’s research as possible. “Research is woven into our clinical care model,” said Dr. Susanne M. Arnold, associate director of clinical translation at Markey. “University leadership allowed us to continue lifeprolonging research studies and our team found a way to get it done. I am so proud of them.”

Faculty and staff working on clinical trials adjusted to day-to-day upheaval wrought by COVID-19. Some researchers worked offsite and others rotated between working onsite and working at home, all the while keeping trials going. “It’s a testament to the team,” Evers said. “Our providers were committed to those patients.”

Not only did Markey continue offering trials specifically focused on treatment interventions, the number of patients who completed or were in the process of completing treatment trials actually increased. That number was 123 from March– August in 2019 and grew to 150 in the same period in 2020. “It really shows the commitment of our faculty and practicing oncologists who were talking to people about trials, and of the staff who were working so hard despite not being in their typical work environments,” Arnold said.

COVID-19 trial

Markey’s well-established clinical trials infrastructure also helped the university quickly establish a COVID-19 clinical trial. 

The trial is testing a number of treatments in patients with COVID-19 who are at a higher risk of severe illness. Markey researchers used their expertise to shepherd the trial through regulatory hurdles and swiftly get it up and running.

Helping community hospitals

In addition to patient care and research pursuits, Markey continued to support its 20 Affiliate Network hospitals, which provide care options in local communities across Kentucky and connect patients to specialized treatment at Markey when needed.

Traditional in-person services to affiliates had to be put on hold, and Markey moved its affiliate retreats and annual affiliate network conference to virtual formats.

Despite not being able to connect in person, affiliate members connected virtually via a series of webinars on a wide range of topics. The webinars provided vital, reliable information on subjects including health disparities among racial and ethnic groups, methods and regulation for telehealth, and pharmacy-related strategies to help cancer patients cope and reduce their risk for COVID-19. These webinars were also opened to providers outside the Affiliate Network.

A commitment to patients

By mid-year, most elective procedures had resumed at UK HealthCare. And the Markey team continued to adjust throughout the year to carry out its mission to provide the best care for the people of Kentucky.

“All of us at Markey are lucky to work with such a tremendous group of professionals,” Evers said. “Everyone is very flexible and adapted to a situation that no one could have predicted. We’ve had some successes come out of this experience, and I’m so proud of that.”

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They Fell in Love During the Pandemic. Then Things Changed.

Four years after lockdowns and social distancing were implemented worldwide, four readers share their stories about their pandemic relationship regrets.

• Share full article

By Sadiba Hasan

For some people, it wasn’t easy being single during the early days of the pandemic. Many rushed into relationships, seeking company and comfort in another person — even if the match wasn’t quite right.

People moved in with their significant others far too early. Cooking and watching movies with a partner while cloistered indoors helped relieve loneliness .

Others developed online relationships from dating apps, and upon meeting in real life, they discovered that the people they had fallen for were not who they thought they were.

Four years after Covid-19 lockdowns were implemented worldwide, many people have been processing their early pandemic experiences in all areas of their lives, including their love lives. The TikTok star Reesa Teesa , for example, drew wide attention on the app for sharing her whirlwind pandemic relationship saga in a 50-part series.

Now that some time has passed, we invited readers to share their pandemic relationship regrets . Many noted that their feelings of loneliness while quarantining and social distancing prompted them to latch on to a partner — and the romanticized ideas of their partners they said they had contrived to help cope with the uncertainty, isolation and dreariness that came with the pandemic.

“With our housing choices limited, jobs in limbo and a paralyzing sense of existential dread, we drank, cooked and binge-watched television to pass the time,” one reader wrote. “It took half a year to move out and over two years of therapy to sort out the whys and hows of the relationship: why I agreed to move in, why I stayed, why we lived in denial. ‘We were living through a pandemic’ is all I’ve got.”

But some who wrote in indicated that they had no regrets after all: “It was just so comfortable and fun while it lasted,” another reader wrote.

Below are four stories about the challenges and mishaps of pandemic relationships.

Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.

She Wasn’t Who He Thought She Would Be

As a U.S. and Australian national, I had been planning to repatriate to my native United States but was then confined to Australia. As a single 51-year-old male, I had been dating. However, due to the strict lockdown restrictions, meeting new people was simply not possible. Using the passport function on Tinder that matches you with people globally, I placed my pin in Budapest. (Budapest was just one of the cities I would like to have spent time in.)

We connected in April 2021. We spoke as friends for years and confided in each other during difficult times.

We planned a trip together to Singapore and Bintan Island. As the trip grew nearer, our relationship became more intense and intimate, and we also began to fight. The WhatsApp threads are difficult to read.

Meeting at the Singapore airport in January 2024, she was not the person I envisioned. She was similar, but I had none of the feelings I had online. I wasn’t attracted to her and felt let down.

We spent two volatile weeks together. Neither of us felt the other was meeting each of our needs. It was a match made in hell.

The last time I saw her was her getting into a taxi early in the morning in Singapore. It was over.

We debriefed a couple of times when we returned home. I realize I had created a fantasy in my mind that began in the pandemic. She was a terrible match for me, and perhaps she would say the same.

So many times I had written in my journal how I wanted her out of my life. Now that has eventuated, and I am contending with a sadness I could never have imagined. I realize it’s not her that I lost, it’s the hope that came from finding a person during the crisis of the pandemic, and creating the idea of a “her” and “us” that never really existed.

— Keith Cavalli

Trapped in a ‘Tumultuous Relationship’

I was in a tumultuous relationship that I entered about a year before the pandemic started, with a man 10 years my senior.

I started having doubts right before the pandemic. But we were living together when it struck. I felt trapped and, therefore, determined to make it work. If it wasn’t for the pandemic, I probably would have left him much earlier.

He put me down in some way every single day. He would call me stupid, berate me over messing up small household tasks or tell me I wasn’t good enough. He was also an alcoholic. As our relationship continued, he got more controlling, more volatile and more demanding. I felt like I couldn’t make any decisions on my own for fear of repercussions. I felt unsafe in my own home.

Being in my early 20s, I had no idea what I was supposed to be looking out for and little to no guidance from my close family. We ended up getting engaged, then married — all while I was losing family members to Covid, starting and then completing a graduate degree, getting into a Ph.D. program, buying and later selling a house.

I decided to leave him in April 2022, after I went to a Jacob Collier concert by myself and had the most transcendent experience. I felt more love from the audience and the artist, none of whom I knew, than I had felt in my relationship maybe ever. The space that the artist created allowed me to catch a glimpse of who I could be without him — and I loved what I saw and felt. Three days later, I walked out the door and never looked back. We were officially divorced three months later.

A year and a half ago, I entered a new relationship with a wonderful man. I have my health, and I have my peace back. All is well.

— Micaela Seaver

A Predetermined Expiration Date

We met in November 2020 and spent the next year and a half hunkered down together. We both had been unceremoniously dumped by long-term partners in late 2019 and were looking for comfort. He revealed that as soon as the pandemic was over he was planning on moving to Chicago — so there was a clear expiration date on an otherwise enjoyable relationship.

Even though we were enjoying ourselves — cooking, watching movies, playing tabletop games, saying we loved each other and eventually going on trips together — I knew in the back of my mind the whole time that this whole thing had an end date. When his moving day was set in 2022, our conversations couldn’t really be about the future beyond Covid.

Ultimately, I don’t really regret it. Our relationship really put my previous relationship in perspective and rebuilt my sense of self, and it was just so comfortable and fun while it lasted.

— Medina Clermont

She Couldn’t Keep Up With Her Safety Precautions

I was in a long-term relationship with my female partner, although not living together. She had pre-existing anxiety before the pandemic. We sheltered in place when the pandemic started. I moved into her house with her 8-year-old daughter.

And then I became the enemy, a significant threat of bringing the coronavirus into her home. Her anxiety blew up, and she became terrified of getting Covid. Despite already being very careful, I could not keep up with her systems of control and safety in and out of the home: Don’t touch the door handle with the clean vs. dirty hand; don’t sit on the newly cleaned bench to put on my shoes; wash the clothing because the zipper hadn’t been disinfected.

Our relationship became irreparably fractured, and we separated at the end of 2020. She continues to live with the same extreme measures of precaution. In 2022, I purchased a home and to date she will not visit for dinner with her daughter despite my having optimal CO2 measures in my 17-foot ceiling loft with lots of open windows and air purifiers.

— Janice Bowers

Sadiba Hasan reports on love and culture for the Styles section of The Times. More about Sadiba Hasan