[This text is machine generated and may contain errors.]

Paree Amin
Narrator

Yash Amin
Interviewer

April 18, 2022
Greenville, North Carolina

YA: (00:00)
This is the COVID-19 interview for American folklore. With me, I have my sister Paree. How are you doing today?

PA: (00:09)
I'm good. How are you?

YA: (00:12)
Alright, good. Good. Are you a student?

PA: (00:16)
I am. I'm a junior at ECU, public health major on the pre med track. And I'm also minoring in science and national composite sciences.

YA: (00:27)
What do you want to do? After you graduate

PA: (00:31)
after I graduate, I will be taking a gap year and working as an MA. And then after and during that time, I will be applying to medical school. So hopefully go to med school and then be either a pediatrician or an OBGYN.

YA: (00:49)
Okay, that's good. For this, we're gonna start off by asking you, what do you know about COVID Aside from what teachers have told you, friends have told you or any outlets such as the news

PA: (01:05)
that it sucks. But in general, it's just um, it's not anything different that we've dealt with from like the flu, obviously, it's less contagious, but it's just a really bad virus that had to be contained. And it was hard to it was kind of I mean, you have to do what you have to do with a pandemic. So nothing aside from any other kind of pandemic that we've been through.

YA: (01:35)
How has it impacted you and your daily activities, and how is it different as a student?

PA: (01:41)
so my daily activities I can, so when it first happened, we were we got sent home. So that impacted me, because you kind of no one really knew how to transition from in person classes to online. And we thought it'd be temporary for like maybe a week or two, but ended up being the whole semester. So transitioning from that, and then moving out of the dorms and going home, that kind of it was a lot to deal with. And then the next following year, we were also online the entire year as well. So you kind of you kind of have to adjust to waking up and doing online classes, and then it's just you have to kind of manage your time well, with being a student, it was harder, just because you don't really know how to do some of the things that they like, hope for you to do. So for example, with labs, it's, you had to, for me, at least for physics and organic chemistry, we for organic, we never really did the labs, we just kind of had to know how to do the write ups or assignments. And under physics, we had to buy a kit and do it in our apartment. So learning all about on your own, it's challenging, compared to when you when you're in person, or you have like guidance from TAs or other students. Even with group work, it's hard because you don't know these people, and you kind of get put into a group and you kind of have to communicate, some people could have COVID. So they wouldn't be able to join or they would they were quarantining and they weren't feeling well. So you kind of have to adjust all that.

YA: (03:10)
Based off that, how have you or those that have tested positive, How has it affected their health as well as their learning?

PA: (03:20)
So for people that I've known that had COVID, I know some people have complained of how they can't taste anything really, or they still have like effects of that. Even with people I see in the clinic. Like I know, there was a patient that had COVID couple months ago, and she she's still like, she has some of the foods like she doesn't like anymore. She's very picky, like, her body can't really handle it either. So that's one of the big ones I've seen people with COVID had to deal with, they also have like, complained of like, breathing issues. So before they could, you know, work out and be fine, but now they kind of struggle and like even like, kind of doing a workout they could that they used to do, it's hard for them to keep going and like they have to take breaks frequently. Or if someone's walking now to like kind of take a minute and like calm down. And I feel like that could lead and lead into more like pulmonary issues that we had never really thought of those. What was the other question, how it's impacted?

YA: (04:23)
It was just how it's affected their health. Okay. Did you think it was going to be as bad as it was or has been when you first heard about it?

PA: (04:33)
No, I didn't, we kind of, when we first heard about it, actually, we were, I was in Joyner [Library]. I remember we were just laughing about it like oh, like there's a virus in China. Like we were like, oh, like that's that's crazy. Like, thank God it's on the other side of the world. And then we couple days later, we found out that it was on the West Coast like there was a first case on the West Coast. We're like, oh my god, like that's, that's insane. And then we still didn't think much of it and then another day or two go by, really find out but there's a case North Carolina and everyone starts like freaking out. But even then we were like, oh, like nothing. It's not, it's just you know, it'll go away like, people are just getting sick traveling. So it's nothing, nothing crazy to deal with like, it'll be fine. And then even then, we didn't really worry about it. We heard cases were increasing, but like, we just thought it would eventually kind of a kind of like, just the seasonal flu, like people will get it, when they get sick, they'll get better. I don't think it really got bad necessarily until like after spring break. Even on spring break, people were like, kind of scared about it and stress like, Oh, God, like COVID, especially Florida, but we never kind of realized like, oh, it's that bad until after spring break when people came back. And they had to give us a couple more days of spring break. Well, I don't remember if it was a week. And then officially they sent us home because it was it wasn't safe for people at ECU anymore.

YA: (06:07)
Have you had any experience during COVID, such as any barriers during disease, difficulties in general you've had.

PA: (06:14)
not with COVID, because I have I've never gotten COVID. But with like barriers, like dealing with living, like, in the time with COVID, I know, kind of talking to people you're like, you're scared to like interact with everyone. If you are more of an extrovert like I am, it's it's hard to kind of keep to yourself or like stay within like your apartment, or even then when you're in your apartment, you have to, you have to kind of ask around like, oh, like, who did you go hang out with today? Like, are they safe? Like who did they go hang out with like, because you kind of you don't want COVID is so bad that like, if you get it, then you kind of impact school and everything, and you can't then you can't see your family, especially if you're living with elders, elders at home. So we kind of have to be careful with who you hang out with. And if you get invited you, it's hard because maybe like 10 people are there. And then those 10 people could hang out with two other people every day. And then those two people that kind of just multiplies or x or it just exponentially increases. So you, you have to like kind of weighed the risks of that. And I think with that, like I mean, for me, it was okay, because I had my roommates and we were all on the same page. But I know for other people if they were at home, or they couldn't go anywhere, and they just had to be inside I know it kind of impacted their mental health as well. Especially like physically, I think people weren't able to go to the gym for a while as well. So they weren't doing well, overall, their bodies are just mentally physically exhausted.

YA: (07:42)
Do you think staying inside has caused depression or other mental health issues? Because as humans, we're social species. And for about a year and a half to two years, everyone has been ordered to stay inside or forced to stay inside whether they like it or not.

PA: (07:56)
Yeah, as I mentioned, like I think, especially when it first started, like we all had to go home especially me like I was a freshman. So we got we had to move out of the dorms like I didn't have an apartment I could come back to and live at. So it was more like you have to adjust to all these people in your house. And then they don't understand, like you have seven classes to worry about, which takes all day. And you have to have everyone's adjusting. It's not just you and that it's and then you kind of get if you're in class, like they don't understand, like you can't just get up and do what you have to do. Like it's just you have to they don't understand that. So I think when you're suddenly moved into a situation that you never expected to be in and you kind of have to and I couldn't find me I couldn't see my friends. I think my dad didn't let me see my friends for like months because I live with four grandparents. So I wasn't able to I didn't see friends for three months, I think like I was on my house and I did work and I did schoolwork and I had my brother but other than that I didn't have any other Hangouts I would FaceTime them but it's still not the same as like social socializing like in person it's not kind of like as a as you said, it's we want to socialize, you want to see other people but when you're confined in an area kind of I was fine personally, but I know other people had struggled with like they some people don't have like a good family like situation or they don't have a good support system. So when you're when you're put in that situation, it's you kind of it's you spiral downhill. I mean, I'm pretty sure suicide rates increase as well. I'm not sure that like how much but I know they did because people were couldn't handle being put into that kind of situation not be out and about and leave. Even though I was fortunate over summer to come back to Greenville, and stay with my brother that kind of helped. But in the beginning, it was just it was hard to kind of figure it out and mentally. It was exhausting for me and I'm sure for everyone else as well.

YA: (09:58)
Have professors influenced your decisions or change your decisions about COVID Since you've started, because I know there's some professors who are very relaxed about masks or coming to class, but there's other professors that really want you to come to class or they're very afraid of COVID. So they won't attend or have class in general.

PA: (10:18)
Some of my professors so when we first of all went back in person this year, my anatomy professor, she was you, if you didn't wear a mask, you had to leave like she was every class. When we went in, she kind of rambled on and on about the vaccine, I mean, which understandable. But she literally she, she kind of just laid out the facts, like she didn't care. She was like, if you if you're in this class, and you're not wearing a mask, you need to leave like I don't, you shouldn't even be in the healthcare field, because everyone in my class had wants to do something with health care, so she can just laid it out, which I agree with. I mean, personally, if you're into health care, I think wearing a mask, like that's probably the number one thing you should be kind of advocating for. But other than that, most of my professors we kind of had to isn't really a choice like i Some people said things some people didn't. My research professor, he wasn't really like too picky about it. But I mean, we all still were that was kind of like a non selfish thing to do, especially when you're meat with or with around these people. Because you don't want to you don't want them to go back and give anything to their families and you don't want anything, either, especially because you're because we're all living with roommates as well. So it's kind of just the not selfish thing to do. It's just, it's for your health and the safety of others. So

YA: (11:40)
going off the vaccines. Are you vaccinated?

PA: (11:43)
I am vaccinated. I got mine. I got mine early on actually, because I volunteer at bidet. So they I got mine in January, and then I got my second dose of February.

YA: (11:53)
What's your opinion on being vaccinated?

PA: (11:57)
I personally think everyone should get vaccinated. It's not a matter of like, I know people have their doubts, but people say oh, like it was made in such a short amount of time. You don't really know anything about this. But I mean, if you think about it, like these aren't people that just woke up I guess we're going to make the next scene and we're gonna hope for the best. These are people with background have the their doctorates, their PhDs MDs, like they know what they're doing. I mean, I don't think I don't think they would have, obviously they wouldn't have been FDA approved. If it wasn't safe. I mean, everything else, there's foods that we eat, there's drinks that we drink, even like vitamins that we eat sometimes that aren't even FDA approved of this, the vaccine is so I mean, if you kind of look at the facts, it's just absurd for me. I mean, personally, I just think it's crazy that some people are just like, no, like, I don't know what's in it or what, what I could get. But I think everyone should get vaccinated is just kind of I know, it helps with herd immunity. But the more people that get vaccinated, I think it would have been better if people got vaccinated before like as early as they could have, just because it would have prevented us from dragging it out so long. But I know, people were getting vaccinated, but just not as many as we should have. I think ECU personally should have made it a rule like you have to be vaccinated. To even attend a class I think that would have really helped cases on campus as well. But because I know when you come to Ece, you have to like upload your vaccination records anyway. So I think there should have been one of the requirements because it was one of the more contagious contagious ones.

YA: (13:36)
Going off of that, what do you think about masks? Have they impacted your daily lives and, like difficulty breathing or affected you negatively in any way?

PA: (13:47)
Um, when it first like when for code first started, I know wearing a mask is weird, because I mean, I've never worn a mask before like that. So I didn't like it, especially over summer because he would start sweating. And it would if you wanted to be like the Jimmy had to wear a mask. And it was just hard to kind of breathe when you're doing these like, strenuous activities. But I think eventually I got used to them. So I didn't really care. It was more. It was more of an instinct, like if I left the apartment I had in my hand. I had them in my car like it was it wouldn't bother me at a point just because like I was so used to the idea of them I think I think people had an issue with them just because they complain like it's inconvenient. Like, I don't have to wear it like it's stupid. I just think it wearing them would have also helped because I mean it's you pass it on breathing and coughing so I think you just I personally got used to them. I just wish everyone else also just accepted it and got used to that as well.

YA: (14:49)
As your experience changed from the beginning of COVID to now because of how mask mandates

PA: (14:56)
Um, no, I mean personally like even with COVID When It started like, I wasn't against us like I was formed. I think I didn't want COVID. I didn't I mean, no one really knew much about it. So I wore it for my safety for my parents, my siblings, my grandparents. But even now, with COVID, kind of dwindling down, and the vast mandate not even being a thing, like I don't really mind still, like if I, because I go to the clinics, I have to wear masks like it's for the patients. So excuse me, I think I mean, I think my views on COVID are still the same, like you should, you should get vaccinated, you should wear a mask when you need to, if you're around a lot of people, like Be careful. But now, I mean, it's just I'm glad we don't have to wear them. I mean, I'm used to not wearing them now as well, just because you I'm gonna eventually have to go back to how you kind of normalized society. But if it weren't cut back, I wouldn't mind wearing it. But. And if there was like more boosters that we had to get, I would definitely go get them just for safety and like school purposes, because I don't want to get sick, I don't want at the clinic to get sick, especially the kids because they some of them can't even get the vaccine. So it's kind of like, let's try to not get the healthy kids sick when you couldn't be prevented.

YA: (16:23)
So for your health care profession, or your shadowing of COVID regulations changed as some people who don't have to wear a mask or some people that can't have to wear masks have children or at any other place you work. I mean,

PA: (16:39)
kind of so I mean, they haven't really changed that much. We still have to wear masks that physicians don't have to wear masks everyone who works there has to wear a mask. And but people like the patients that come in not everyone has to but some do. I know the kids don't, sometimes some do. It's just depends on the family, really. But we always do just for safety reasons. I mean, it's just depends on the person really. But they they have like a poster up saying, like, wear your mask, but I would people just kind of do what they want to at the end of the day, or when you're seeing the patient, like you have to kind of pull their best and obviously do the exam and look in their mouth for everything. But other than that, it's just kind of healthcare itself. Everyone has to worry about still. But patients sick, it just varies on who it is and their own beliefs.

YA: (17:34)
Do you think COVID is something that will go away like, say in the next year or two where it's going to stay with us something like the flu.

PA: (17:42)
I think it's never going to disappear. I don't think there's always going to be like, oh, like she has COVID Like she's sick or something. Someone still even may be sick now. Like if you're back then you could even be sick and still never know that you had COVID Because some people just don't even have symptoms. So it's it is not necessarily ever gonna go away. But I don't think it'll ever be as consistent like the flu because I know the flu. You have to get the vaccine every year and you know, it kind of it's like a seasonal thing. But COVID I don't think it's seasonal. It just kind of happens. It's kind of year round. It doesn't like peak at a time. Like, it's not like, oh, it's flu season. Let's go get new. There's no it's Oh, it's COVID season, let's give it a shot. So it's just kind of like, it'll be around. It's just not as bad as it used to be.

YA: (18:30)
Do you think there'll be seasonal shots as like boosters? You have to get every couple of months?

PA: (18:35)
I don't think so I think the two vaccines were pretty good. I think the third one? I mean, they might they might have a booster maybe in two years, but I don't think necessarily like they'll have some every couple months. I think even then I that people at that point wouldn't even get them because they would just see more of an Indian inconvenience to them.

YA: (18:56)
Has social distancing, I have two or three more questions? As social distancing changed? As in when you go outside, before people would stay 10 feet apart even though it's six? Do you think that's changed? And then people don't stare at you as much I'm okay. You when you sneeze or anything?

PA: (19:15)
Oh, yeah, I think it's changed a lot like I personally I was coughing in Harris Teeter earlier just because like I was sick last week, but no one looks at me a different way anymore. It's just kind of like people have gotten to the idea like oh, like there you could be sick and not have COVID You could add that as tonsillitis strap, like it could be anything just an infection. But overall, I don't think people really care about distancing anymore either. Like it's, it's everything is really back to normal. As in Greenville, especially like no one distances. I mean, I mean, if someone wants to be I feel like it'd be they're gonna be the odd ones out if they look at me if they wear a mask. I feel like if I were masked out people would look at me differently now because like no one wears So it's just different.

YA: (20:03)
Do you think COVID has affected our economy as in, we people get checks sent to them by the government, for rent and food for any other needs. But people have started to quit jobs and are relying on these checks, unemployment rates are as low in a decade or two as as they've ever been. So do you think that will ever change in the upcoming future?

PA: (20:29)
I think it will change I think eventually these checks for the COVID Relief Fund will stop I mean, right now I know it's still kind of like fresh and the mask mandate just got lifted. So I think once it kind of all settles down and kind of get used, like, everyone goes, goes back to officially normal. I think they'll the checks will stop, people will probably get more jobs. The employment rate will probably kind of fix itself, but I think the checks will have to stop eventually. I don't think it's like a lifetime thing.

YA: (20:59)
So for our class, we talked about legends, COVID, obviously, and memes. So I know there's a lot of memes that go around every day about anything politics. It could be funny, not funny, depending on the person. Are there any memes that you've looked at or heard about during this COVID

PA: (21:20)
Two, the big ones that stick out. I don't remember exactly the first one but the first one was something it was like a joke. Someone made about Coronas because Coronavirus and something with not buying Coronas. But I know there was another one where this kid was crying and he was like holding. I think it was like he was getting a toy gun and he was crying and it was something like Coronavirus. Like they like there's a ban with gatherings of more than like five people and I think it said below at like, oh, there's a family of six gathering and the kids like sat and cried. It's just gotten I think I think that was it.

YA: (22:00)
Thank you for your time and thank you for your interview.

PA: (22:03)
Of course. Thank you for having me here.

[End of Recording]