From zero hours contracts to being pregnant in a pandemic, our contributors reveal their own personal stories about the impact that the coronavirus has had on their lives.
“I’m always complaining about a lack of time. A lack of time to write the novel I’m purportedly writing. A lack of time to watch the Netflix Original everyone’s talking about (you know the one, it’s allegedly more addictive than any class-A). A lack of time to learn to cook anything except pasta. A lack of time to finally read War And Peace. A lack of time to work through Neil Young’s discography. A lack of time to learn French on Duolingo. A lack of time, and energy, to take up jogging. A lack of time to do anything, basically, except go to work during the day and collapse on the sofa at night, ready to press play on another Dinner Date rerun.
Yet suddenly, as a result of the global health crisis, I’m confronted by seemingly endless time. And the novel remains unwritten. And I’m having pasta for tea. And Tolstoy continues to gather dust on the shelf. And I’m watching Dinner Date, waiting to find out whether Ian and Louise ever saw each other again. Based on Ian’s attempt at home-made moussaka, I’m guessing not.” JOSHUA REES
“Being classed as ‘vulnerable’ wasn’t something I’d properly considered before coronavirus. You see, I have a blood condition – thrombocytopenia – meaning my platelets are extremely low, and my immune system is far weaker than average. Not the best news when it comes to a pandemic. So I’ve been self-isolating, confined entirely to my flat and I’ve been so bored. My university is changing to online only, so I’ve been trying various ways to stay entertained and educated. I recommend puzzles, video games, hot baths, and also just putting some music on and having a dance. That really helps me to keep my spirits up!
But also take time for yourself and allow yourself to do what makes you happiest during these stressful times whilst obviously still practising social distancing. My partner is still working, we can’t afford not to. That’s one of the cruel downsides to this virus. Along with the fact that on Mother’s Day, I couldn’t see my own mum or grandmother. I would give anything right now to give my family a big hug, as I’m sure many others would. But until this virus is gone, for the sake of my family, and myself, I’ll stay indoors. And you should too.” SARAH BOWDIDGE
“Like many others, my job has been affected by the virus. As a recent journalism graduate, it’s extremely difficult to find a full- or part-time job in the area that I’ve studied in. I know, at the moment, that I need more experience and skills in other areas, to benefit me in the future, not just in journalism. It may have taken longer than expected, but I did manage to find a hospitality job. The only problem was, after I finished my first day of training, Boris dropped a bombshell and advised people not to visit pubs, restaurants and theatres. I did complete my training and met all of the lovely staff, but I really did start this job at the wrong time. So, I was in my job for a total of 10 hours before I was told to stay home until further notice.
Thankfully, I have been in touch with my manager and I will not be losing my job. It’s just a matter of time when I will be allowed back and actually start my job for good this time.” TONICHA LUFFMAN
“When I found out I was pregnant in October, little did I know that I would be starting my third trimester in isolation because of a worldwide pandemic. It truly feels like a bizarre turn of events. Seriously, when are the zombies due to show up?
I’ve now completed the first week of my stint in isolation and the possibility that I may not see family, friends and colleagues until I have a baby is a little surreal, overwhelming and upsetting. Don’t misunderstand me, this is no hardship. I’m being asked to work from the comfort of my sofa or dining table for the foreseeable. I am not on the frontline and have all my home comforts. It’s just very easy to lose sight of that fact when the news (real or fake) is a constant reminder of the period of uncertainty in which we find ourselves. I think it’s only natural that this (plus the anxiety of becoming a new parent in a few months) can at times feel overwhelming. I plan on tackling one day at a time and riding the emotions out whether they be positive or negative.
I am worried that so far, we are utterly unprepared to welcome a baby into the world. Will online orders cease? Will we have to empty a drawer to put the baby in, swaddled in a pillowcase? Yes, of course, mothers have had babies for thousands of years. And, yes, The Little White Company didn’t always exist. But I’m from a generation of instant gratification, which seems to have been switched off overnight. I’ve never been so grateful for opposable thumbs and WhatsApp.” LAUREN PHILLIMORE
“Like many, self-isolation is hitting me from several sides. I’ve been a Buzz contributor for a few years and one of my favourite things to write about is theatre. Add to that my job: at the moment I am front of house staff at the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. Like the theatres, this is also shut down and individual acts are postponing or cancelling, even events in May. I am used to having free time but it’s different when it’s not self-imposed.
At the moment, I only have the one job and it happens to be zero hours. At the time of writing, the government has made no mention of the thousands of people on zero hours. While that is not exactly surprising from this government, it’s still pretty galling!
As for health, I have asthma. Worryingly, the main article being shared on Facebook says we should stay in for 12 weeks — that would take us to the middle of June. However, the main advice on the AsthmaUK website is:
“You do NOT need to stay inside your house at all times or self-isolate. You can go for a walk, or to the park, or to the shops if you need to buy things. Just try to cut down the number of people you meet with on a daily basis. And try to keep your distance from people when you see them. Carry on taking all your usual asthma medicines as normal.”
Well, next week I’m going to take the opportunity of nothing to do (and fine weather) and go for walks – get a bit fitter and build up my lungs; not to mention stave off boredom and low mood that might come with suffering from depression in a time of pandemic. I might even learn German or get back to improving my sketching skills… or even start to learn my banjo that’s collecting dust in the corner of the room.
I’m lucky I love reading, but even my book pile is shrinking (currently reading Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott, a fictional account of Truman Capote’s ‘betrayal’ of 1970s high society). As for films, I’ve decided to dip into my DVD collection. The other night I made the rather satirical decision to watch Shaun Of The Dead…
Speaking of films, due to the cancellation of this year’s BFI Flare LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, the BFI have made the films available on their BFI Player which starts with a 14-day free trial. If you didn’t catch the universally acclaimed And Then We Danced when it was in Chapter, you can rent it on there.” CHRIS WILLIAMS
“Back in mid-February, I was in Italy for personal reasons. Business continued as usual. Everyday life seemed pretty much the same. When I woke up to the news about Italy’s lockdown, I could hardly believe this was the same country I’d travelled to only weeks before. I had guestlist for a club night in London with a headliner from Italy. They were swiftly replaced by another artist and things seemed to carry on as before. But then, overnight, the venue shut its doors.
The same day, I had word from my boss that our office was closing, and we should work from home until further notice (I work for a university). I’ve only recently moved into my place in Cardiff, so although I had my laptop, I was decidedly lacking in furniture. My sister was driving back from south Wales to stay with my parents, who live in a small rural town in England, as her university was also closing. They suggested I come back with her to have some company and a space to work from while I figured things out.
With the latest developments, looks like I’ll be here for the weeks to come – which I definitely could not have predicted a couple of months ago. I’m incredibly grateful to have this option – it could have been a very different story, as it is for many others. My heart goes out to artists, venues, promoters, music lovers, and everyone else who’s been affected by the current situation. Let’s keep sharing what we love in the ways we can.” FRANCESCA GARDNER
I’ve always been into the idea of the apocalypse and the idea of losing all control over the day to day aspects of society. When it all boils down, though, it’s not as fun as video games, films and comic books made it out to be. There’s no nuclear fallout, no outbreak of zombies or the planet being taken over by some alien force. You can’t go outside and fight it, you can’t run away from it and it’s completely out of your control.
At the time of writing this, we have been placed on lockdown for the next three weeks before there’s any chance of normal service being resumed. I can’t seem to avoid the feeling that every book I read, every game I play or every film I watch serves as some reminder that ultimately, there’s a lot in the world that we have no influence over. This is all self-absorbed worry, because there are other groups of people who aren’t as fortunate as I am. I’ve got a roof over my head, food and company, plus I work for a large business where my pay is guaranteed in these strange times. Just looking at Instagram and seeing the number of friends and family who own their own businesses or make money from working in live music is worrying. Their income has been cut to basically nothing and now is the time to reassess what’s important.
After all this is done, we all need to support independent businesses, support live music and do our best to look after each other. Like it or not, Covid-19 will change the world and we can help to make it change for the better. Don’t let this be all for nothing. GARETH MOULE
How has the virus affected your life? Let us know in the comments, via Facebook or Twitter. #BuzzMag