FACES OF THE PANDEMIC When COVID-19 reached the United States,
the virus had already run rampant throughout other countries around the world. In response, many businesses and school districts transitioned from in-person to remote work and learning, and many facilities closed to the public. Some of the U.S. workforce was able to transition their workloads to home, turning kitchens, spare bedrooms, and basements into offices, practicing social distancing, and continuing to meet their responsibilities. Many others—more than 20 million—
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the magazine of cheshire academy
lost their jobs when their place of employment closed temporarily or permanently due to federal or state regulations, or a lack of business due to the pandemic. And then there was, and still is, a third group comprised of selfless individuals who, for countless reasons, go to their place of work and do their jobs—risking their health and safety to ensure the general public, whether a consumer or patient, is provided what they needed. Nurses and other medical professionals now don personal protective equipment (PPE), retail staff wear face masks and practice proper hygiene, and the general
public remains socially distant, more likely to communicate via a teleconference than face-to-face. The alumni profiled are just a few who have continued to work to help those in need during this pandemic. And while they all tell different stories from their locations around the country, they all have a similar message: heed the call for physical distancing, face masks, sanitation, and sheltering in place. No one is alone in this fight against COVID, but they say there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and a solution to this global problem.
