A year after Centre County’s first COVID-19 case, residents reflect on challenges, silver linings

Saturday marks one year since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Centre County.

Before March 20, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, cases were spreading throughout the state and nonessential businesses were ordered to close. But March 20 made the inevitable official: coronavirus was within our community, and things would not be the same for some time.

One year later, as vaccine rollout is underway, things are edging back to a version of normal. We recently asked readers to share experiences and reflect on a pandemic year. Life has changed for us all — and below are some responses from community members about what that change has looked like for them.

Cruising into reality

It began for us in the middle of January 2020 when we started to hear about a new virus in northern China. But that was far away and foreign to us; no worries here in central Pennsylvania. Then, we heard of a case of the illness in the United States, but that person had traveled here from Italy and was isolated at a hospital. Wait, we thought it was a Chinese problem. Every new day seemed to bring another report of this coronavirus situation. Newscasters started to interview medical experts about it.

But, we were not seriously concerned; our planned cruise for my birthday on Jan. 27 was headed for the Caribbean, safely away from affected areas. We were excited to be traveling with friends and celebrating joint birthdays on a cruise ship to a warm, sunny region.

Our ship was one of the largest cruisers on the oceans with 4,900 passengers and 760 staff, crowded onto one ship. The hallways were narrow and the dining rooms packed. A lower deck housed an always active casino and a retail area with shoppers handling beachwear on open racks, hand bags in large bins, and expensive watches and jewelry displayed under glass counters sticky with passengers’ fingerprints. The ship was what one commentator later called “a petri dish for infections.”

While we had not previously heard of coronavirus, some of our farming friends had. One told us that his pigs had corona the previous year and had recovered. Another friend told us that his beef cattle had corona a few years before and had recovered with treatment. What we came to understand was that the animal virus had mutated to become COVID-19 in humans, and this disease was a whole new challenge for the medical community and for the human population of the earth. We all would be learning much more in the months ahead.

A new way to teach

I’m a teacher. The pandemic has challenged how educators go above and beyond for students in their communities. I now teach in person and online at the same time, use a YouTube channel for my students working remotely, communicate with nearly 300 students via email, and sold artwork to raise money for art supplies for students learning at home.

Taking life online

Because of my age and risk factors, I went into self-isolation last March. Groceries delivered. Doctors seen online. My large family (my sons are the “Big Uglies”) and I Zoom a lot. I take OLLI courses and travel by Zoom, call friends, and have been writing poems and fiction. I miss hugging my family and close friends, but this too will pass.

A living and love experiment

In September 2019 John Larson and I met at a photography conference in Spokane, Washington. We instantly “clicked.” But he lived in Burlington, Iowa. I lived in State College. Until March 2020, we managed a long-distance romance, traveling by plane or automobile to visit each other in our respective towns or halfway between. When we were apart, we Zoomed every night before Zoom became a household name. Then COVID hit. We are both retired, so working wasn’t at issue. But all other normal activities in each of our lives were canceled or moved to online platforms. Life was disrupted in a major way, and travel to see each other was about to become more difficult. John and I had already been talking about living together, but the pandemic accelerated our decision. We decided to live together in State College. We used curbside pickup for groceries. We cooked at home almost all of the time. In good weather we walked a lot, took day trips to state parks, and we spent lots of time taking photographs or editing photography when we returned home. We drove to Iowa twice to retrieve belongings for John, including his miniature poodle Mia, who had to adjust to three cats. If it was warm outside, we would visit with a few friends on our deck. Family is mostly far away, so introducing each other to our families and many of our friends had to wait.

Despite the intensity of being together 24/7, our living experiment went very well. In July John proposed marriage and I accepted. On Jan. 27, 2021, we had a COVID-compliant wedding (masks and all) with only nine people present at a venue that holds about 60. About 50 friends and family from 20 different states participated via Zoom. Had we not met each other, I am not sure what life would have been like during COVID. But the divine grace that brought us together in Spokane allowed us at least some time to get to know each other before the pandemic. We are forever grateful for the love that has blossomed since.

Reallocating time

Surprisingly, it hasn’t changed much. Other than the annoyance of having to wear masks everywhere, we have enjoyed our time in our mountaintop home and I have been able to do more reading, as well as spend more time with my animals. We do miss traveling, eating out and social gatherings but I would otherwise be perfectly happy like this!

Conveniences that make life easier

The thought of staying in my home during the pandemic was not appealing to me. I am an octogenarian who likes to get out and about. Since I am disabled, getting in and out of stores and shopping was getting harder and harder. But, as a result of the pandemic Giant Food Stores began the Giant Direct service that allowed shoppers to shop online, select a pickup time and go to the store where wonderful workers bring out your groceries and load them in your car. Don’t tell them, but often I went to pick up mine in slippers, etc. And in recent snowstorms where you can’t get to the pickup, they will hold your order until you can come and get it. CVS began mailing my refills to my home. Best of all the Centre County Library and Historical Museum developed a great program for us genealogists. In place of attending a seminar in their facilities, Robbin Degeratu developed and runs genealogy talks through Zoom on a regular basis. She gets really good topics and speakers. Much as I want the pandemic to end, I hope the new services which were developed will continue. Life is much easier for me now.

Slowing down, finding joy

As a first-grade teacher, a mom of three including two teenagers, and a daughter who is trying to help her mother battle ovarian cancer while socially distancing, the pandemic has taught me to truly slow down and take each day as it comes. There was much this year I could not control and a lot I was responsible for. There were some moments early in the pandemic where I let fear control my response to what was going on all around us. My husband had to have a heart to heart with me about needing a partner in this. His honest conversation was exactly what I needed to ensure I focused on what I could control — I can keep my family safe by following guidelines, I can make sure to laugh every day, I can make school enjoyable for my students no matter the setting. I also started to find the joy in what the pandemic provided: more dinners at the table together, greater tech experience at work, walks at lunchtime with the family, and creativity in staying connected with friends and family.