Month: September 2022

Categories
Pandemic Pandemic Art Pandemic Relationships

Lockdown engagement

The pandemic changed all aspects of our lives and how we do certain things but it didn’t stop people falling in love and getting engaged. For many couples during periods of lockdown and/or quarantine, this is the first time they’ve been alone together for weeks or months on end. It can make it difficult not to step on each others’ toes. Being around someone 24/7 during lockdown allows you to see your partner’s strengths and weaknesses. It can certainly test a relationship but it can also make a person realize that the person they’re dating is the one they want to spend the rest of their life with so many did pop the question – hence the phrase “lockdown engagement.”

Although the phrase doesn’t appear in any dictionary definitions, it does appear a lot in social media. An article published in The National News on December 24, 2020 entitled “Glossary of 2020: the 36 new words and phrases that defined the year” had this to say:

As ubiquitous across social media as the sourdough starter (see below), the lockdown engagement is the act of popping the question because you’ve read the entire internet, watched everything on Netflix and are looking for the next distraction. US actress and singer Demi Lovato became the poster child for the lockdown engagement, when she and The Young and the Restless actor Max Ehrich got engaged one month after quarantining together.

Gemma White

The Hitched website that caters to weddings explains the difficulties that couples faced during this unprecedented time: “We spoke to three couples who said ‘Yes!’ during lockdown and discovered what it was really like to get proposed to during a global pandemic. From cancelled holidays where romantic proposals were planned to rings getting stuck in shut-down jewellery shops, lockdown certainly threw a spanner in the works! Add in not being able to hug your loved ones or tell them the good news face-to-face, and lockdown proposals really were – yep – an unprecedented experience” (Pye).

Early on in the pandemic, there were all kinds of dating and wedding websites offering advice to couples living together in lockdown. One British company specializing in elopement weddings had this to say: “Lockdown Engagements –  we’ve had a lot of enquiries recently from couples who have popped the question during this time (COVID 19). I’m loving hearing about these lockdown engagement stories – keep em coming! And I’m loving seeing love conquer all during this time!!” The company offers tips on how couples can celebrate their lockdown engagement during quarantine:

ZOOM LOCKDOWN ENGAGEMENT PARTY!

Organise a zoom party and surprise your nearest and dearest with the news! it’s that simple.

PLANT A TREE FOR YOUR LOCKDOWN ENGAGEMENT

Planting a tree, or a plant, some seeds or ANYTHING is a lovely idea. This doesn’t have to be a big plant and if you don’t have a garden, plant it in a pot for your home. You can watch it grow, and see it in years to come as a momentum of your lockdown engagement.

TREAT YOURSELF!

There are loads of services online that delivered bespoke hampers…Most local businesses are doing online deliveries at the moment – get a nice selection of your favourite things…and have a romantic date night.

Ever After Elopement Weddings

Lockdown inspired many content creators including those who make greeting cards. BrainBoxCandy who sells cards on Etsy created this “Lockdown Engagement” card.

courtesy of BrainBoxCandy

Here is one couple who had to change their original engagement plans due to Covid 19. They show how to plan an amazing lockdown engagement party!

Social Media Trends as of September 26, 2022

Facebook #lockdown engagement: 1,200 people are posting about this
Instagram #lockdown engagement: 4,508 posts

Google Trends: “lockdown engagement” first registered in February 2020 just before lockdown began but this may refer to users in China where the pandemic started. The popularity of the term peaked in December 2021 when the Omicron variant was spreading around the United States and the rest of the world resulting in more periods of lockdown and quarantine. This was a difficult time for couples because they couldn’t hold engagement parties and planning weddings during a pandemic with all the restrictions would have been almost impossible.

lockdown engagement search term

Sources:

BrainBoxCandy. “Cute Lockdown Engagement Card.” Etsy.com. 2020. URL: https://www.etsy.com/listing/835223981/cute-lockdown-engagement-card.

“Lockdown Engagement – celebrating your engagement during quarantine.” Ever After Elopement Weddings. April 28, 2020. URL: https://lowergrenofen.co.uk/lockdown-engagement-celebrating-your-engagement-during-quarantine/.

Pye, Helen. “This Is What It’s Like to Get Engaged During Lockdown.” Hitched. 16 July 2020. URL: https://www.hitched.co.uk/real-weddings/lockdown-engagement/.

White, Gemma. “Glossary of 2020: the 36 new words and phrases that defined the year.” The National News. December 24, 2020. URL: https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts/glossary-of-2020-the-36-new-words-and-phrases-that-defined-the-year-1.1134259.

Witty Vows channel. “How To plan home weddings/ engagement perfectly | Lockdown Engagement.” YouTube. July 14, 2020. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtQsY0D-5Ik.

Categories
Pandemic Pandemic Art Pandemic Relationships

Isolationship

The pandemic caused many people to isolate themselves during periods of lockdown and quarantine. Because of these extraordinary circumstances, complete strangers may have isolated together sometimes resulting in a romantic relationship. It may also refer to two people kept apart because of lockdown or because they were in an online relationship but travel restrictions made it difficult or impossible to see each other.

According to Barry Popik, a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “isolationship” appeared on March 15, 2020 in a Tweet posted by Nyar Ombeyi, and as a Twitter hashtag posted by Stephen Trumble on March 18, 2020. Popik said the term was not used often enough to appear in Wiktionary or the Oxford English Dictionary. It does appear in the Urban Dictionary which defines the term as:

[a] long- or short-distance relationship between two people kept apart due to shelter-in-place constraints.

Their hot and heavy isolationship was getting weird, the limits of cyber romance coming clear. She lived three blocks away from him, they hadn’t been able to see the other for two weeks, each of them trapped in their apartments.

Monkey’s Dad

During lockdown, content creators Shawntia Key and Kerry Allen decided to make a web series called Isolationship which featured a “relatively-new couple, Lenae and Mitch, [who] have no choice but to learn how to navigate being trapped together. Every day. All day” (Isolationship.tv). The series was uploaded to YouTube during March 2021 and was produced entirely on smartphones.

courtesy of Louise

Social Media Trends as of September 23, 2022

Facebook #isolationship: 1,700 people are posting about this
Instagram #isolationship: 3,708 posts
TikTok #isolationship: 977,700 views

Google Trends: isolationship first appeared during the week of January 19, 2020 and peaked in March 2020 when most of the world was in lockdown.

isolationship search term

Sources:

Louise. “Coronavirus news dragging you down? Here are some hilarious memes & tweets to help lighten the mood – In an Isolationship” meme. The Honeycombers.com. URL: https://thehoneycombers.com/bali/funny-coronavirus-memes/.

Monkey’s Dad. “Isolationship.” Urban Dictionary. April 9, 2020. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Isolationship.

Popik, Barry. “Isolationship (isolated + relationship).” BarryPopik.com. March 25, 2020. URL: https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/isolationship.

Shawntia Key and Kerry Allen. “ISOLATIONSHIP.TV” Isolationship.tv. 2022. URL: https://isolationship.tv/#about-us.

Categories
Pandemic Treatment Virus

Paxlovid

Nirmatrelvir is an antiviral medication developed by Pfizer for treating mild to moderate cases of Covid-19. It is sold under the brand name Paxlovid.

The medication, which is taken orally, contains two medications: “Nirmatrelvir helps stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus from duplicating itself within the body. And ritonavir – a drug originally approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children – slows down the body’s breaking down of nirmatrelvir, allowing it to stay in the body longer” (Pelc).

In December 2021 the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Paxlovid had been granted Emergency Use Authorization. Eligibility requirements are as follows: “For the treatment of mild-to moderate COVID-19 in adults and children [12 years of age and older weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kg)] with a positive test for the virus that causes COVID-19, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, under an EUA.” For more information on the medication, including possible side-effects, visit here.

Some patients reported a nasty metallic taste in their mouth after taking the medication that can last for a while. This condition is called dysgeusia. Despite this unpleasant side effect, medical experts strongly suggest continuing with the full course of the treatment (Pelc).

Social Media Trends as of September 11, 2022

Facebook #paxlovid: 7,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #paxlovid: 4,384 posts
TikTok #paxlovid: 16.7 million views
YouTube #paxlovid: 604 videos and 350 channels

Google Trends: paxlovid first appeared during the week of October 31, 2021 when news of the antiviral medication being used as a possible cure for the treatment of Covid-19 started to appear. The Omicron variant was also at its peak around this time. The popularity of Paxlovid as a search term reached its peak during the week of July 17, 2022 when the medication became more widely available.

paxlovid search term

Sources:

“EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION (EUA) OF PAXLOVID.” Food and Drug Administration. August 26, 2022. URL: https://www.fda.gov/media/155051/download.

Pelc, Corrie. “Paxlovid mouth: What is it and how to get rid of it.” Medical News Today. August 23, 2022. URL: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/paxlovid-mouth-what-is-it-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it.

Categories
Pandemic Virus

Face shield

A face shield is a clear plastic protective covering for the face which many people wore, in addition to the mask, for added protection against coronavirus. The California Department of Public Health produced a handout containing a list of frequently asked questions about face shields. Here is some more information:

A face shield is a transparent barrier that covers the face and is typically open at the sides and bottom..[It is] primarily used by health care workers to protect their face (eyes, nose, and mouth) from splashes and sprays of body fluids. Face shields are not commonly used alone, but are often worn with other protective equipment, such as respirators or surgical masks, to protect the wearer from Covid-19. Examples include a nurse caring for a hospitalized Covid-19 patient or a health professional collecting a nasal sample from a person being tested for Covid-19.

Face shields are not to be worn in place of masks. The illustration below shows the correct way to wear a face shield with a mask:

Image by Freepik

Here is a quick and easy YouTube tutorial on how to make your own face shield that will protect you from someone who has suspected Covid-19:

Social Media Trends as of September 4, 2022

Facebook #faceshield: 194,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #faceshield: 471,958 posts
TikTok #faceshield: 132.7 million views
YouTube #faceshield: 4,100 videos and 3,100 channels

Google Trends: faceshield isn’t a new search term but it reached its peak in popularity during the week of April 5, 2020 as people looked for ways to make one or find out where to buy one to increase their protection from Covid-19.

faceshield search term

Sources:

“Faceshield FAQ.” California Department of Health. November 2020. URL: https://www.emergencyslo.org/en/resourcesGeneral/faceshield_handout.pdf.

“Person using face shield mask.” Freepik. URL: https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/collection-people-using-face-shield-mask_8381151.htm#query=face%20shield&position=11&from_view=keyword.

CreativityWindow channel. “DIY PPE: Quick and Easy Face Shield.” YouTube. April 4, 2020. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9FSDSc76q4.

Categories
Pandemic Pandemic Art Virus

Coronaphobia

The anxiety caused by the pandemic is nothing short of extreme. Fear of catching the virus, fear of having the virus and fear of losing one’s job has created a state of anxiety some have called coronaphobia. The National Institutes of Health has a more detailed description of this heightened state of fear caused by Covid-19:

coronaphobia as an excessive triggered response of fear of contracting the virus causing COVID-19, leading to accompanied excessive concern over physiological symptoms, significant stress about personal and occupational loss, increased reassurance and safety seeking behaviors, and avoidance of public places and situations, causing marked impairment in daily life functioning. The triggers involve situations or people involving probability of virus contraction, such as, meeting people, leaving house, travelling, reading the updates or news, falling ill or going for work outside.

courtesy of the National Institutes of Health

An article published for The Conversation.com in March 2020 and entitled 7 ways to manage your #coronaphobia highlights just how pervasive coronaphobia has become. While Covid induced anxiety will be temporary for most people, some will have anxiety about leaving the safety of their home and going back to normal life. Individuals affected by this heightened level of anxiety “might avoid seeking medical care, isolate themselves from others unnecessarily, or be debilitated with fear.” The article reports on an Australian survey taken in 2020 that found 1 out of every 4 adults were “very or extremely worried about contracting COVID-19; about half were worried about their loved ones contracting it” (Newby and Werner-Seidler). Bear in mind that this article was written during the beginning of lockdown and the world has seen several waves of Covid variants so the anxiety level will have gone through the roof for many people.

The article offers seven tips on how to manage coronaphobia. Three are listed and the rest can be found by clicking here.

1. Reassure yourself, it’ll get better: for most people, the anxiety will get better as the threat of COVID-19 passes. If anxiety doesn’t go away, it can be treated

2. Change your ‘information diet’: spending time reading alarming tales of the horrors of COVID-19 will probably increase anxiety, not reduce it. Instead, try spending time focusing on positive information, stories or activities that take your mind off your fears.

3. Think logically about the risk: coronavirus has led to tragedy for many families, and we acknowledge the risk and consequences of contracting coronavirus differs from person to person. However, keep in mind over 90% of people infected with coronavirus in Australia have already recovered. The number of cases is also still extremely low, with 7,072 confirmed cases to date out of about 25 million people/

Newby, Jill and Werner-Seidler, Aliza

For a different perspective of this subject, check out the trailer for Coronaphobia, described as “a light hearted Comedic feature film written and produced to bring some much needed joy after what we all went through in 2020.” The movie was produced and directed by Ms. Michelle and premiered at the Las Vegas Black Film Festival on April 3, 2021.

Social Media Trends as of September 3, 2022

Facebook #coronaphobia: 1,200 people are posting about this
Instagram #coronaphobia: 1,181 posts
TikTok #coronaphobia: 926,000 views
YouTube #coronaphobia: 117 videos and 58 channels

Google Trends: coronaphobia first registered as a search term in January 2020. The pandemic was raging in China and news of the virus had spread worldwide. People everywhere were worried about the possibility of the Coronavirus spreading to their country. The popularity of the term reached its peak during the week of November 14, 2021 as the Omicron variant was in full swing and was much more contagious than previous Covid-19 variants.

coronaphobia search term

Sources:

Alisha Arora, Amrit Kumar Jha, Priya Alat, and Sitanshu Sekhar Das. “Understanding Coronaphobia.” National Institutes of Health. September 6, 2020. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7474809/#:~:text=Based%20on%20a%20review%20of,increased%20reassurance%20and%20safety%20seeking.

Ms. Michelle. “CORONAPHOBIA Movie Official Trailer 2021.” YouTube. April 3, 2021. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8JMOFR655c.

Newby, Jill and Werner-Seidler, Aliza. “7 ways to manage your #coronaphobia.” The Conversation.com. May 20, 2020. URL: https://theconversation.com/7-ways-to-manage-your-coronaphobia-138120.

Categories
Pandemic

Coronial(s)

On April 2, 2020 USA Today featured an article entitled “Will coronavirus cause a baby boom, or is that just a myth? Prepare for jokes, if not babies!” (Puente). It’s logical to expect that the more time spent together with your significant other during periods of lockdown and quarantine the greater the chances are of an unplanned pregnancy especially if the couple cannot access contraception.

Nobody could say back then how long lockdown would last or the pandemic in general but people were starting to come up with ideas as to what to name the generation born during the pandemic. After some humorous talk about baby boom jokes, the article went onto say “The interest is such that people on Twitter are suggesting new names for this supposed coronavirus cohort: Coronials. Quaranteens. Baby Zoomers.” 

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary has “coronials” listed under their “Words we’re watching” section: “When a pandemic strikes, things drastically change and, in turn, new words are born to define and communicate the changes and their repercussions. In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, we published a guide to coronavirus-related words, and we are considering adding another to the list: coronial. The word was coined as a name for a person conceived or born during the pandemic.“

The Coronials will include all those born in December of 2020, and, unless the pandemic ends quickly, the early months of 2021.
— Doctor Edmund Fitzgerald, quoted in The Berkeleyside, 1 Apr. 2020

Meanwhile a colleague acquaints me with reports that the generation of children conceived during the pandemic are likely to be called Coronials and then, later, the Quaranteens.
— Ian Warden, The Canberra (Australia) Times, 22 Aug. 2020

courtesy of DanielDonohue

Social Media Trends as of August 31, 2022

Facebook #coronials: 2,200 people are posting about this
Instagram #coronials: 5,685 posts
TikTok #coronials: 925,900 views

Google Trends: coronials registered sometime in February 2020 before lockdown but the popularity of the term reached its peak during the week of March 15, 2020 when lockdown had just started.

coronials search term

Sources:

“Coronials.” Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.com. URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/meaning-of-coronial-covid-kids.

Donohue, Daniel. “thinking woman.” ImgFlip.com. 2020. URL: https://imgflip.com/i/3si2ap.

KevinSmithNBA. “Are we all agreed that babies born 9 months after COVID-19 are going to be call coronials? And in 2033/2034 they’ll all become quaranteens?” Twitter. March 25, 2020. URL: https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1242955200102629376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1242955200102629376%7Ctwgr%5E4561efd7e35815baa82419914c9fed668df069d0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Flife%2Fparenting%2F2020%2F04%2F02%2Fcoronavirus-fact-check-could-covid-19-cause-baby-boom%2F5105448002%2F.

Puente, Maria. “Will coronavirus cause a baby boom, or is that just a myth? Prepare for jokes, if not babies!” USA Today. April 2, 2020. URL: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2020/04/02/coronavirus-fact-check-could-covid-19-cause-baby-boom/5105448002/.