Here’s when readers knew COVID-19 was going to change everything
"It was as if there was a storm approaching and we didn't know about it."
It’s been two years since Massachusetts reported the first case of COVID-19 in the state, just weeks before the world knew that this strange new virus would become a global pandemic.
In the time since those frenetic first months of the pandemic, we’ve all had to learn to adjust to our new normal of lockdowns and sacrifice for greater public health. We’ve faced hundreds of thousands of deaths, an economic slump, and a mental health crisis, and now continued questions of what it will take to fully get back to our pre-pandemic lives.
Who could’ve known in March of 2020 where we would be now?
We asked readers to think back to the first weeks and months of the pandemic and share when they realized the coronavirus was going to change life as we knew it. A small number of readers had the foresight to know that we would still be dealing with the pandemic for years to come, but most of the 690 readers polled said they thought the pandemic would last weeks or months at most.
Some readers like Lancie S. shared that it was hearing grim predictions from health professionals in the first couple of months of 2020 that put the seriousness of the pandemic into perspective. The Boston resident recalled when a doctor came to their office to discuss the latest news about COVID in early March.
“We had a few minutes before the start of the meeting and I said to him, ‘This is going to end in a few weeks, right? Like, there’s no way it can go on for months?’ He half chuckled and looked at me with an, ‘Oh, you poor child, aren’t you sweet?’ kind of look because he knew what was coming,” Lancie said. “I’ll never forget that moment. Three days later we were all sent home for months.”
Things may have felt like it was at a standstill during the early months of the pandemic as we adjusted to restricted movement enforced by lockdowns, but for many people, life continued to happen under these new circumstances. We had to learn how to balance COVID precautions with big moments like weddings, birthdays, and the deaths of loved ones.
“My son, and first child, was born the day the lockdown order was signed,” said Mark from Quincy. “I knew then that raising him was going to be parenting on hard mode.”
For some readers, the realization that COVID was here to stay came in waves rather than one epiphany. Angie from the South Shore said she first noticed that there were an increased number of commuters wearing face masks, then the hushed conversations among upper management with her job.
“A day or two before the state lockdown was put in place is when I really took notice around me. It was a bright and beautiful sunny day in the city and typically where there would be tons of tourists walking around the city, but there was hardly anyone around,” she told Boston.com. “It was like an eerie experience or something out of a scene in a movie to me. It was as if there was a storm approaching and we didn’t know about it.”
The final nail in the coffin was being unexpectedly laid off from her job after going remote. She was one of the millions of Americans who dealt with unemployment as a result of the pandemic shutdowns.
“All of a sudden, life stood still and I was now out of a job that I held for a few years and put all my effort into,” she said. “Taken away in a blink of an eye.”
Looking back on the early days of the pandemic, readers said they remembered overwhelming feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, whether it be because of shutdowns, missed life events, or losing a loved one to the virus. Below you’ll find a sampling of responses from readers who shared when they realized just how serious COVID-19 was going to be.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Early warning signs
“Early March. My wife was in a hospital and I remember the nurses only telling us to wash our hands before and after seeing my wife, but one day they started handing out masks to wear. This was before it was called a pandemic. In a conversation with a doctor, he commented how bad this was going to get. He was spot on.” — David L., Salem, N.H.
“I remember reading medical blogs back in early January 2020 about the potential of COVID exiting out of China due to the New Year. At the time, the R0 was projected to 2.3, CFR was 3% and the average age of death was 75. Numbers that high had me very worried for my parents if COVID ever made it to the US. When the news reported the first case in Boston on Feb 1st, I told my parents to isolate in their vacation home away from everyone and said, ‘Check your temp every day, it’ll likely be a few months or until the summer before it’s all over with.’ Well, ended up with my parents living in their vacation home for 10 months until January 2021.” — Will, Canton
“Feb. 2020, I stopped leaving my home except for doctors’ appointments. I believed the early stats that said we might lose more than 1 million people. I couldn’t see a way that it wasn’t inevitable based on the science at the time. No one was reporting that it was likely that we would get a vaccine so quickly. I still don’t understand why people are surprised because the early reports have been pretty accurate. I also started wearing a mask before we were told to do so. It was a confusing time and most people thought I was overreacting. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was but I kept going back to what the experts were predicting. I’d say I was a few months ahead of other people with my realization and it was pretty scary to be relatively alone with it. In hindsight, I think it’s a pretty good example of people not listening to science because it’s too frightening.” — Stephanie
“When China shut down. Our biology is no different (clearly) and it was inevitable COVID would reach us. Knowing viruses mutate and are airborne (like the flu) it was only a matter of time. I started stocking up on frozen and long-shelf-life foods and necessaries that December preceding our first case in the U.S. It was also entirely predictable Americans would hoard. The following two years have been spent helping farmers connect with local consumers.” — Pamela, Massachusetts
“I had an appointment, unrelated to COVID, with an Infectious Disease doctor in mid-February 2020 and it was just the beginning to be discussed in the news. At that time, there were only eleven cases in the U.S. He warned me that the pandemic was a forgone conclusion and it would be bigger than anything we had ever seen in our lifetime.” — Vinca, Worcester County
School closures
“When the kids didn’t go back to their school. And when I had to explain to them that I didn’t have all of the answers to navigate the stress the situation was having on us because even their grandparents hadn’t navigated a situation like this.” — Josie, Hanover
“My mother-in-law was gravely ill and passed on March 9, 2020. As a school principal, I was preparing to take a few days to grieve, plan, and spend time with family. Our school administrators were called together for an emergency meeting on March 10. We met for the next few days in what I refer to as ‘the war room,’ deciding to close school on March 12. I remember trying to answer teachers’ questions like ‘When will we be back?’ ‘How will we finish parent conferences?’ I had NO answers.
“Our family ended up having the final Catholic funeral in our church on that Saturday, just before the churches were closed. So many friends and family were afraid to attend to say goodbye to a great lady and that was really tough to accept. She deserved so much better. When a few months later I was able to return to a deserted school, it was like time had stood still. ‘March 12, 2021’ was still written on classroom whiteboards, the kids’ water bottles on their desks, jackets hanging on coat hooks, desks completely filled with materials. I cried all alone in that quiet building that day. Now we struggle to recover from all the collateral damage of the pandemic. One thing is for sure, the world of education is not for wimps!! Praying for better days ahead!” — Christine M., Stoneham
“I remember Mayor Walsh standing in the rain at a press conference in mid-March 2020. At this point, school had been canceled for a day or so because of COVID, which already seemed crazy. He announced schools would be closed until the end of April. My jaw hit the floor. I’m a teacher. Closing schools for SIX WEEKS? It was unthinkable. So much that was unthinkable then is despairingly accepted now. I hope we learn a lesson for the next pandemic: There’s nothing we can do but take it on the chin, and any efforts at mitigation will be a waste of time.” — Brian, Roslindale
“It was obvious when they sent my children home from school and shut down my construction site while I was building a hotel. Even after we were allowed to resume almost four months later my son missed half of the first grade and I just assumed I was about to lose everything.” — Patrick B., Cambridge
Canceled events
“When the NBA canceled a game right as it was supposed to start. Until then I kept telling myself they can’t lock things down like that here.” — Nicole, N.H.
“I realized that COVID-19 was a big deal the day my husband passed away. I was leaving the hospital and it was beginning to look like a war zone. The next day I went to the funeral home to make arrangements for his services and to take care of his remains. We scheduled the services for a few days later. Within 24 hours I was notified that the services would have to be canceled. That day the NBA shut down, schools were canceled and life changed forever.” — Patty, Foxborough
“My wedding was planned for July 2020. When this started in March 2020, I was sure it wouldn’t be around by then. But then we had to reschedule, and figured pushing it 6 weeks to the end of August would be alright. When that still wasn’t safe, we figured the spring (May 2021) could work. We realized that wasn’t safe enough either for 250 people, so after rescheduling 3 times we just canceled altogether and had a small ceremony in our parents’ backyard. (Used the money we saved to buy a house, though!)” — Jillene P., Maynard
“In February 2020, I was in the process of planning a baby shower for a close friend. Still going to work every day, but starting to feel not so great about taking the T. One day I opted to walk home from the office (despite chilly temps), and my friend called to tell me her doctor recommended we cancel the baby shower. Hearing that coming from a doctor really put things into perspective. A once in a lifetime celebration my friend would never get to experience. Little did I know I’d be postponing my wedding a few months later.” — Tina S., Back Bay
“I was home on March 6th getting ready to travel for business. I was going to be gone for 3 weeks with less than a day home in between trips. My SVP at the time called around midday and suggested I cancel my first trip and decide about the remaining trips based on how the weeks progress. I have not been on a plane since and I traveled [less than] 50% of the time prior to March 2020.” — Mike T., Metrowest
“My daughter Lily’s bat mitzvah was scheduled for March 21, 2020. This is a major family event that had been in preparation in various ways for well over a year. On March 12, 2020, the temple informed us that we would not be able to have any guests and we decided with the party venue to postpone the party. While we hoped the impact of the pandemic would be brief and at first we thought we had bad timing, my father-in-law (who was in a nursing home), passed away on April 26, 2020. We had both his funeral and his shiva memorial via Zoom calls. Having these two major family life cycle events within a month made it clear to our extended family that things had fundamentally changed.” — David G., Newton
COVID deaths
“March 24, 2020, was the first day I was really sick. I came down with COVID, as did my husband shortly thereafter. I was never so sick in my life. They wouldn’t let me go to the hospital because they said I wasn’t sick enough. But he went on April 6th, picked up by ambulance drivers dressed in hazmat suits. He was angry at the idea of leaving me home alone and so sick. I never saw him again. He was on a ventilator within 24 hours of getting to the hospital and that was it. He died alone — on April 22 — and was cremated, as were his clothing and his shoes. Even the funeral home wouldn’t let me go to say goodbye to him before the cremation. February 14, 2022, is our 23rd wedding anniversary. He is still and will always be the love of my life!” — Sheila K., Rockland
“When the number of cases was rising so quickly. It literally had me in an anxiety-filled panic checking the Johns Hopkins map daily and obsessively. I knew I didn’t want to catch it but didn’t know how I could prevent it. Thankfully I haven’t caught it at all.” — Rowan, Wilbraham
“I realized this was going to be a life-altering event once news outlets started announcing daily death counts for the U.S. It is now part of our daily routine to know how many new cases and deaths there are per day. When the virus was first taking hold in Europe and I saw 100-200 people a day dying, I never believed that I would see it here in the U.S. too. I remember the horror of 200 people dying per day. Once I saw the high death numbers posted here in the States, I knew the nightmare was just beginning and we’d be surrounded by death for a long time. I can’t wait for the day when I do not automatically look to see a death count. I can’t believe this is what our lives have come to.” — Anonymous
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