By Lieba Nesis
-Our biggest problem as a country was bedbugs
-Prince Charles was fighting Diana not coronavirus
-The thought of spending time with actor Idris Elba (who has been diagnosed with the virus) was what dreams were made of
– A hotspot referred to a new club or restaurant not to a country replete with the virus
-A pale Governor Cuomo screaming about running out of ventilators would have been unthinkable
-The only time we heard of the WHO (World Health Organization) was in reference to a rock band
-Gathering at synagogues and shuls was comforting instead of panic-inducing
-Receiving a medical test (for the virus) wasn’t as coveted as a Birkin bag
-Every time you coughed you didn’t think you had coronavirus
-TikTok and Zoom were barely known platforms
-Hazmat suits were only seen in space movies such as “Apollo 13”
-Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving the royal family was breaking news
-Waiting for toilet paper would take minutes
-You didn’t dream of vacationing in a militarized bunker
-Touching an elevator button was an inconsequential act
-You weren’t hoping for an N95 mask for your birthday
-Tom Hanks was isolated on an island (Cast Away movie) not in a quarantined hospital
-Coming home for the holidays didn’t involve a 14-day self quarantine
-The only China we really were concerned with was the one adorning our tables
