Covid-19 has changed life as we know it. And with change comes stress and other emotions that can alter a person’s mental state. So the question is, how does a global pandemic such as Covid-19 affect the mental health of an individual. To find, The Colt sat down with people of differing ages and interests and discussed how they’ve coped during this period of time.

The Colt: What is one thing you have done during Covid that has made you happy?

Timothy Lopez, junior: The one thing that’s made me happy during Covid is just making stuff like YouTube videos and playing with my guitar so I could try to make songs.

Justin Coffman, reporter’s brother: Working out and meditating.

Jonathan Goree, AHS parent: Fly airplanes.

TC: How would you say you have felt over this period of time?

TL: I feel mostly bored.

JC: Good, I always feel good.

JG: Sad.

TC: Sad, melancholic?

JG: No, it’s just, kinda depressing. You can’t do anything, can’t go anywhere, places are closed.

TC: Is there anything that impacts you emotionally about Covid-19?

TL: Covid-19 has impacted me, because it just has me in this lonely state of mind because I live with my grandparents and I really don’t get to talk to my friends even if they do live close.

JC: Not really. I mean, it’s unfortunate, [but] it’s pretty simple like if you’re just healthy, I’ve got these two things I’ve taken before Covid (pointing to Vitamins and pills on his TV stand) and that’s probably one of the main reasons why I never got sick. So it’s just unfortunate to see  this many Americans, I guess you can say, “don’t take care of themselves”.

TC: How has going to school or working changed for you since Covid?

TL: I wish that there were different computers, because I like writing on paper when I am at school. Also, I wish that they would keep the A-L/M-Z schedule at the same time because the parent chooses to send their child to school, and that gives teens a higher chance to get Covid and I’d rather them keep how school was in general.

JC: Working a job changes a lot because usually you don’t care too much about what goes on behind because there’s not a worldwide pandemic going on. But now at work it’s like you care if that person’s coughing and making food, you care if that person’s not wearing gloves, you care if that person’s not having a mask, because this is more than just us at this point, it’s the delivery guy, it’s who we’re taking the food to, or it’s who’s touching it, eating it. Then for school for me, I feel like it’s the same thing for you, you want to be in school, that’s one of the main things about going to school, nobody wants to do it online. You want to be there. It’s about being with your friends. It’s about, learning with other kids, getting to know people. Doing whatever you do in school. Doing it however you do it, whoever you hang out with. Now it’s like, sitting at home, you never leave, you’re online all the time. It just kinda blands things out.

JG: Work is strictly from home, I don’t go to the office. I put in more hours from home basically.

TC: What is it you want to do after Covid?

TL: After Covid, I want to go explore Arlington and Fort Worth, because they’re always building something new. And I would go to the movies because there are so many movies delayed that I want to watch.

JC: To actually be able to sit down in a restaurant. Travel more for sure, go to more like destination type places, see Vegas, see Los Angeles, when it’s like, actually Los Angeles, not like how everything is locked up now.