Austin American-Statesman: "My job was to cover the coronavirus pandemic, until I became part of it"

[jayschool2013]

From a journalist working and living in Texas.

I know how to prepare for a disaster.

My first job as a photojournalist was in Florida, where on top of weathering hurricanes, I covered them. When the coronavirus began to get close to the United States, I thought I was ready. I had food, medicine and first-aid kits to get me through.

But nothing could have prepared me for the pandemic we’re now experiencing, including my own positive COVID-19 test.

A lot of people are blaming us, the media, saying we’re creating panic out of nothing. But that’s not true. This is a real crisis that is affecting the entire world. People tend not to believe what is really happening out there until they have someone close to them suffering the consequences. I wanted to share my story as a journalist and a human to show no one is exempt from this.