Commission for The Wall Street Journal /
David Vonarx (47, undertaking a career change)
Curiously, David claims to feel better since the isolation measures were introduced.
Accustomed to solitude, given his life circumstances (periods of unemployment, as well as a considerable period working as an artist), he has found a renewed sense of calm, given the absence of social obligations during this time.
He has rediscovered a certain spirituality during this period of isolation, spending time in his courtyard each afternoon listening to Neale Donald Walsch’s audiobook Conversations with God.
Guillaume Raimondi (41, emergency room nurse)
For Guillaume the health crisis has had a dramatic impact on his professional life. Alongside all the day-to-day pressures of the emergency room, he must now deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has overloaded the hospital’s capacity.
Finished for the day, Guillaume remains confronted by the virus even at home; the imposed quarantine measures mean that he is unable to run long distance, his usual antidote for such a high-stress work environment.
Michel Leroy (58, newspaper deliverer)
Despite the quarantine measures in place, Michel continues his deliveries early each morning, allowing him to be outdoors without coming across other people.
Residing in a social housing block, he was worried about hearing his neighbors incessantly, who are also confined to their homes. It’s going relatively well so far.
Michel has been trying to avoid watching TV to fill the long days, as he finds the continuous coverage of the pandemic particularly anxiety-provoking.