Personal stories

Throughout this course we’re going to hear from Kevin, Carol, and Susan – three fictional characters played by actors but based on real experiences. These three personal stories will help us to understand how people, groups, and systems experience COVID-19.

We will soon watch videos of Kevin, Carol, and Susan sharing their experiences, explore key factors in their lives during COVID-19, and give you a chance to discuss your thoughts at the bottom of each page. For now, let’s read about their backgrounds.

Kevin

Kevin is in his early 20s and lives in London with his family, with whom he feels he has a complex relationship. He’s been working on and off the last few years in construction, and so is continuing to work during the COVID-19 lockdown. Kevin has had bouts of depression since he was a teenager, and this has sometimes stopped him from working. He’s currently working on a new building site but doesn’t always feel like a key worker.

Carol

Carol is a senior nurse in a large teaching hospital. She’s dedicated to her job, enjoys managing a team of nurses, and takes this responsibility seriously. She lives with her partner and child in a modest flat in this city that she’s always called home. Family and friends are very important to Carol. She’s recently been managing a newly expanded nursing team, after losing some of her regular team who have been redeployed to critical care, and has had other nursing staff redeployed to work with her from the community.

Susan

Susan is a happy, intelligent woman in her late 40s who has lived in the UK her entire life. Her mother, 71, moved to the UK from Laos before Susan was born and they live next door to each other. Before the pandemic, Susan was working long hours and commuting from her rural town into a local city. She has recently transitioned to working from home.

Thanks for taking the time to meet Carol, Susan, and Kevin. We hope that you are able to relate parts of their experiences to yourself and those around you.