14-03-2025
How COVID has changed our lives, 5 years later
Five years ago this week, Gov. Tim Walz first declared a statewide emergency over the newly-declared COVID-19 pandemic — and Axios Twin Cities readers have shared how the fallout impacted them.
The big picture: The virus upended our daily lives. It sent us into quarantine, closed our offices and schools, introduced us to the N95 mask, and for a time seemed to transform every face-to-face interaction into a potentially fatal health risk.
Catch up quick: Saturday marks the five-year anniversary of Walz's order sending home nearly 1 million K–12 students — the second in a series of escalating directives in response to the spreading virus.
On March 19, health officials confirmed Minnesota's first COVID death. Less than a week later, Walz signed the first "stay at home" order.
State of play: COVID itself remains in our lives. In the last year, the virus hospitalized more than 18,000 Minnesotans and killed 777 people — almost ten times more deaths than influenza caused.
Beyond that, readers say the pandemic still shapes their lives.
What you're saying:"In hindsight, I choose to be thankful," reader Julie J. wrote us.
"I got COVID but I got better," she said. "I had a white-collar job so I could transition to working at home pretty easily — unlike so many frontline workers who lacked that luxury."
💔 Debra Q. observed that in some families, the pandemic exposed lasting divisions that "set off a continuing litany of differences."
Strain over "COVID, vaccines in general, immigration, abortion, climate change, etc. [is] all part of the family dynamic now," she wrote.
🏡 Wendy M. "became a total introvert who loves being home."
Wendy also quit drinking during the first winter wave. "Four years' sobriety," she wrote, "but my anxiety is off the charts."
The pandemic even altered how she shops: "I'm still hoarding more of the things we ran out of — just in case. I'll never run out of essentials (like toilet paper, masks, M&Ms, etc.) again."
🎙 Kerri A. changed careers, moving into voice acting — which she now does entirely from home.
🚛 Ruth J. decided to retire from teaching and move to Minnesota to be closer to family.
"Now we attend every concert, basketball game, play, and school event our grands are in," she said.
🙏 Julie J. started playing trivia online during lockdown and still meets in person with the same team.
Looking back, she said, "I know I was one of the lucky ones."
