Newsday Opinion

The Newsday editorial board asked eligible older Long Islanders for their stories trying to obtain a vaccine --and we got more than 500. This episode captures the voicemails left by seniors about the frustrations and anxiety of searching for unavailable vaccines from Jones Beach to upstate SUNY Potsdam, in Episode 39 of Newsday Opinion’s “Life Under Coronavirus” podcast.

Sandra Lindsay, director of nursing for critical care at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, received the shot heard around the world in December. The Port Washington nurse spoke to Newsday Opinion for Episode 38 of "Life Under Coronavirus" about her newfound celebrity, her expectations for the second shot, and the challenges ahead while the world gets vaccinated.

Long Island COVID-19 ICUs were sites of suffering patients and hard-at-work doctors and nurses this autumn, as hospitals in the region prepared for the coming surge. That included new treatments and methods like proning, turning sedated patients on their stomachs to help them breathe.

Back in the spring, Long Island Rail Road employee Ken Finegan and other Ronkonkoma Rail Yard workers were infected by the coronavirus -- before full precautions were in place to prevent the spread of the disease. Episode 36 of “Life Under Coronavirus” looks at how hard COVID-19 is to trace and how quickly it can spread without strict safeguards, a warning for coming months. “I'll tell you the truth, being this sick, this is no joke,” says Finegan. “This is the real deal. I've never been this sick before in my life.”

During the height of coronavirus in New York, jails and prisons were struggling to keep the pandemic at bay. In Yaphank, a section of single cells was turned into a quarantine location--but that meant women there already were moved into a shared dorm. Latoya Rolle and Janean Villanueva were among them, and they talked about their experiences for Episode 35 of “Life Under Coronavirus.” That included berths close enough to sneeze on someone for some time, and a mounting list of limitations to visitors, programs, and movement as the jail tried to keep the virus away. In the spring, they reentered a locked-down world. “When I came home, I expected to do everything that I craved to do,” said Villanueva. “And due to COVID I can’t.”

College is going to look a lot different this fall on Long Island. Episode 34 of “Life Under Coronavirus” is a conversation with Theodore Koukounas, professor of mathematics at Suffolk County Community College, and Angela Jones, associate professor of sociology at Farmingdale State College, about the ins and outs of online classes, remote conversations on dense theoretical subjects, and why childcare means students (and professors) need flexibility during the semester. Most of all, the professors miss their students. “I'm looking forward to the day that we're all together again,” says Koukounas.

The Bronx Zoo announced this week that it will be reopening at the end of July. But for months, it has been not visitors but just animals and essential workers in the wide green expanse. And some of the animals notice the lack of people, says zoo director Jim Breheny. Episode 33 of “Life Under Coronavirus” is an interview with Breheny, who has worked at the zoo since age 14. The pandemic was a challenging time for the zoo, which stocked up on food and worked hard to keep workers and animals healthy. It also was home to some interesting sights, like bears and giraffes, and other animals suddenly interested in viewers.

Recovering from COVID-19 can be a slow process. Scott Krakower, a child psychiatrist and addiction specialist at Northwell, tested positive in April, and he’s still not back to work. Episode 32 of “Life Under Coronavirus” is an interview with Krakower, who talks about his battle with the illness, including coughing for nearly two months, dreading the long nights, and the terrible fear that he might get his young kids sick.

Navigating the pandemic on the Nautical Mile in Freeport -- it’s an ongoing process for patrons this summer. For Episode 31 of “Life Under Coronavirus,” Newsday Opinion spent an evening talking to bar-goers and visitors to the popular strip about their excitement to get out of the house and socialize a little. That means masks plus alcohol-filled “rainbows,” a wary eye on the more crowded bars, and the hope that things get more normal soon.

How is the other half living on Long Island’s East End? Lots of canceled events, and lots of eating. For Episode 30 of “Life Under Coronavirus,” we caught up with Joan Hamburg of WABC about what she’s seeing in the Hamptons, from delivery Blue Hill boxes to Sagaponack drive thru rosé.

When hair salons on Long Island started opening last week, there was plenty of hair to cut after months of quarantine. “Our phones have been ringing off the hook,” says Mia Gelestino of Salon Montáage. On the new reality for hairdressers trying to stay safe and healthy -- no magazines, plenty of masks, social distancing -- even as they help customers feel a little more human again.

Broadway might be dark but the show must go on. Episode 28 of “Life Under Coronavirus” is an interview with actor Spencer Glass, originally from Merrick, who has played characters from Buzz Lightyear to Will Ferrell’s Christmas elf on the stage. Glass talks about how show business is adapting to the pandemic and how actors are keeping ready for what comes next.

Thousands of people packed into protests across the nation this weekend to decry the police killing of George Floyd. In one of the region’s densest events in months of coronavirus, we asked protesters what made them brave the disease and gather. “It's one pandemic upon another,” said Tiffany Murrell, a 38-year-old black resident of Brooklyn who attended the Barclays Center protest but tried to keep her distance. Episode 27 of “Life Under Coronavirus” covers a weekend of protests in New York and what they mean for public health and the country’s political future.

Long Island officials opened the summer season by blocking nonresidents from beaches -- but city dwellers are welcome at state parks built or made accessible by Robert Moses. Episode 26 of “Life Under Coronavirus” looks at an ironic pandemic development: master builder Moses has fallen out of favor with many NYC residents, but in summer 2020 his handiwork may be their only chance at a legal swim. Featuring Thomas Campanella, Cornell professor and NYC Parks historian-in-residence. And a quick check-in with Robert Caro, author of “The Power Broker.”

When coronavirus hit, Dr. James Mahoney of Freeport was about to retire. Instead, he continued serving public hospital patients in Brooklyn, until he fell ill and died from the virus himself. Episode 25 of “Life Under Coronavirus” is a memorial to a pioneering black doctor and mentor to countless New York physicians, a “legend” with a “deep sense of morality” who gave patients his cell phone number and practiced his craft until the end.

An afternoon with the cleaning staff at the Cohalan Court Complex in Suffolk County, Episode 24 of “Life Under Coronavirus” follows cleaners who are battling the pandemic with paper towels and heavy-duty disinfectant. It’s hard work -- and prevailing wage for cleaners at the complex is $13 an hour -- but the cleaners are working overtime and, sometimes, getting compliments about their newly-visible occupation.

Selling puzzles in the bookstore window, a new e-commerce site, and why “Dune” and “The Great Gatsby” are big sellers: snapshots of the new normal for Book Revue in Huntington. Episode 23 of “Life Under Coronavirus” is a look at how the book-selling industry is doing during the pandemic, and what bookstores might look like in the future.

To stop the spread of COVID-19 and reopen for business, Long Island needs more contact tracing. Episode 22 of “Life Under Coronavirus” is an interview with a Suffolk County health official and a nurse epidemiologist who work on tracking the disease. That means painstakingly re-creating the “index” patient’s every movement, from home to cubicle or place of work and back, and giving some tough advice about the need for quarantine and caution.

As Congress appropriates billions to combat coronavirus, more eyes are turning to modern monetary theory, which suggests that it’s ok for governments to spend more money. One of the most high-profile proselytizers of MMT is Stony Brook University professor Stephanie Kelton, who is Newsday Opinion’s guest on Episode 21 of “Life Under Coronavirus.”

Long Island couples are rethinking weddings in the time of coronavirus. Some have decided to “marry now, party later,” says wedding photographer Stacey Kaufmann. Episode 20 of “Life Under Coronavirus” tells the story of two couples adapting their weddings on the fly, featuring Zoom videos, social distancing, an Amazon dress, and the full happy dance party scheduled for healthier times.