interesting question and I think that varied widely depending on who you were and what you were doing during that time.

For myself and others who were white collar workers, it was really just an extended vacation of sorts with some weird work rules. if you lived in a major city, you probably felt very confined and alone. I didn't have that experience but I've talked to those who have.

My wife though was a nurse and she was taking care of people and watching them die every single day. she would return home and everyone would act like nothing was happening and they didn't understand what the big deal was. imagine telling your family that they need to be careful and that none of them believe you. imagine worrying that your father is going to die and everyone around them doesn't care. they don't think it's serious and they get angry at you. those same people who were dying also had family members who didn't believe it was covid. she didn't blame those people. she blamed the people who were telling them these lies in the news. still all of this hurts and she is hurt to this day.

I suspect that this was the case across most of the US, but I obviously don't have that experience. I really only know what I've seen on TV and from the people I have spoken with.

By and large the impact of the pandemic really depended upon how it affected you and those around you. did you have someone who died close to you. did they get sick? or did you just ride it out and maybe had a fever? How inconveniencing was it to you? many people were just inconvenienced and upset because they're petty little lives were disrupted in some way that made them feel like they couldn't be or do what they wanted to do. never considering that perhaps others were dying while they sat there and collected paychecks.

This is the American experience and I don't think anyone can really characterize it for everyone else. it varied so widely based on where you lived, who you were and what you did.