The Covid Experience: Dispatches from Asia

Introduction

Since the beginning of 2020, the number of Covid-19 cases worldwide has grown exponentially with no end in sight. No one has been spared the impact of Covid-19. The aggressive spread of this pandemic means we are required to spend more time in isolation and maintain a wider distance from others, even at times of great need. Occasionally, it can feel as if we are all alone in this, even though we are told that we are in this together.

With our individual face masks on, we may each feel insignificant, suffering our own personal losses behind a veil. Coping with our new routines goes beyond the compulsory donning of face masks or obeying strict social-distancing regulations. We are adapting to new ways to work, to raise a family, to love.

Look under the surface of these generalisations and you will find individual tales of profound strength and creativity. It is in these glimpses that we can see our humanity and come together in resilience.

As a precursor to our first POY Asia competition in February 2021, we invited photographers all over Asia to share one image that summarises his or her own Covid Experience.

These are the submissions.

Dispatches from Asia