There are moments that seem bizarre, moments of fear …

… preparation

and moments of emptiness.

These are scenes from the world

living with coronavirus.

It has spread across cultures, languages

and even out to sea.

And despite these global differences,

a number of shared experiences have emerged.

There is grief over the dead.

In Iran, hospital staff mourn a doctor’s death

from the virus.

In China, a quarantined building collapses,

and a firefighter breaks down after pulling bodies

from the rubble.

In Italy, a man mourns the death of his sister.

To try and save lives, authorities take precautions.

They disinfect public areas and screen populations.

“This is just crazy.

Around the world, people are afraid and on edge.

“Unbelievable.”

In Northern Ireland, routine construction work

at an Apple Store is mistaken for virus-related activity.

In Japan, tempers flare when a man sneezes on a train.

One Italian takes the fear and adds humor.

This is a circle to keep people at a safe distance.

In fact, lots of people use humor

to cope with the uncertainty or the stigma of being sick.

In Australia, a run on toilet paper

leads to lessons in self-defense.

“He’s going to show you how to deal with people stealing

your toilet paper.”

There is also defiance, a conviction that life

must go on despite the virus.

Across rooftops in China, quarantined neighbors socialize.

From a rooftop in Italy, a theater group

performs poetry for an area where movement is restricted.

On a quarantined cruise ship, there’s

songwriting to pass the time.

In an apartment in China, too.

But perhaps some of the most striking moments

from the pandemic are those where little happens:

the empty streets.

“Unbelievable.

No traffic.”

The quiet airports.

The places of worship without worshippers.

Stores without goods.

This is how it is across the globe

as we prepare, grieve and wait for the next chapter

of the coronavirus.