My Life in Iran During Coronavirus

Despite being hard hit by Covid-19, human kindness prevails

Jennifer Green
Elemental

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Photo: Laurie Noble/Getty Images

II came to Iran in April of last year. By now, my husband and I thought we’d be back home in the United States. But with Covid-19 ravaging the country and the rest of the world, our tickets have been canceled. At first, I felt very insecure about being here, even as it is becoming clear that nowhere is safe from the spread of the coronavirus. We’re in a large city that is purely dependent on agriculture from other areas — questions of supply chain shortages and failures concerned me, as well as the potential for civil unrest. After all, it has been an extremely hard 2019 and 2020 for Iranians, pandemic aside.

However, after reading Western news and media and seeing the panic buying of toilet paper, disinfectants, and masks, I’ve wondered if perhaps it is not actually better to be here in Iran.

It has been an extremely hard 2019 and 2020 for Iranians, pandemic aside.

These days, supermarkets, farmers markets, and other shops in Tehran are at times crowded, full of people waiting in line with larger than usual amounts of food to buy. But so far, I haven’t seen any shoving, grabbing, fighting, or hoarding. The shelves are stocked. There haven’t been any shortages…

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Jennifer Green
Elemental

An American woman living in Iran since 2018. Sharing stories of my life in Iran through the project “From Illinois to Iran”.