For 27-year-old Marc Edwards, his world is shrinking since the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders began. The Pine Hill, New Jersey resident just lost his job, his girlfriend is quarantined in another state and he has no contact with relatives in North Philadelphia.
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"My personal relationships are being affected by COVID-19. My financial situation is being affected. It's not too many places I can go and get answers, so I'm just trying to survive to be honest,” he said.
Alex Barrett, a junior in college, says he was forced to move back home from Boston to live with his parents in Mt. Laurel.
"I'm worried about myself, being able to find a job. I’m worried that there is going to be long-lasting damage,” Barrett said.
Penn Medicine clinical psychologist Thea Gallagher says all of these are normal emotions, especially now.
"The social isolation is really impacting a lot of people's mental health. It's about creating some level of structure, mapping out your day of it, so you feel like you have some controls,” she added.
She says it’s important to have faith right now.
"We're better able to handle things than we think we are. We are going to figure this out,” Gallagher said.