In January 2020, Luis was 21 and beginning the second semester of his junior year at a public university in New York City. He lived with family in Queens, and everyone pitched in to make ends meet. His father was retired. His mother collected disability insurance. His older sister, with whom he shared a bedroom, was a veterinary technician. Luis worked at a law firm. The apartment was crowded, loud, and sometimes crazy. But in New York City, what isn’t? Luis was usually out in the world, anyway, because when you’re in your 20s, the world is yours.
When COVID-19 hit, Luis’ universe suddenly narrowed. No school. No job. No parties. No friends. Soon, his whole family had the virus. It was scary, because by then Queens was