A year of COVID in international street art

By early 2020, the epidemic was full blown in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, where experts are still investigating the origins of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Then on March 11, WHO officially described the international COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. This street art in the city depicts two nurses dressed in full protective gear while fighting the virus.

One of the first big outbreaks of the virus in Europe occurred in Italy in the northern region of Lombardy, where hospitals were filled to capacity. Naturally, the entire country was affected, with tourism essentially shutting down, including in Rome where these two rule-abiding lovers were painted.

Early in the pandemic in Germany, toilet paper became a hot commodity, as people started worrying about supply shortages. And since it did run out of stock, grocery stores had to put limits on the number of packages that could be purchased. In this Berlin artwork by Eme Freethinker, Gollum from "Lord of the Rings" watches the squirrel Scrat from "Ice Age" as he steals a roll of toilet paper.

Healhcare workers have been applauded as they work tirelessly through the unforgiving pandemic. It's no wonder that graffiti artists around the world have idolized them. In this painting by urban artist Applez, in Mexico City, a healthcare worker wears a mask with Superman's logo.

Another picture paying homage to health care workers is this mural in Melbourne, Australia. It was painted for International Nurses Day, on May 12, 2020, which is celebrated in honor of Florence Nightingale, the English founder of modern nursing born on that date 200 years ago.

A pedestrian walks past street art in Glasgow, Scotland depicting the subjects of famous artworks wearing masks. The UK imposed heavy restrictions in December after a new variant of the virus, now referred to as the "British variant," began to circulate rapidly.

This work of art is on the side of a hospital in Thessaloniki, where medical and nursing staff first tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the summer of 2020. Cases are currently on the rise in both cities, which have been in strict lockdown since November.

In the past year, many of us have likely pondered hygienic practices more than ever. Members of the Senegalese graffiti collective RBS CREW tag a wall of the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar with a graffiti representing a man sneezing into his flexed elbow, as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 virus.

An Indian resident wearing a facemask walks past a graffiti of the Buddha also wearing a similar blue surgical mask. Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who lives in northern India, was given the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine on March 6 and urged others to do the same.

A mural by artist Emma Blake mimics the famous "We can do it!" American wartime poster. In the war against the virus, the battle is being fought in hospitals around the world by healthcare workers like the one depicted in this painting found in Dublin, Ireland.

When former US President Donald Trump was in office, he initially downplayed the seriousness of the virus and at one point even suggested injecting disinfectant could cure it. A mural mocking the former president was painted by street artist Pure Genius in New York City.

A graffiti featuring Albert Einstein wearing a mask by artist Kate Tully is displayed in Prospect Heights, Illinois. Although the pandemic hit the US hard, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths so far, it is currently leading Europe in vaccine distribution.

A girl wearing a mask holding a heart painted with the colors of the Dutch flag was painted as a sign of hope for those suffering from the coronavirus and its effects. In January and February violent clashes broke out between riot police and Dutch residents angry about new coronavirus restrictions.

Residents wearing masks walk past a mean-looking coronavirus which is clearly unwelcome in Nairobi, Kenya, where it was painted. Kenya is currently distributing the AstraZeneca vaccine, making it the first East African nation to receive the vaccination.