NASA astronaut says she will 'feel more isolated' on earth than in space due to COVID-19

NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir, who has been in space for seven months, said on Friday that she is going to "feel more isolated on the Earth" than in space when she returns on April 17 during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think I will actually feel more isolated on the earth than I did up here, just because that's part of our expected routine up here and we're so busy with so many other amazing pursuits," Meir said during a news conference from the International Space Station with Expedition 62 astronauts Chris Cassidy and Andrew Morgan.

"And we have this incredible vantage point of the earth below that we don't really feel as much of that isolation when you're back in your homes in the kind of isolation that everybody is dealing with right now," Meir added.

She continued, "You can see all of those things or all those people but you just can't do anything with them or experience them at all. I think that makes it even more difficult. So we'll see how it goes and how I adjust but it will of course be wonderful to see some family and friends at least virtually and from a distance for now."

Meir described her experience in space during the pandemic as "quite surreal" as the health situation continues "unfolding" below.

"We can tell you that the earth still looks just as stunning as always from up here so it's difficult to believe all the changes that have taken place since both of us have been up here," she said, referring to Cassidy. 

"I think for me, it'll still be nice to go back and to see some familiar places and some familiar faces. It certainly will be very difficult for me to not be able to give some hugs to my family and friends. That's something after being up here for seven months and being the type of person that I am, it is going to be difficult for me to do that but I know that'll be part of the game for a while," Meir also said.

Morgan gave some tips to Americans who are staying inside due to coronavirus.

"Isolation is something that we're very good at and I know that everyone on earth is experiencing that in a new way right now. I think one of the most important things is to live by a routine; that's what we do up here," Morgan said. "We have a schedule and we follow it to the T and make sure that we're the most efficient, most effective with our time, our exercise, our personal hygiene or sleep – everything is scheduled out so sticking to a schedule is very important."

Morgan also mentioned "being a good crew mate" and "thinking about how your actions affect the actions of others" as something that "applies very well to the situation on Earth" at the moment.

"It's something we do all the time up here and are constantly evaluating to make sure that we're respectful of others at all times and that can be very tough to do when you're living for a long time in close quarters," he said.