It was only a month ago that April Smith, a pediatric home-care practical nurse, and her partner of 11 years, Matt Molchany, sole proprietor of Shards Recording Studio in South Bethlehem, purchased a new conversion van with hopes of planning a small trip with their mates in the Bethlehem-based indie rock band VoirVoir. Now they are dealing with the challenges of working in healthcare and owning a small business, respectively, paying their mortgage and the rent on Molchany’s studio.

“It’s a strange feeling just a week or so ago having been excitedly making plans for the future, but now it’s all up in the air,” Molchany said about the uncertainty that they, along with millions around the world, are dealing with.

COVID-19, the virus that has made its presence felt with a vengeance over the last several weeks here in the Lehigh Valley, has impacted the middle class in ways that a month ago seemed unimaginable. Smith has multiple clients she sees on a weekly basis. Her concerns regarding inadequate supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the possibility of being a carrier of the disease to her patients have left her trying to find a balance between maintaining as many hours as she can in this time of economic uncertainty while at the same time being mindful of the health and safety of herself, her family and her patients.

“This virus might just be a mild cold for me, but It’s scary to think I could get any of my compromised patients sick, as I work with several different families and PPE is scarce,” Smith said. “I feel like no one was prepared for something this big.”

Molchany, on the other hand, has seen his workload drastically drop, as he has voluntarily restricted his services to remote options only.

“After I complete my last pre-COVID-19 projects, I’m pretty much switching to pay-what-you can for remote mixing, mastering, and even remote drumming, because I don’t know the financial health of my clients and want to keep my services accessible by everyone,” he explained.

Molchany began Shards over a decade ago, working jobs on the side until his business recently became self-sustaining. His business model relies on consistent bookings from musicians of many different types. Committed to offering professional-quality recording, mixing and mastering at an artist-friendly price, his profit margins are slim even when he’s busy.

“I’m going to have to get creative and definitely change up what I offer and how,” he said.

As homeowners, Smith and Molchany are concerned with how and when they will be required to pay their monthly bills if this continues in the direction that it seemingly is.

“Like everyone else, we’re taking it day by day and just making sure we pay our bare minimums,” Smith said, unless creditors offer leniency.

Many states have announced that with the COVID-19 crisis affecting the income of so many people, there are new restrictions in place regarding the collection of debts and other payments. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court did rule March 18 that foreclosures would be suspended temporarily, but with the rapidly evolving trajectory of developments over the last several weeks, this announcement has done little to quell their uncertainty.

“Despite how bleak everything can seem, it was heartwarming to have some of my clients throw extra tips for work I did despite the fact that they’re going through the same hard time,” Molchany said. “We’re only going to get through this if we all watch out for each other.”