MILWAUKEE— It has been exactly two years since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the United States and it has many Wisconsinites reflecting on the past 24 months. 

At Milwaukee’s 3rd Street Market Hall, people are once again making their way out in public, but as the omicron variant spreads, others are being more cautious than they were in months past. 

For some, memories of early 2020 seem like a long time ago. Patrick McGartland, who was sipping a cup of coffee at the market on Friday, said he remembers some strange times early on. 

“We began to experience the panic buying that took place, that was a different lifestyle," McGartland said. "My wife and I are both in our mid-70s and didn’t grow up with any significant panic set of circumstances.” 

Others we talked with at the market said the transition to virtual school and work were among the biggest transitions experienced over the past two years. ​The only thing that's certain for now, is all of this is subject to change, as the pandemic looks toward its junior year.