COVID-19 is a contagious respiratory disease caused by a variant of the coronavirus that caused a global pandemic beginning in 2020. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. In an effort to contain the outbreak, many countries imposed mask mandates, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders that had a widespread impact on the economy, education, and mental health. Several vaccines were developed in the fall of 2020 to help slow the spread and reduce the severity of symptoms. As of December 2021, it is estimated that nearly 5.27 million people have died from the virus.

Zines are handmade publications that tend to focus on topics often ignored and overlooked by mainstream media. The low costs of creation and distribution make the format an accessible and personalized form of self-publishing. While not seen as a profitable endeavor, zines are often used as a tool to build a community of individuals who share the same interests. Zines traditionally consist of content that was cut, pasted, and copied for distribution, but the use of digital media and printing is becoming increasingly common in the 21st century.