Pandemic — A Year Later

 Last March, in 2020, the world was put on lockdown in fear of a virus that was sweeping through humanity. The virus, named Covid-19, was a variant of the same coronavirus which causes the common cold and influenza, but was a stronger, more virulent variant.

  Fear spread as rapidly as the virus did. Suddenly, everyone was a suspicious character. People locked themselves in their homes and away from any social contact. Each home was an island unto itself. Businesses were shut down. Any form of interpersonal entertainment was canceled or postponed. People were asked to keep a 6 foot distance between them if they had to interact with others. Masks were recommended to prevent casual spreading from coughs or sneezing.

 It didn’t help that it hit during flu season, which is already more dangerous to those who are elderly or in poor health. Those vulnerable people were dying if they contracted it.

 Mostly people were afraid of the unknown. Although influenza killed those
same vulnerable people every year, this variant was unfamiliar. Who
knew what effect it would have on society after it ran it’s scourge
through the world? Even those who were not likely to die from it,
were afraid of it.

  At first, people were hopeful that in a few weeks, or even a couple of months, life would return to normal. Like the flu, it would run its course and then die down and we could go back to our jobs, our entertainment, our restaurants and our lives.

However, as the days and then the weeks passed it became obvious that life as we had known it was gone. Too many things had changed.

  The virus was the only thing you heard about on the news channels. Infection counts and death tolls were daily announcements. If it wasn’t news about the virus itself, it was news about how the virus affected something – a canceled sports event, another closed business or something similar.

Weeks passed into months and here we are a year later. A good portion of the population has been infected and either recovered or died. Some had little to no symptoms or discomfort. Others were in danger for their life before they took a turn for the better. Everyone knows someone who was touched by a death due to complications from Covid-19.

 In record time, vaccines were developed. Most vaccines take years of research and testing to be introduced to the public. These were available in less than a year. There are those who can’t wait to receive their shot. Others, for various reasons, don’t want anything to do with the vaccine.

 The only thing we can all agree on, is that life as we knew it will never return again. Small town businesses that have been passed down through generations will never reopen because they couldn’t recover from the mandatory shutdown. Events will have to run at limited capacity to allow for social distancing. Vulnerable people will continue to have their supplies delivered to their homes rather than risk infection by shopping themselves.  

 But, life goes on. It’s time for us to stop waiting for life to return to what we thought of as normal. It isn’t ever going to be as it was a few years ago. It’s time to start living again. We can’t hide from a virus forever. Once unleashed, it can’t be completely eradicated. It is now a part of our life, our world.

 We need to stop being afraid of other people. Many of us are suffering from a lack of social contact. Humans are social animals and it is just as important for our health and well being to interact physically and emotionally with other people. Suicide rates are up. There are higher rates of mental health illnesses. We know a little more about Covid-19. We can find safe ways to go back to loving our families and friends we have not seen or talked to or hugged in a year.  

 One year has passed. What will life look like in another year? In five years? What can we do to make the world a better, more loving place to live in?