Reflecting on COVID-19 Five Years Later
By: Hanna Young
Recently we hit the five-year mark since COVID-19 became a concern in the United States, and it is time to reflect on that time period surrounding the lockdown, quarantine, masking, the impact all of this would have on so many people. What started out as a two week hiatus from school or a work from home period quickly ballooned into an impact that can still be seen. Prior to the start of the pandemic, when COVID was just a blip on the radar, there were so many people that were not concerned about the illness. This ended up being such a dark time for so many people there was a light that could be seen in all that darkness.
The usage of technology and social media made a huge leap during this time because there was a large push to move to remote and/or virtual learning. Most schools and businesses that could shifted to using Zoom or other online meetings/classes. This came with all assignments, projects, or tests being turned in or emailed to employers or teachers. While schools and business made the jump to remote, there was also a skyrocketing presence on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Everyone was trying to find ways to connect to each other without being able to see them face to face.
When you wanted to go out, this was met with mask mandates, as well as social distancing practices. The grocery stores, doctor offices, and other essential businesses were required to practice social distancing. These businesses put in sticker markers on the floors, along with plexiglass barriers, to force distancing practices. All public events were canceled, creating a dead time for anything that used to employ a communal setting, including concerts, sporting events, birthday parties, graduations, and most non-necessity stores or business (bars, coffee shops, etc.). It was also impossible to visit any relatives that might have been in a nursing home, hospital, or similar facility because of the fear of causing outbreaks in a population that did not have the capability to fight off an illness of this degree.
Not only were things canceled, but there were lots of things that became scarce during the lockdown. Hospitals treating COVID patients had a hard time getting in supplies to care for patients such as masks, gloves, and gowns. This transferred down to those that weren’t working in hospitals as well, finding masks, hand sanitizer, and even toilet paper became a challenge.
There were also precautions put into place once things started to work their way back to normal. There was contact tracing after being around someone that contracted COVID. Being in high school at the time, I remember that when one person tested positive, it almost always cut the class numbers in half. Not only did the person that ended up sick have to be quarantined, but so did the people that sat near them or came into contact with them for more than 15 minutes. The elementary classrooms at the school I graduated from put up plexiglass barriers on three of the four sides of the desks where the kids sat. Then there was the fear that came around one of your classmates testing positive and trying to figure out if you were in contact with that person. Or the fear that comes with contaminating loved ones because you just happened to sit next to someone that tested positive. Thankfully, the COVID vaccine started being distributed to those that were over a certain age or at higher risk of complications if they contracted the illness.
Even though it has been five years since the world seemingly paused, we still see some of the impacts to this day. Most schools will move to remote learning when there is bad weather, even some businesses have adopted this policy as well. There are a lot more remote or hybrid positions available to those that are looking for jobs as well. COVID has also taught so many people resilience, connectedness, and that ability to adapt. While COVID was a detrimental part of US history, its impact goes way beyond the lockdown and announcement of the illness.
After making our way through all the changes that COVID forced on us, it is important to look back on the times before the illness shut down so many normal functions. I have added in an article that was published by The Defender prior to COVID gauging student worries and thoughts prior to the shut down. This is an interesting article to reflect on because it shows just how much opinions and ideas changed throughout the pandemic.
