Life was drastically changed in 2020 when health and social interaction were fragile and dangerous. The respiratory infection, Coronavirus (COVID-19), affected all lives, whether one was infected or not, and launched a global crisis. Life during the COVID pandemic was historic, especially the change to online-only lives and prioritizing personal health with precaution. However, this paved the way for a more mindful and even better social space regarding hygiene.
Continue reading to look back at life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Online-Only Transitions
Daily life used to be constant face-to-face encounters, but the pandemic forced everyday life to shift to only online environments. Social interaction and isolation became prevalent, but life was still sustainable with the shift. For example, telehealth and remote healthcare appointments became prominent because of their safety and convenience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports “it expanded access to care, reduced disease exposure for staff and patients, and preserved scarce supplies.” The shift to online opened up new opportunities to maintain safety and a sense of normal life. Other transitions followed.
For instance, the food industry, education, work, and shopping replaced everyday life and maintained a suitable daily life. BigCommerce, an e-commerce software service, lists contactless payments and social media shopping as a notable pandemic trend. Health safety was the focus of everyday life during the pandemic, but it did open new avenues to maintaining more business, work, and education practices. Safety was the focus, but other activities took a toll from drastic changes such as travel.
Travel
The world became more isolated, and so did travel as the pandemic restricted it. As a result, travel became strict with quarantines and several health precautions. Other means, like VR Tours, could be seen as an alternative, but they don’t satisfy tourism. Brookings, a research institution, explains that “international tourist arrivals declined globally by 73 percent in 2020, with 1 billion fewer travelers compared to 2019.” The desire to expand one’s world was no longer available, severely affecting the airline industry. The world felt isolated and more minor, but as time passed, more information was learned about the virus and practicing proper health precautions.
COVID Resources & Information
Covid awareness was necessary during the pandemic, and resources like the CDC provided up-to-date information about proper health precautions. For example, washing one’s hands frequently and staying away from public gatherings was encouraged. The precautions were helpful, but they still drifted each other apart and nullified any sense of socialness and everyday life.
Conclusion
Life during the Covid pandemic will be seen as a historic event, but it was a year of struggle for health and social interaction. Travel was heavily impacted, making the world seem smaller and more isolated. However, health remained a priority over everything else, but daily life required caution and lacked almost any social interaction. The pandemic was historic and will be remembered as such.
For more about health, visit the rest of MagicFeet.club.