Covid-19
As told by a University Student
To say that Covid-19 changed our everyday lives would be a gross understatement.
On December 31st, 2019, Covid-19, a new strand of coronavirus was discovered by the rest of the world. By March 11th, it had been declared a global pandemic and had already altered lives all over the world.
With over 90 million cases and nearly 2 million deaths, as of January 13th, 2021, the novel coronavirus has altered the reality of many and changed how we interact with the world. Masks and 6ft social distancing have become a vital tool in the fight against the global pandemic, with entire countries going into lockdown nearly overnight. For many North American’s, the beginning of the pandemic seemed to resemble life changing events such as 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, both incidents that reshaped society and human interactions. The virus that has kept many indoors for months, has already drastically changed our society. Our relationships with each other, our relationship with the government and our relationship with the world in general have drastically shifted from the beginning of 2020.
One of the major losses during the pandemic has been that of human interaction. A loss of innocence, and complacently in this new world has taught us that being around others is a risk many are not willing, or able, to afford. Simple things, like handshakes and hugs have become a taboo subject and digital communication had taken over. The comfort of face-to-face interaction with others has been replaced with the greater comfort of solicitude and the promise of low infection rates.
By March 2021, an entire generation will have experienced what it is like to learn, work and live through a screen for a year. This complex paradox of online interactions ironically both allows and discourages communication, it creates more distance, but also encourages connections with others physically farther away.
Each generation, country, city, and person will emerge from the pandemic with a new story and viewpoint that is unimaginable to others. Students specifically, have had their lives altered dramatically. School, once a place to learn, socialize and be together, has been transformed into a trying number of hours staring at a screen and completing assignments. Young children can no longer learn the vital social skills that come from being and interacting with others, while teachers have been forced to adapt to a new method of teaching that may not encompass all students’ needs.
While it is still uncertain how the 2020 spring school closures affected student achievement and education, in one study it was estimated that students began the 2020–2021 term with only 60% of their required learning gains overall. A number far too low. University and college campuses, places where students from around the world are brought together, have been significantly impacted by pandemic. Classes have been essentially brought fully online creating a lot of certainty in the implications of a fully online curriculum. Dips in enrollment, both nationally and globally have left many students stranded and lack of housing and jobs have left many searching for a solution in a time where there is no answer. While most secondary education age students are among the least vulnerable to the virus, concerns about infecting loved ones, grades, credits and lost income are more than threatening. There is also a major increase in mental health crises, with students reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression has increased in staggering numbers. As many students have been forced to stay at home instead of traveling for school, there has been a detrimental effect on academics and mental health. With the world’s future uncertain the emotional distress and increased rates of mental health illness have taken over. Symptoms of anxiety and depression have increased, especially in young adults, along with high substance use and suicidal ideation rates during the pandemic.
Families have been split up, with no viable option for close contact. Patients sick or injured in hospital are not able to have their loved ones around, in some cases not even in life-or-death situations. Hospitals and medical personnel have been saddled with unfathomable tasks and risks they never signed up for, surmounting the risks of the general populations. Teachers, caregivers, store clerks, small business owners, employees, utility workers and medical professionals have all become vital front-line workers in the courageous fight against the invisible pandemic.
As a student myself, and a daughter of two front-line workers the change from last year to now is unfathomable. A year that began with ideations of a typical senior year were quickly shattered in the wake of covid-19. My school shut down and I began university online, essentially resorting to teaching myself 5 courses at once, despite the virtual help from teachers. I watched as members of my family became infected and my sisters’ lives changed. My mom, a social worker, began a new job at a mental health crisis center to fight the staggering rise in deteriorating mental health. My father, a doctor, worked overtime to help any and everyone affected by the virus.
The way we interact has shifted onto its head. While it was once considered risky to meet people online, it is now essentially the only acceptable form of communication. In under 365 days, the world as we knew it was changed. Masks and the absence of human interaction are some of the few ways to ensure safety in these uncertain times. Is the pandemic our new normal? Or is it up to us as people to continue to work together and fight it? Nothing these days is certain; the news looks constantly gloomy and threats of more crisis have rocked our idea of normalcy. But our experiences with Covid-19, as individuals and as a world have changed our outlook on life, both positively and negatively. Social change can come from many influences, as demonstrated by the whirlwind of a year we have experienced, but one thing is certain, things will eventually return to a new normal, how that looks and when that will be are essentially, up to us.
Abbigail Hollett
