Coronavirus Changed Our World

It is December 2022 and SARS-CoV-2 (better known as Coronavirus) that descended on the world in 2019 was still with us. At first it was considered as an epidemic, then it was declared a pandemic as it careened across the globe. For most of 2020, 2021 and 2022, we suffered high levels of anxiety, stress, grief and fear as we worked to prevent and control the spread of the virus.

Immunologists, epidemiologists and other research scientists worked against the clock to develop vaccines and other measures to save our lives. In the healthcare setting, leaders and staff endured endless planning meetings, ironing out supply issues related to personal protective equipment (PPE), the creation and implementation of new directives, policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the transmission of the virus. Planning and implementation were literally taking place simultaneously as procrastination could have disastrous consequences.

Social gatherings were limited. Special occasion celebrations - weddings, birthday parties were postponed, and graduation ceremonies were viewed on Zoom. Air travel and cruise line restrictions were put in place, restaurants and other businesses closed and unemployment was at its highest rate since the Great Recession. Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined this happening and feeling as isolated as we were then. How we longed for "normal" - and the way life used to be.

The pleasure of bringing a smile to the face of a stranger was gone. Now hidden behind a mask, who could see a smile. No chance of leisurely sharing a cup of coffee with a stranger at Starbucks while exchanging random thoughts and enjoying the aroma and ambience. I daresay that after so many months and years have passed, we should probably have concluded by now that life as we used to know it will never return. We have lost loved ones, friend, neighbors and icons and life will never be the same without them. But let us not lose hope. Let's do everything we can to heal our hearts, and muster courage and strength to protect ourselves and our environment.

#Wellness #Staying Healthy