One year ago
One year ago, when the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, I wrote my first post about it. I knew that historically pandemics last for several years. I realize now, though, that I did not honestly believe it would last this long, not "in this day and age”. It is interesting to read my thoughts when I didn’t know what I know now. We are learning what it feels like when history repeats itself.
Year two
As we enter year two of the pandemic, wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer is second nature. We learned the Coronavirus lingo:
- self-isolation
- quarantine
- your bubble
- social distancing
- flattening the curve
- PPE
- herd immunity
Humans can adjust to fluid situations; we are stronger than we think.
The images of the last year will remain with me. Schools and businesses closed, recreational activities shutdown, planes and ships sitting empty and deserted city streets.
The emotional toll on families
It has been challenging for families with loved ones in long-term care. Mom found it too windy for summer outside visits. She wanted her visitors to come back to her room instead of sitting outside. Her Parkinsons makes it hard for her to hold a phone, so that isn't a great option.
When you basically live the same day over and over, your concept of time becomes distorted. This year that was probably a bit of a blessing as she didn’t seem to be aware of how much time had gone by since I was allowed to visit. She was spared some of the heaviness you feel from prolonged separation and uncertainty.
I have become used to the screening and temperature checks when I enter the facility. Mom asked me when I was going to stop wearing a mask. I wasn't sure how to answer that question. It certainly detracts a lot from a visit when you can't see someone's smile or facial expressions.
General health of the population
The strain on medical resources and staff has been brutal. The news in January that a new variant of the Coronavirus was spreading was disheartening. The toll on the mental and general physical health of the population has been significant. Large numbers of people haven’t seen a doctor for a regular check-up since before the pandemic.
As of this writing:
- 120 M cases of coronavirus have been reported worldwide
- 2.65 M souls have been lost
- 68 M people have recovered.
- the most significant number of deaths has occurred in the over 75 age group with underlying health conditions
- countries hardest hit by the pandemic include the United States, Brazil and India
What will the future look like?
The need for financial relief for individuals and businesses continues. After a year of online shopping, will consumer purchasing habits return to what they were before? Will the retail industry be able to entice customers back into stores to shop in-person?
What will travel look like in the future? To attract travellers, the industry will have to offer lower prices on cruises, flights and rooms to get people back and build their confidence. Expectations travellers have about accommodations and cleanliness will be heightened.
It took months for people to adjust to staying home, working from home and living without the activities they were used to. Now many people realize they prefer working from home. Will the flexible workplaces that parents need be a continuing trend in the future? Dropping off and picking up young children from daycare, plus getting older ones to school, is a substantial financial and emotional strain on families.
School
The homeschooling experience has been somewhat traumatic for many parents. They have developed a whole new appreciation for teachers and those parents who chose to homeschool before the pandemic. Parents now understand why teachers, on occasion, give kids an extended recess or allow them to watch a movie.
Vaccine
We went from a year ago wondering when a vaccine would be developed to the start of vaccinations in January. Vaccinating began with essential health care workers, individuals at high-risk of contracting the virus, and long-term care residents. It is now being been distributed by age, oldest to youngest.
The history of the development of vaccines is fascinating. The first was for smallpox in 1796, eventually irradiating the disease. In 1896 vaccines against cholera and typhus were discovered. The 1920s through the 1940s saw the development of vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, the flu, polio and tuberculosis. The 1960s brought relief from measles, mumps and rubella.
Although cases of these illnesses still periodically appear worldwide, it is quite a feat that vaccines developed all those years ago are still used today. It is evident from our experience of the past year that vaccine development will be ongoing.
One good thing to come out of wearing masks, staying home and improved handwashing is reduced cases of other illnesses such as colds and flus.
Looking ahead
When is a pandemic declared over? It seems to be the most challenging question for the experts to answer. What criteria need to be met before this? We are starting to wonder what will happen once vaccinations are completed. What will the world look like then? What restrictions will we have going forward? Until there is a significant decrease in community transmission, the pandemic will continue. It is not a sprint but a marathon.
Generation C (COVID) is the moniker that has been given to the generation of children born between 2016 - 2035. The changes we're witnessing are so dramatic that even kids born years after the pandemic ends will still see it shaping their lives. A completely new world is defining them.
Our attitudes and outlooks moving forward will inevitably be different than they were going into the pandemic. They are based on our experiences over the last year. Many people are confused by the complicated and varied feelings they have had. Is it grief, anger, fear or resentment?
Saskatchewan is opening up again, lifting some restrictions. Gathering size limits are currently slightly larger than they were at Christmas, so that is good news for families.
We have almost made it through a pandemic riddled Saskatchewan winter and are looking forward to the renewed hope that spring brings. Hopefully, by this time next year, COVID-19 will be something we talk about in the past tense; only time will tell.
LINKS
March 2020 Blog Episode
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