What a year it was – spent indoors! A rare but cataclysmic occurrence jostled people’s lives worldwide at the beginning of the year. The pandemic, Covid-19, has progressed through its various stages, becoming a global burden, and resulting in social and economic upheaval, hence redefining lifestyle.
At the very outset, the changes the pandemic brought about were based on the demographic section it impacted most. After a few months though, governments were on the defensive and went into a complete lockdown phase at the beginning of March.
The entirety of our planet experienced unprecedented challenges due to this terrifying medical upheaval. Unlike any other global crisis in the recent past, it has confined people across the world to their homes indefinitely with no tentative idea of when they will be able to return to life as they knew it.
Staying home has become imperative, so much, that it has taken on the type of patriotic obligation usually reserved for times of war. With social distancing becoming the new norm, life has been driven online. With education drifting entirely onto the internet, work, banking, shopping, marketing, entertainment, and countless other ventures solely reliant on the web, the biggest change is not how much time we spend on the internet but rather how everyone spends it.
These perilous times have undoubtedly made the world a smaller place but have also inconvenienced and displaced the lives of several people. They have lost their jobs, and millions of people who do not have access to fast broadband internet cannot afford proper education for their children. The lockdown orders imposed at the advent left many families stranded without a proper support system or a way to plan necessities. Companies shut down production facilities and cut down on their expenses. Food joints and several other small businesses were forced to terminate business. There was a significant slowdown of the world economy, and we were faced with the harsh reality of what the picture would look like if every person on the planet only bought what they needed.
Millions of lives were claimed, and several others were impacted. The novelty of the disease warranted for a situation where the government and the doctors alike watched helplessly as health deteriorated rapidly. The world was transforming to an environment functioning remotely but front-line workers including doctors, nurses, drivers, janitors, and volunteers were severely prone to risk, more than ever.
While the economic changes and those in the state of wellbeing were substantial, the social challenges are not to be discounted. In countries like the U.S., juveniles, law-offenders, and criminals alike were released from the prisons because they could not be accounted for. Every public place was barred from entering and public gatherings were banned. Hotels, trains, camping grounds and hospitals were evacuated for makeshift treatment facilities. The general wellbeing of the society: their satisfaction and interest in life, the energy levels, depression or buoyancy, the control of emotions and behaviour were all impacted in a profound way.
Despite all these challenges, the pandemic can be regarded as a double-edged sword. In light of all these changes it brought about, the greater conundrum of climate change was overlooked to a large extent. But during these times, when the entirety of the population retreated into their hideouts, the environment had the opportunity for a respite. Pollution levels in New Delhi for example, dropped down to a level that was unseen by the city in nearly a decade. Some made the best of this time and worked on self-care: exercising, improving dietary habits, and transforming themselves. People spent this time to explore new hobbies and rediscovering their interests; time otherwise spent in daily unavoidable chores like driving in traffic.
This illness has undeniably claimed many lives but has also given everyone a chance to regroup and spend time with their families. While the circumstances are regrettable, it goes without saying that staying with loved ones has enabled parents to pay some undivided attention to their children and aided in the care for the elderly.
So, in times like these where the cyber space is lit up like a New Year night, the world is as close to a standstill as possible, while being functional. It is therefore prudent to make the best of this brief respite to take necessary precautions, rebuild the world economy, and work towards the collective recovery from the socio-economic issues this disease has added to. And before time passes enough to make the pain a memory, each one of us has the power to help, and what you do will make the world or break it; this time, once and for all.
Written by Sai Keerti (1st Year)
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