2020 vs 2021: How has our idea of the Coronavirus disease changed in the U.S?
Many of us look back to 2020 and say that it was a horrible year, but nothing has really changed when talking about Coronavirus statistics. It is still spreading, people are still dying, and some countries are still in desperate situations. The Coronavirus has changed many people’s ideas and plans about social events and life, but how and why has that changed after a year?
March — April, 2020: COVID-19 had reached the U.S, many of us stockpiled on PPE and sanitizing products. We were forced to stay at home, a lock-down. A fear had embedded into all of us, and many of us asked a disturbing and burning question, “Will life ever be the same again?”.
At home, I pondered not about when this will end, but the lasting effects of this. I was scared that even after decades, our fear will not parish, offices will stay closed, large gatherings will rarely happen, and we will have to do with virtual learning, meetings, and other digital replacements for gatherings. No matter where I went, I will always have to be limited in what I do, knowing that the virus is still co-existing with us. And all of this is not even taking into the thought that the virus might bring about the end of humanity. The virus had the power to spread to the whole population of Earth and leave only a few to survive, potentially causing the end of civilization.
June, 2021: Vaccines are released throughout the globe, and about half of the population of the U.S are fully vaccinated. Although other countries like India and Brazil are struggling to stabilize the proliferation of Coronavirus cases, the U.S seems to be slowing down in the rate of cases and is vaccinating much of the population, with approximately 317 million doses being given and 149 million people being fully vaccinated. Millions of people are finally going on vacations and participating in gatherings. At this point, re-opening the nation is finally working.
As of June, me and my family have come to Vegas for vacation, and we see a lot of differences. The biggest and the foremost of the differences is that masks are largely being neglected. The majority of the people here in Vegas go around different hotels and buildings without masks or any sort of PPE. Also, even thought they’re there, social distancing guidelines are also not being followed by the people here.
An example of this is that there are designated spots for people to stand when they are in queue, but most of tourists don’t follow this rule. These are just some of the differences, and this also shows how our ideas have changed since, including mine, a paranoid kid worried trying to take precautions at all times and worrying that this virus will end the world.
2020 vs. 2021:
2021 has brought significant changes. In 2020, we believed believed that the virus was deadly and extremely contagious, which was true. But now, the following year, our fear seems to have been mostly diminished. This is because restrictions in public places have become more loose, vaccinations are effective and boosting confidence in people to get outside more often.
For my family, we only meet with others if they are at least partially vaccinated. Even my dad and my mom, who were extra cautious in 2020, have started to take off their coverings in places like hotels and shops. I am very ambivalent of our development into re-opening and taking off masks, I like that we are getting back into our normal lives, but I still moderately oppose it, because the virus is just as deadly as it was back in 2020, and if Americans lower their guard, the U.S could be in the same situation as countries like India.
To sum up, the American mindset has changed about COVID-19, people are becoming more free. It seems to me that people are now co-existing with the virus, knowing that it isn’t leaving anytime soon. 2021 is turning out to be a better and more enjoyable year for us because of vaccinations, restrictions, and better control over the virus.
Citations:
Image, Coronavirus — FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
Information and Statistics — Our World In Data