A Tale of Two Pandemics
COVID-19 and COVID in 2021…
19 months into COVID-19 and I’ve realized that this pandemic has been divided into two notably different experiences. When it hit in March of 2020, there was panic about the disease itself, but it was relatively short and we quickly pivoted to how it would affect our daily lives. Offices, universities, and institutions went remote practically overnight coupled with social distancing and mask mandates from local governments. It was a stressful time (and still is), but I’ll be forever impressed with how so many businesses, including the one I’m in, not just survived, but flourished.
Between March and most of the fall, we got situated with the pandemic, and out of it came many pros. Work from home let people have more time with their immediate family in their day-to-day, and families would host Zoom calls with overseas relatives because everyone suddenly had more time (no work commutes!) and needed fun things to do. People were posting on social about what at-home activities they would do on weekends (yep, banana bread baking was a winner) and big events like at-home concerts (thanks, iHeartMedia) and remote commencements (thanks, Obama (no, really)) were popular. It was almost like a forced staycation and you had to get creative to not be bored (or just go in TikTok), but people also tried to promote togetherness through certain avenues. In a way, it brought us closer together even with lockdowns in place. There was a sort of novelty to this phase that I think surprised people.
It was also a time where we thought there was an “end” to the pandemic. Governors pushed out reopening dates and vaccine news gave hope of a return to something more normal (summer 2021 was the goal). We thought it was temporary. But, obviously, that’s not the case, and COVID itself may never go away.
This brings me to the second phase: we’re just in it. The novelty of the pandemic and work from home has been replaced with just another life routine, for better or for worse depending on who you ask. We’re in this kind of awkward gray area where we’re still mostly at home, but many parts of life have returned to in-person (like casual hangouts, going out to dinners, etc.). That’s mainly because the world hasn’t decided how much we should be remote, so we ask “how permanent is this?” Yes, COVID is still here and breakthrough cases will continue, but it’s not as alarming as before and people are learning to live with it (think: the zombies in TWD; they’re there, but it’s really about the humans). This isn’t bad. It’s just different. I’m not saying that our lives have changed that much, it’s that our energy has and along with our reaction to the pandemic. COVID in 2019 was a different COVID than COVID in 2021.
Now, this is not everyone’s experience, but it’s certainly one I have felt and heard around. The pandemic has and continues to affect everyone differently, whether it’s because of your profession, socioeconomic situation, or stage in life (not to mention the emotional toll). We can’t accommodate for everyone’s wants, but I’m hopeful that next year, we’ll find our way (or a way) towards something better.
