The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are here, and they are here to stay. Gina Kolata reminds us of this in her “New York Times” article, “Past Pandemics Remind Us Covid Will Be an Era, Not a Crisis That Fades.”
“The lingering psychological shock of having lived in prolonged fear of severe illness, isolation and painful death takes long to fade,” Kolata said.
She is right.
The world is still in a state of caution and confusion and on a large scale, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. “Should I travel?,” “Is this really over?,” and “Am I safe now?,” are paired with guidances, booster shots and changing travel restrictions. Despite the fact that vaccines are widely available and accessible across the U.S., COVID-19 cases continue to devastate large numbers, with a seven-day average of 83,576 new cases.
Everyone wants to pretend the pandemic is over. Ever since March 2020, the world has been reaching toward a “return to normalcy.” It is time to realize that that return is not possible. The irreversible damage has been done and the only thing to do is accept the fact that we are living in the “era” of COVID-19.
That is a tough pill to swallow. So difficult that it seems as though we are refusing to acknowledge the true state of things, moving full speed ahead, grasping for something that is not there.
Take for example this semester, classes are back in person, sporting events are happening and extracurriculars are back in full swing. While none of these are inherently negative, it has been an overwhelming adjustment from the three isolated, online semesters students have been used too.
The Oswegonian’s opinion editor, John Custodio asked, “How has the semester been so far?” for his staff question. Sports Editor, Jack Perdek, responded saying that things have been overwhelming.
“School and extracurriculars can be a lot at times,” Perdek said. “But for the most part I just take it one day at a time.”
Perdek brings up an important reminder. Sometimes the only way to get through things is to take it one day at a time. Instead of running around at top speed grasping for the “normal” lives that we once led, it is time to pause and focus on the present. While we may be unable to control the state of the world, we are at least able to control how we react and adapt to the world around us.
COVID-19 is not over. Cases may be lower than in previous months, the vaccine maybe more widely available now, but the human spirit has been impacted more than we could imagine. It is time to take things one day at a time and acknowledge this era for what it is, the COVID-19 era.
Photo from Flickr
