Some Social, Psychological, And Cultural Impacts Of The Coronavirus Lingers

Things have changed, in some cases dramatically, and not for better. Recently, while walking along the avenue, something I often do, the year 2020 came to mind. The nation and the world were in the throes of having to confront an unexpected threat. 

There was no public warning, as far as I can recall; there were reports of the victims of a virus with flu-like symptoms that was spreading. The numbers of the stricken began to increase substantially, until this silent deadly killer, the coronavirus, COVID-19, a gift from China, would take the lives of millions of people worldwide. 

Leadership that most of us placed our trust in and looked to for guidance seemed lost and indecisive. They would have to rely on the medical community to explain what we were dealing with and the path forward. Each day President Trump, along with representatives from the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control, would extrapolate from the information they had in order to implement remedial action and respond to any questions from the people and media.

There were a number of repercussions that ensued as a result of the directions and mandates issued by the government and medical community. The closure of churches, schools, and businesses, the use of face masks, and observing a “social-distancing” from one another of at least six feet became part of daily routines. Students and office workers were forced to fulfill their responsibilities online, and often do so from home. This created problems, especially for working parents who could not monitor their children’s activities.

The streets of major cities and towns across the nation became deserted, as residents fearful of catching the virus remained indoors. Looking back and considering how people were uncertain and changed their lifestyle at the direction of leadership and the so-called experts, I now believe it was a significant mistake. It is apparent how it has had a detrimental physical, social, and psychological effect, especially on the young. School attendance is at record lows, and many business offices are still empty.

Studies have shown that students, school-aged children, are having difficulty in making a transition back to what was considered the normal and conventional method of learning in the classroom before the virus struck. Adapting in the aftermath and reestablishing social connections with their peers has been stymied. Their young minds are confused, and absorbing information has become troublesome, caused by absence from the classroom.

So as I walk along the avenue and the streets of this city, I pass by still empty businesses. The once-thriving delicatessen, convenience store, and eateries that I patronized are dark, empty, and lifeless, their facades decaying. Faces along the way are unfamiliar, people I once knew are gone; hopefully, they have found new horizons. With the influx of illegal migrants, different languages are spoken, some of which I recognize, but others are alien.

Many of the workers in the businesses that are still thriving have no command of the English language, so communicating can be difficult. As the effects of the virus began to wind down, there has been a dramatic increase of unlicensed motorized scooters on the streets. Most are driven by young people clothed in black attire, their faces hidden behind darkened shields; they have been shown to pose a threat to pedestrians. There has been a rash of fires caused by the batteries these vehicles use.

Thankfully, there was one positive result that manifested itself out of all the misery people lived through. Within a year of the outbreak, through the combined effort of the president and the business community, specifically the drug industry, a series of vaccines were developed. They neutralized the virus, for the most part, and stabilized the outbreak, saving an untold number of lives.

As for me, I will continue to walk this city's avenues and streets, looking for what once was, and searching for a familiar face.