This past year has caused major changes in the lives of everyone. Before Coronavirus Disease 2019, also known as COVID-19, everyone lived a what we call “normal” life. Masks weren’t mandatory. There wasn’t a shortage in food and cleaning supplies. Social gatherings weren’t dangerous. America had the lowest employment rate in history, and children were able to get a good education. Not many people were as stressed as they are now. Since then, everything has changed.
Before COVID-19, the thought of even wearing a mask never came up. The only time someone was seen wearing a mask were times like Halloween or protection from things like dust and grass. Now, it is mandatory everywhere people go. In some places, you can even get arrested if you are in public without one.
Grocery stores used to be fully stocked with food and utilities, and they were also cheaper. When people started hearing about COVID-19, they immediately panicked and raided grocery stores. It was almost impossible to find utilities, such as toilet paper. Although grocery stores have more things in stock, there are still a few things that are almost impossible to find, such as cleaning supplies. Prices have also risen due to supply and demand.
Parties, movies, concerts, sport events, and any other type of social gathering were accepted up until COVID-19 hit. People could hang out or go out without there being restrictions. Now, everyone has to social distance and maintain six feet apart. Not only do groups have to social distance, they have to be in small groups. In most places, it can not be more than ten people a group. Most places such as the movies and social gatherings are now able to attend, but there are still rules, which makes it hard.
Since 2016, unemployment rates have been the lowest they have ever been. The unemployment rate was 4.7 percent. Because of COVID-19, unemployment rates rose higher in in three months than it did in two years of the Great Recession. In April of 2020, unemployment rates were at 14.4 percent. Most businesses, if not all, had to shut down in all states. As of now, unemployment rates have risen, due to businesses opening back up. However, it is still hard for some unemployed people to find a job.
Teachers used to be able to teach their classes like normal, and students used to be able to walk the halls, communicate with their friends in class, and have a normal school life. No one expected that after February, schools would be shut down. After schools shut down, teachers had to teach through Zoom or any type of face group chat, and assignments had to be put online. In most states, schools have opened back up for this school year, but it’s completely different. Teachers and students have to social distance and wear masks. Some schools don’t allow them to eat lunch in the cafeteria. Instead, they have to bring it back to class. Social distancing must be practiced in hallways as well.
Stress is a part of life. Everyone feels stressed at some point. With COVID-19, and the rules that go with it, stress levels have risen for many different reasons. Business owners have been stressed out, due to high demands and money. A lot of businesses were closed down, meaning many people were out of a job for the time being or lost their job. This put a lot of stress on these people, because they weren’t sure how they were going to pay for bills or provide food for their families. Although most got money for unemployment, it wasn’t enough to cover bills and food. Back in February when schools and daycares started to shut down, a lot of parents still had to work (if their workplace was not shut down). This caused a lot of stress for parents with young children, because they did not know who was going to watch their kids and how they were going to get an education. Not all children have computers or access to internet. Teachers knew this, and it was one reason they got stressed out. Teachers also had to change all their class plans and learn how to put them online, as well as learning how to work Zoom. Students had to do all their work online and attend Zoom meetings. This was stressful, because most students are used to an in-person learning environment. Changing this was hard.
Life before COVID-19 was so much easier. It has brought a lot of changes that were and still are hard to adjust to. Masks, groceries supply and prices, adjustments in social gatherings, unemployment, new way of school, and stress has all been huge changes since COVID-19, but it is getting easier. We will get through this.
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