It’s Been a Little Over a Year of COVID: What Have We Learned?

A little over one year ago, the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, and states began to issue mask mandates and stay-at-home orders. Unfortunately, this deadly virus has claimed over three million lives globally and nearly 566,000 nationally. 

On March 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide mandate forcing all Californians to stay at home except for essential jobs and necessary shopping. Shortly before this, people began to frantically hoard groceries, masks, and toilet paper. Despite the challenges the pandemic has brought, many have realized that all of these lessons, trends, and habits have changed our worldview. 

Some of the most important lessons, from my perspective, include lessons on misinformation and the importance of scientific knowledge and medical research. In addition, there have been trends in the increased usage of technology and an uptick in social media consumption and downloads. 

Misinformation

With the public relying on the media and internet to stay informed, misinformation has been prominent in influencing people’s actions towards public safety. 

“Misinformation has been particularly challenging during the pandemic in part due to the notoriety and reach of the individuals spreading it,” said Maimuna Majumder, a computational epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Some politicians and high-profile individuals have used their societal power to politicize and jeopardize the safety of our population. As a result, trusting the scientific community and its expertise has become ever more critical. 

The importance of scientific knowledge and medical research

In the end, science is the only thing that can save us from this pandemic going forward. It has provided us with a variety of vaccines in a short period of time that can potentially save millions of lives. Within the span of only nine months, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 200 Covid-19 vaccines were being developed and tested. Even with these incredible advancements in medical research, important questions still linger: How long does the vaccine’s protection last? How well does the vaccine protect against severe disease? Why aren’t the vaccines 100% effective? 

The widespread and increased usage of technology

Whether it be Zoom meetings, online movies, telemedicine, or ordering food from home, technology has dominated our lives for the past year. The pandemic has required most people to communicate and continue their jobs from home using the internet. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “internet services have seen rises in usage from 40% to 100%, compared to pre-lockdown levels.” Video meeting platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet have increased tenfold in their usage. Unfortunately, students and teachers alike have experienced the eye-tiring, brain-aching effects of long hours on Zoom, commonly referred to as ‘Zoom fatigue.’ Luckily, once this pandemic recedes, Zoom will be left in our rearview mirror. 

The uptick in social media downloads and usage

With the pandemic restricting our ability to interact in the ‘outside world,’ many people have resorted to communicating through social media. For instance, the app TikTok has blown up over the past year. According to Music Business Worldwide, TikTok was downloaded two million times during the week of March 16, 2020. Data from Kantar, an insights and consulting firm, revealed that both Facebook and Instagram saw a 40% increase in usage during the starting day of the pandemic. 

Senior Justin Wong reflects upon the lessons we have learned from one year of Covid-19, responding, “As a senior, I take every day as it comes. I try not to worry about the future and appreciate everything day-by-day. Obviously, it was hard not being able to see my classmates and friends, so it gave me a greater appreciation for them.” 

Overall, although this pandemic has brought us countless moments of hardship and grief, it has taught us vital lessons and revealed trends in human behavior that will help us improve our lives moving forward in America.