Introduction
The outbreak of the infection, which has spread rapidly around the world, has affected people’s lives. Coronavirus is an acute viral disease characterized by predominant damage to the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract. Meanwhile, coronavirus is a zoonotic infection that can be transmitted to humans from animals (Covid-19 Parental Resources, 2022). Governments of many countries are forced to introduce strict measures restricting physical communication of people, lockdowns, and quarantines. Thus, this has affected the ability to transport, study, work, and travel. Therefore, it is essential to establish how people’s lives have changed after the COVID-19 pandemic and compare it with other pandemics.
Information about COVID-19 and Its Impact on People’s Lives
It is essential to mention that COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. It was first detected in patients with severe respiratory disorders in December 2019 in Wuhan, China (Covid-19 Parental Resources, 2022). Moreover, COVID-19 mainly affects the respiratory system and, in severe cases, causes severe pneumonia and can lead to death. The virus is transmitted by droplets of secretions during coughing, sneezing, and talking. It threatens individuals in close or prolonged contact with an infected person. COVID-19 has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the United States (COVID-19 Parental Resources, 2022). At the same time, this virus has affected the lives of all humans in the world.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed people’s lives and forced them to adapt to new conditions, affecting jobs and incomes and even things like lifestyles, leisure, and communication. School closings due to COVID-19 have caused significant disruption to education services across Europe and the world (Osofsky 468). At the same time, educational institutions have begun to adapt to the pandemic and have introduced online learning. Thus, pupils and students were able to gain knowledge without leaving home, which was a necessary measure to stop the outbreak (Osofsky 468). However, online learning and online work had a negative impact on the emotional and psychological state of people who were isolated. Accordingly, people began to search for solutions to these problems and, therefore, began to actively use social networks and online conferences to communicate with family and friends using video.
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted many sectors, such as tourism, health, and trade. The pandemic also severely disrupted the economic industry as its supply chain was severely affected. People worldwide have felt what it is like to break chains and have realized all the weaknesses of globalization. An excessive number of suppliers “spread around the world” made manufacturers dependent on lockdowns in each region (Osofsky 468). Thus, the regionalization of supply chains began, which continues to this day. Accordingly, most countries have established effective ways of supplying goods from neighboring countries or have created their production of critical goods (Pence 287). This is needed in order to reduce the deficit in case of a new wave of COVID-19 infection.
Furthermore, another significant restriction for people was the travel ban and additional quarantine measures. Accordingly, people wore masks to protect themselves from the virus and kept a distance in stores. Moreover, most restaurants and establishments that were previously popular closed their doors to visitors (Osofsky 468).
Thus, people changed their lifestyles and could devote more time to personal development. It is also worth noting that communication between states and sometimes even between cities was limited. This was required in order to stop the spread of the infection (Osofsky 468). Thus, people could not travel for some time, and after the decrease in COVID-19 cases, they adhered to certain rules in order to travel. For example, vaccination or a negative test is required in order to travel abroad (Osofsky 468). Accordingly, human life has changed fundamentally; it has become isolated.
Additionally, the COVID-19 outbreak has changed the attitude of people and governments towards healthcare. During the peak of the pandemic, people lacked medicines, hospital beds and ventilators. Consequently, due to the limited availability of these resources and the large number of individuals who could use them, some people were unable to receive the care they needed (Impact of COVID-19 on People’s Livelihoods, n.d.). After the COVID-19 cases reversed, people began to respect the work of doctors, and governments allocated significant funds to finance the medical sector.
Comparison with Previous Virus Outbreaks
It is important to emphasize that humanity, throughout its development, has not been confronted with the spread of infectious diseases on a one-time basis. For example, just over 100 years ago, shortly after the end of World War I, the so-called Spanish Flu resulted in at least 50 million deaths worldwide (Pence 15). Spanish Flu was produced by unsanitary conditions on the Western Front, especially in the trenches and trenches along the French border, poor nutrition, and overcrowding in military camps and refugee camps (Pence 15).
The war ended in November 1918; soldiers began returning home, bringing with them the deadly virus. The COVID-19 outbreak began in China, and scientists admit that the covid infected people. Many of those who died from COVID-19 developed some form of pneumonia because the human immune system was already weakened from fighting the virus (Pence 15). This is similar to what happened during the Spanish flu pandemic, although it should be emphasized that the mortality rate from COVID-19 is many times lower than from the Spanish Flu.
The number of deaths from COVID-19 is much higher than from the deadly hemorrhagic Ebola, which was first noticed in 1976. The last major outbreak of Ebola killed nearly 2,300 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo between August 2018 and June 2020 (Pence 36). About 15,300 people have died in four decades due to recurrent Ebola outbreaks, all of which have occurred in Africa. The Ebola virus causes a much higher mortality rate than COVID-19: about 50% of infected individuals die from it (Pence 36). Nevertheless, Ebola is less contagious than other viral diseases, primarily because airborne droplets do not transmit it but only through direct and close contact.
Conclusion
Hence, COVID-19 will have a quick but significant impact on people’s lives. People found themselves in isolation and were able to adapt to it, i.e. study and work remotely. Moreover, restrictions in transport did not allow citizens to travel, even now, there are quarantine rules and regulations that are mandatory. Moreover, the pandemic outbreak has demonstrated the importance of the healthcare sector and the professionalism of healthcare workers. Compared to other infectious diseases, COVID-19, Ebola was less contagious, although most people who were infected with it died. Also, Spanish Flu caused a much higher number of deaths than COVID-19 and arose due to unsanitary conditions.
Works Cited
“Covid-19 Parental Resources Kit – Young Adulthood.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022. Web.
“Impact of Covid-19 on People’s Livelihoods, Their Health and Our Food Systems.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, n.d. Web.
Osofsky, Joy. et al. “Psychological and Social Impact of COVID-19.” Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, vol. 12, no. 5, 2020, p. 468.
Pence, Gregory Eugene. Pandemic Bioethics. Broadview Press, 2021.