Prior to March of last year, a global pandemic that would affect every part of our lives wasn’t something many of us could conceive of. Yet, on March 11, 2020, the WHO (World Health Organization) characterized COVID-19 a pandemic.
Here’s a partial timeline of what has happened since then, according to Yale Medicine.
March 2020 — California becomes the first state to order all residents to stay home, with the exceptions of going to an essential job or shopping for essential needs.
April 2020 — People start wearing mask and practicing social distancing. Businesses shut down, schools close, sporting events are canceled, and college students go home.
May 2020 — Experts focus on flattening the curve. After months in lockdown, states slowly begin a phased reopening.
June 2020 — Efforts to reopen the economy leads to new cases, and the curve is not flattening.
July 2020 — The pandemic is causing an uptick in mental health issues, parents juggle working at home with caring for or homeschooling children, and young adults grow frustrated by isolation from friends and limited job prospects.
August 2020 — COVID-19 now is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. (after heart disease and cancer).
September 2020 — The school year opens with mix of plans to keep children and teachers safe, ranging from in-person classes to remote schooling to hybrid models.
October 2020 — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants full approval to a drug called remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19.
November 2020 — Cases rise again as cold weather drives more people indoors. The US begins to break records for daily cases and deaths.
December 2020 — The FDA grants Pfizer-BioNTech the first Emergency Use Authorization for an mRNA vaccine.
January 2021 — In the U.S., the number of cases and deaths begin to fall.
February 2021 — Vaccines are being distributed, but there is not yet enough supply to meet the demand.
During the pandemic, we could not visit our loved ones in the hospital. We could only have limited people at weddings, mine included. Funerals were limited to a certain number of people, such as immediate family members. People were isolated in their own homes, like my mother. Churches were closed. Parents were separated from their children. Suicide and mental health were growing at an alarming rate. Spouse and child abuse was skyrocketing.
What did we learn? People need to be touched, hugged and loved every day. As we all begin to find our new normal, let’s not forget that. Let’s remember to spend time with our loved ones, and show them how much we care.
Live inspired,
Jimmy
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