Cities aren’t in lockdown, mask mandates no longer exist, and we no longer see daily death and hospitalization counts on the news. The world feels like it’s completely back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.
But it’s not. COVID-19 still affects all of us.
I know several people who caught COVID-19 for the first time as recently as last year. Some people I know have even caught it more than once. Some people still live with long COVID symptoms, despite catching the illness years ago now. And others live with losses from the virus, knowing that their family members and friends should still be here. Although I luckily have not had COVID-19, it took my brother, David, from me two years ago. He was young and healthy and should still be here, but now, my life and my family’s lives will never be the same.
The most frustrating thing about the way we approach COVID-19 now is that it no longer makes the news, people no longer mask, and everyone seems to think that life is back to “normal.” However, COVID-19 still has deadly effects — the virus kills nearly 10,000 people per month. To make matters worse, the illness still spikes during the holiday season every year, and deaths always increase during these times. There’s nothing worse than losing someone you love to a deadly virus, especially during the holidays.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed all of our lives, and living through so many store closures and mask mandates felt inconvenient to many.
But these measures existed for a reason, and they saved lives. We may not have as many mandatory protections, but COVID-19 still exists, and it’s as dangerous as ever. People will contract this life-threatening illness. Some will die. And life will never be the same for the families that this deadly virus will continue to impact. But even though we rallied around health care workers, masked up, and kept ourselves safe in the beginning, fewer and fewer people seem to care about COVID-19 as time goes on.
I’m glad that not everyone has to experience the aftermath of loss from COVID-19. But in order to prevent these losses, we have to come to terms with the fact that this virus is far from over. For the sake of others, take precautions against illness and spread awareness about the prevalence of COVID-19. You won’t just protect your community; you’ll also save lives.
Featured Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash.
