March 11, 2020, referred to as “The Day Everything Changed”, marks the date when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. For many Americans, it was the day we realized that Coronavirus was no longer a hypothetical threat, but a frightening reality that was rapidly upending our lives. We all watched in shock as supply chain shortages crippled stores, schools closed, events were canceled, and travel plans were postponed. Though these things happened in a rapid succession, there were those of us who couldn’t fathom the idea of this pandemic lasting for more than a year. Now the new year has passed, and we are fast-approaching the two-year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s historical declaration. With the Omicron variant wreaking havoc in nearly every corner of the world, it seems we are back at square one, leaving us all with two big questions: Will society ever return to normal? And more importantly, will this pandemic ever end?
Medical experts are predicting that an endemic may be in sight as we head into the remainder of 2022. However, it’s very likely that we’ll never completely return to the normalcy of the pre-pandemic age. Remnants of the Covid-19 pandemic will remain for the foreseeable future, and we’ll subsequently have to adjust and reframe. This is something that we’ve already begun to do. In the initial months of the pandemic, it was so difficult for me to remember to grab a mask before leaving my home. Now, it’s like second-nature to me, and I rarely ever forget a mask. Prior to the pandemic, few people had heard of Zoom, but during lockdown and into the present, it became our primary source of communication for work, school, and social gatherings. Small things like this indicate that we are adjusting to a new environment. Throughout history, societies have learned to live with various illnesses and epidemics by reframing day-to-day behaviors, socially and politically. How we determine normality cannot always be based on the past, but on our level of comfortability in the present.
It’s also important to acknowledge that normalcy is completely subjective. We’ve all been impacted by this pandemic in some shape or form. How we determine what constitutes “going back to normal” is completely dependent on what our experience has been over these past two years. Some people have lost friends and loved ones to Covid-19; those lost lives can’t be recovered. There are the long-haulers who have had their lives upended by sickness; their health could be permanently altered. There are students who didn’t receive the opportunity to have a formal graduation or prom; these are moments that can’t be recovered. Personally, I’ve progressively witnessed parts of my life return to their pre-pandemic state. After spending the 2020-2021 school year online, returning to campus was a huge step towards normalcy for me. I’ve found a new appreciation in going to stores, restaurants, and engaging with people face-to-face. Though I’m optimistic for the future, I’m also very cautious. The world’s traumatic experience with COVID-19 is still, and will always be, a threat that lingers in my mind. It’s safe to say that the pandemic will not remain forever, but there will definitely be lasting effects that will always serve as a reminder for this time in history, and in order to move forward as a collective society, we will have to learn to adapt and grow.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.