The first reports of outbreaks of coronavirus infection appeared in China in 2019. For a long time, scientists and doctors tried to assess the harm that COVID-19 causes to the human body. While the authorities took one measure after another to stop the spread of infection, and searched for a vaccine that could overcome the disease, people learned more about the coronavirus. Peoples’ understanding of it changed radically in some aspects. A wide variety of symptoms accompany COVID-19. For those who are ill in a severe form, the long-term consequences can be challenging: from scarring of the lung tissue and kidney failure to inflammation of the heart muscle, arrhythmia, and more. How the disease may affect people in the long term remains to be fully determined. This essay will observe the consequences that people have experienced and continue to participate in connection with the appearance of the coronavirus.
First, the coronavirus infection has a significant impact on the health and lives of people. Since coronavirus infections have a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing, they have undermined many people’s health. Zu et al. state that common symptoms of infection with this virus also include nausea, myalgia, and increased fatigue (16). In severe cases, coronavirus infection has led to pneumonia, kidney failure, and death. Some people suffered from the disease and were on the verge of life and death. Some people managed to overcome the disease and survive, while other died. Many had to watch the torment of relatives and friends caused by the infection, and others had to bury their people.
The disease is easily spread among people by airborne droplets, that is, through coughing, sneezing, and even just talking and breathing. Moreover, this virus can be transmitted by contact, namely through touching each other, as well as to objects of common use. In connection with the pandemic, people are advised to wear protective masks and gloves and follow basic hygiene requirements. In addition to these recommendations, a self-isolation regime was temporarily introduced. To prevent the spread of infection, people were revealed to stay at home and try not to go out and visit public places.
Second, new coronavirus pandemic has exposed the acute vulnerability workers worldwide. Companies stopped hiring, many employees were transferred to remote work, and some lost it altogether. According to Bartik et al., between February and April 2020, the unemployment rate reached 14.4%, which is about 50% more than the cumulative changes over two years during the Great Depression (4). Since a specific period, it was recommended to stay at home. In general, people were afraid to go out because many employees of public institutions were forced to leave their jobs, and the unemployment rate began to rise. Then, as time passed, many companies, due to decreased revenues, were forced to reduce the number of employees and optimize. This has led to an even more significant increase in unemployment and poverty.
Some people still managed to keep their jobs, but they were required to switch to remote work from home. This has affected the efficiency of their work, as for some, working from home has become more accessible and more comfortable than daily visits to the office. Others found such comfortable conditions relaxing, which caused a decrease in the efficiency of their work. Naturally, the reduced productivity of each employee could negatively affect the entire business as a whole.
Third, the coronavirus has a devastating impact on many areas of business. Some businessmen suffered terrible losses from the forced suspension of their business, and others had to close their organizations completely. The loss of about 3.3 million active business owners between February and April 2020 was the most significant drop in the history of the economy (Fairlie 6). As people became more vigilant about visiting public places and still preferred to stay at home, the income of many establishments, shops, and other companies decreased. During the period of self-isolation, people who rented premises for their business were forced to close their businesses temporarily. Still, the rent was not canceled, and the salary was not even reduced. That is, there was no income at all, and the expenses remained.
Some businessmen have found a way out of this situation by switching to remote customer service. For example, restaurants and grocery stores have created home delivery. Thanks to convenient websites, people can order food at home, and it will be delivered quickly, and the quality will be pretty high. The owners of shoe stores, clothing stores, children’s goods stores, and many others have also arrived. For some people, this format of shopping and eating has become even more comfortable than before. In self-isolation, people began to purchase subscriptions from companies that give access to many movies and TV series. These organizations have reduced prices and thus attracted a large number of new users of their services. People who could not withstand such competition or are unable to provide services at home have closed their businesses and are now forced to look for work or be in distress.
In conclusion, the coronavirus has caused great harm to the lives of many people. It has taken away business, work, income, health, and it has taken away the lives and loved ones of some. It is necessary to take all possible measures to preserve their health and help their relatives. People can find a job, wait for a better time, and open their own business again, but all this could be done only if their health is vital and their loved ones are also healthy.
References
Bartik, Alexander, et al. “Measuring the Labor Market at the Onset of the COVID-19 Crisis.” National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020, pp. 1-29.
Fairlie, Robert. “The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Business Owners: The First Three Months After Social-Distancing Restrictions.” National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020, pp. 1-28.
Zu, Yue Zi, et al. “Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Perspective from China.” Radiology, vol. 296, no. 2, 2020, pp. 15-25. Web.