Since its outbreak in 2019, COVID-19 pandemic has brought great suffering to humankind. The virus has led to a dramatic loss of life worldwide, and it still presents a significant threat to public health, food systems, and economic growth. In the United States, COVID-19 has created both public and private financial crises. While billions of dollars have been appropriated to fight this pandemic, it still dramatically impacts people’s livelihood across many residential areas. The pandemic has disrupted people’s lives and pushed hospitals to their capacity. Millions of people have been forced into extreme poverty due to job loss and business closure. There have also been increased mental health problems in the United States, with many patients suffering from trauma and depression from losing loved ones. The effects of COVID-19 on the economy and social setup are devastating.
The first case of the coronavirus disease was detected in Wuhan, China. From there, the virus spread to the rest of the world through close contacts. COVID-19 is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2, which is transmitted quickly among people (Seyedi et al. 254) This virus moves from one person to another through breathing in contaminated air. When an infected person sneezes to release droplets with this virus, someone can absorb the fluids thereby getting infected. The COVID-19 disease is easily transmitted when the symptoms are at their peak; however, it is also possible for an asymptomatic individual to transmit the virus. COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cold, cough, bone pain, and breathing problems that lead to pneumonia. The virus affects people differently, and the signs are displayed uniquely in individuals. The World Health Organization urges individuals with severe symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.
The outbreak of COVID-19 disease has created a significant impact on humankind. The pandemic has led to the loss of lives and disruption of normal day-to-day operations. When it first began, COVID-19 led to the closure of churches, recreational centers, and stadiums. COVID-19 has affected businesses, with over 6 million firms closed globally (Deb et al. 16). In the United States, the disease has led to the closure of over 6,000 small businesses, and people losing their jobs. Some people have resorted to self-employment for fear of contracting the virus at the workplace. By December 2020, 7.7 million people had lost their jobs, and there were still 4.2 million fewer jobs in the United States by October 2021 (Deb et al. 21). The United States’ unemployment rate tripled from 3.0% to 13.0% in the year 2020 due to COVID-19 (Deb et al. 14). This was the highest average unemployment rate in the history of the country.
COVID-19 has left a long-lasting effect on humankind, with the impact expected to endure longer. The pandemic has destroyed the economies of many third-world countries and disrupted the education systems. Governments have employed measures meant to help curb the spread of this virus and to keep citizens safe (Liu et al. 324). For example, several organizations in the United States have resorted to letting their employees work remotely. Sanitization and keeping self-hygiene are practiced globally today due to fear of contacting the virus. Sporting activities will never be the same again as strict rules have been employed to minimize the number of people entering the stadiums to watch these activities. Finally, the COVID-19 has led to increased online work and studies. Many people can now earn a living while working remotely from home; several students can also do their exams and take courses from the comfort of their homes.
COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted various sectors significantly across the word today. This pandemic has led to increased inequality in learning and disruption of learning activities in the education sector. In New York, for example, most of the schools were closed in the year 2020 when COVID-19 started. The pandemic changed the face of education across the state and the nation’s most extensive public school system (Shahzad et al. 815). During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to close schools and adjust to remote learning and new health and safety precautions and protocols. The data from the city education department showed that about 85% of the students attended online classes (Shahzad et al. 819). Students who could not participate in online courses were forced to repeat these classes. Exam dates and term activities have been altered to cover the lost sessions during the pandemic. Several students in the states who are coping with trauma, illness, and disruption will need more than a vaccine to address the fallout.
In conclusion, COVID-19 has dramatically affected many people’s lives worldwide. Apart from being a global pandemic and public health crisis, COVID-19 has significantly impacted the world’s economy. The increased employment rates and the disruptions in the manufacturing industry are some of the adverse effects of the disease. In the education sector, the pandemic has led to change in systems of learning. Learning and working from home is now a common practice as people fear contracting this deadly virus. While the World Health Organization tries to find out the best vaccine for this infection, individuals are urged to employ measures to minimize the spread of this disease.
Work Cited
Deb, Pragyan, et al. “The economic effects of Covid-19 containment measures.” Open Economies Review (2021): 1-32.
Liu, Feng, Meichang Wang, and Meina Zheng. “Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on global air quality and health.” Science of the Total Environment 755 (2021): 142533.
Seyedi, Seyed Javad, et al. “Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in pediatrics and the role of pediatricians: a systematic review.” Iran J Pediatr 30.2 (2020): e102784.
Shahzad, Arfan, et al. “Effects of COVID-19 in E-learning on higher education institution students: the group comparison between male and female.” Quality & quantity 55.3 (2021): 805-826.