It was one year ago today that I started writing this blog. My name for it is “Corona Don’t Wanna Know Ya” because the coronavirus, later known as COVID-19, brought extreme changes to all our lives. Back in March, we had no idea of the overwhelming loss of life and devastating economic changes that were going to occur. Normalcy as we knew it ceased to exist. My first blog post was about witnessing the taking of wedding photos in a park. I wrote that it “reminded me that regardless of what the future holds, love is the answer. The love of couples, families, friends, neighbors, etc. is what makes life worthwhile. It is the spiritual salve that will heal us during tough times.” I still believe that; I think love has held us all together during this trying year. Now, people are starting to get vaccines; we can see a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. Finally, there is hope. Let’s learn more about COVID-19 and reflect on positive outcomes of the pandemic.
According to Wikipedia, the COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. In the first 50 days of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the virus having spread to two more countries outside China, most of the global community was not particularly worried, as the perception was that only those who had come into contact with the Wuhan seafood market, where the first case was thought to have occurred, had the highest probability of being infected. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on January 20, 2020, and later a pandemic on March 11, 2020. As of March 22, 2021, more than 123 million cases have been confirmed, with more than 2.72 million deaths attributed to COVID-19, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history.
Symptoms of COVID-19 are highly variable, ranging from none to life-threatening illness. The virus spreads mainly through the air when people are near each other. It leaves an infected person as they breathe, cough, sneeze or speak and enters another person via their mouth, nose or eyes. It may also spread via contaminated surfaces. People remain infectious for up to two weeks and can spread the virus even if they do not show symptoms.
Recommended preventive measures include social distancing, wearing face masks in public, ventilation and air-filtering, hand washing, covering one’s mouth when sneezing or coughing, disinfecting surfaces and monitoring and self-isolation for people exposed or symptomatic. Seeral vaccines are being developed and distributed. Current treatments focus on addressing symptoms while work is underway to develop therapeutic drugs that inhibit the virus. Authorities worldwide have responded by implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns, workplace hazard controls and facility closures. Many places have also worked to increase testing capacity and trace contacts of the infected.
The responses to the pandemic have resulted in significant global social and economic disruption, including the largest global recession since the Great Depression. The pandemic led to widespread supply shortages exacerbated by panic buying, agricultural disruption and food shortages and decreased emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, while responses included the postponement or cancellation of many events. Many educational institutions and public areas have been partially or fully closed. Misinformation has circulated through social media and mass media. The pandemic has raised issues of racial and geographic discrimination, health equity and the balance between public health imperatives and individual rights.
Movement of the Dow Jones Industrial Average between January 2017 and April 2020, showing the all-time high on February 12 and the subsequent crash during the COVID-19 pandemic
Financial crisis The global stock market crash began on February 20, 2020, although the economic aspects of the crisis began to materialize in late 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global markets, banks and businesses were all facing crises not seen since the Great Depression in 1929. From February 24-28, stock markets worldwide reported their largest one-week declines since the 2008 financial crisis, thus entering a correction. Global markets into early March became extremely volatile, with large swings occurring. On March 9, most global markets reported severe contractions, mainly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an oil price war between Russia and the OPEC countries led by Saudi Arabia. This became colloquially known as Black Monday I, and at the time was the worst drop since the Great Recession in 2008. Three days after Black Monday I there was another drop, Black Thursday, where stocks across Europe and North America fell more than 9%. Wall Street experienced its largest single-day percentage drop since Black Monday in 1987, and the FTSE MIB — benchmark stock market index for the Borsa Italiana — Italy’s stock market, fell nearly 17%, becoming the worst-hit market during Black Thursday. Despite a temporary rally on March 13 with markets posting their best day since 2008, all three Wall Street indexes fell more than 12% when markets re-opened on 16 March. During this time, one benchmark stock market index in all G7 countries and 14 of the G20 countries had been declared to be in bear markets.
Economic impact in U.S. Before the pandemic, there were signs of recession. The U.S. yield curve inverted in mid-2019, usually indicative of a forthcoming recession. Starting in March 2020, job loss was rapid. About 16 million jobs were lost in the United States in the three weeks ending on April 4. Unemployment claims reached a record high, with 3.3 million claims made in the week ending on March 21. The previous record had been 700,000 from 1982. The week ending March 28, however, unemployment claims set another record at 6.7 million and by May 13, new claims had topped 35 million. On May 8, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an official unemployment figure of 14.7%, the highest level recorded since 1941, with total unemployed plus marginally attached and part-time underemployed workers reaching 22.8%. For individual states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the highest official unemployment occurred in April 2020 in Nevada (30.1%), Michigan (24.0%) and Hawaii (23.8%), levels not seen since the Great Depression. This was followed by Rhode Island in April (18.1%), Massachusetts in June (17.7%) and Ohio in April (17.6%). By December 2020, unemployment rates for the highest three states were recovering: Nevada (9.2%), Michigan (7.5%) and Hawaii (9.3%), with seven other states having recovered to below 4.0%. However, a high percentage of those gains may have been part-time work; job gains in May 2020 were reported to be 40% part-time.
Restaurant patronage fell sharply across the country, and major airlines reduced their operations on a large scale. The Big Three car manufacturers all halted production. In April, construction of new homes dropped by 30%, reaching the lowest level in five years. Approximately 5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance from February to May 2020 after losing their jobs.
The St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index increased sharply from below zero to 5.8 during March 2020. The United States Department of Commerce reported that consumer spending fell by 7.5% during the month of March 2020. It was the largest monthly drop since recordkeeping began in 1959. As a result, the country's gross domestic product reduced at a rate of 4.8% during the first quarter of 2020. The largest economic stimulus legislation in American history, a $2 trillion package called the CARES Act, was signed into law March 27, 2020.
The Congressional Budget Office reported in May 2020 that:
· The unemployment rate increased from 3.5% in February to 14.7% in April, representing a decline of more than 25 million people employed, plus another 8 million persons that exited the labor force.
· Job declines were focused on industries that rely on "in-person interactions," such as retail, education, health services, leisure and hospitality. For example, 8 of the 17 million leisure and hospitality jobs were lost in March and April.
· The economic impact was expected to hit smaller and newer businesses harder, as they typically have less financial cushion.
· Real inflation-adjusted consumer spending fell 17% from February to April, as social distancing reached its peak. In April, car and light truck sales were 49% below the late 2019 monthly average. Mortgage applications fell 30% in April 2020 versus April 2019.
· Real GDP was forecast to fall at a nearly 38% annual rate in the second quarter, or 11.2% versus the prior quarter, with a return to positive quarter-to-quarter growth of 5.0% in Q3 and 2.5% in Q4 2020. However, real GDP was not expected to regain its Q4 2019 level until 2022 or later.
· The unemployment rate was forecast to average 11.5% in 2020 and 9.3% in 2021.
In June 2020, economic analyst Jim Cramer said that the response to the COVID-19 recession has led to one of the biggest transfers of wealth to the ultra-wealthy in modern history. On July 30, 2020, it was reported that the U.S. second quarter gross domestic product fell at an annualized rate of 33%.
Food insecurity
Unlike the Great Recession, it is expected that the COVID-19 recession will also affect the majority of developing nations. On April 21, 2020, the United Nations World Food Programme warned that a famine "of biblical proportions" was expected in several parts of the world as a result of the pandemic. The release of “2020 Global Report on Food Crises” indicated that 55 countries were at risk, with David Beasley estimating that in a worst-case scenario "about three dozen" countries would succumb to famine. This is particularly an issue in several countries affected by war, including the Yemeni civil war, Syrian civil war, insurgency in the Maghreb and the Afghanistan conflict, and occurs on a background of the 2019 locus infestations in East Africa. Nestlé S.A., PepsiCo Inc., United Nations Foundation Inc. and farmers' unions have written to the G20 for support in maintaining food distributions in order to prevent food shortages. It is estimated that double the number of people "will go hungry" when compared to pre-pandemic levels.
History 2019 On December 24, 2019, Wuhan Central Hospital sent a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or BAL sample from an unresolved clinical case to sequencing company Vision Medicals. On December 27 and 28, Vision Medicals informed the Wuhan Central Hospital and the Chinese CDC of the results of the test, showing a new coronavirus. A pneumonia cluster of unknown cause was observed on December 26 and treated by the doctor Zhang Jixian in Hubei Provincial Hospital, who informed the Wuhan Jianghan CDC on December 27.
On December 30, 2019, a test report addressed to Wuhan Central Hospital, from company CapitalBio Medlab, stated that there was an erroneous positive result for SARS, causing a group of doctors at Wuhan Central Hospital to alert their colleagues and relevant hospital authorities of the result. Eight of those doctors, including Li Wenliang — who was also punished on January 3 — were later admonished by the police for spreading false rumors; and another doctor, Ai Fen, was reprimanded by her superiors for raising the alarm. That evening, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission issued a notice to various medical institutions about "the treatment of pneumonia of unknown cause". The next day, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission made the first public announcement of a pneumonia outbreak of unknown cause, confirming 27 cases — enough to trigger an investigation. The following day, on December 31, the WHO learned about a cluster of viral pneumonia cases of an unknown cause in Wuhan. An investigation was launched at the start of January 2020.
According to official Chinese sources, the early cases were mostly linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which also sold live animals. However, in May 2020, George Gao, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said animal samples collected from the seafood market had tested negative for the virus, indicating the market was not the source of the initial outbreak.
2020 During the early stages of the outbreak, the number of cases doubled approximately every seven and a half days. In early and mid-January 2020, the virus spread to other Chinese provinces, helped by the Chinese New Year migration and Wuhan being a transport hub and major rail interchange. On 10 January, the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence data was shared through GISAID. On January 20, China reported nearly 140 new cases in one day, including two people in Beijing and one in Shenzhen. A retrospective official study published in March found that 6,174 people had already developed symptoms by January 20 — most of them would be diagnosed later — and more may have been infected. A report in “The Lancet” on January 24 indicated human transmission, strongly recommended personal protective equipment for health workers and said testing for the virus was essential due to its "pandemic potential." On January 30, 2020, with 7,818 confirmed cases across 19 countries, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and then a pandemic on March 11, 2020 as Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan reported increasing numbers of cases. On January 31, 2020, Italy had its first confirmed cases, two tourists from China. As of March 13, 2020, the WHO considered Europe the active center of the pandemic. On March 19, 2020, Italy overtook China as the country with the most reported deaths. By March 26, the United States had overtaken China and Italy with the highest number of confirmed cases in the world. Research on coronavirus genomes indicates the majority of COVID-19 cases in New York came from European travelers, rather than directly from China or any other Asian country. Retesting of prior samples found a person in France who had the virus on December 27, 2019 and a person in the United States who died from the disease on February 6, 2020.
On June 11, 2020, after 55 days without a locally transmitted case being officially reported, the city of Beijing reported a single COVID-19 case, followed by two more cases on June 12. As of June 15, 2020, 79 cases were officially confirmed. Most of these patients went to Xinfadi Wholesale Market.
On 29 June 2020, WHO warned that the spread of the virus was still accelerating as countries reopened their economies, despite many countries having made progress in slowing down the spread.
On July 15, 2020, one COVID-19 case was officially reported in Dalian, China in more than three months. The patient did not travel outside the city in the 14 days before developing symptoms nor did he have contact with people from "areas of attention."
In October 2020, the WHO stated, at a special meeting of WHO leaders, that one in ten people around the world may have been infected with COVID-19. At the time, that translated to 780 million people being infected, while only 35 million infections had been confirmed.
In early November 2020, Denmark reported on an outbreak of a unique mutated variant being transmitted to humans from minks in its North Jutland Region. All twelve human cases of the mutated variant were identified in September 2020. The WHO released a report saying the variant "had a combination of mutations or changes that have not been previously observed." In response, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen ordered for the country — the world's largest producer of mink fur — to cull its mink population by as many as 17 million.
On November 9, 2020, Pfizer released its trial results for a candidate vaccine, showing that it is 90% effective against the virus. Later that day, Novavax entered an FDA Fast Track application for their vaccine. Virologist and U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci indicated that the Pfizer vaccine targets the spike protein used to infect cells by the virus.
Some issues left to be answered are how long the vaccine offers protection, and if it offers the same level of protection to all ages. Initial doses will likely go to health care workers on the front lines.
On November 9, 2020 the United States surpassed 10 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, making it the country with the most cases worldwide by a large margin.
It was reported on November 27, that a publication released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the current numbers of viral infection are via confirmed laboratory test only. However, the true number could be about eight times the reported number; the report further indicated that the true number of virus infected cases could be around 100 million in the U.S.
On December 14, 2020, Public Health England reported a new variant had been discovered in the southeast of England, predominantly in Kent. The variant, named Variant of Concern 202012/01, showed changes to the spike protein which could make the virus more infectious. As of December 13, there were 1,108 cases identified. Many countries halted all flights from the UK; France-bound Eurotunnel service was suspended, and ferries carrying passengers and accompanied freight were cancelled as the French border closed to people on December 20.
2021 On 2 January, VOC-202012/01, a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first discovered in the UK, had been identified in 33 countries around the world, including Pakistan, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Norway, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, India, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland and China. On January 12, it was reported that a team of scientists from the World Health Organization would arrive in Wuhan on the 14th of the month; this is to ascertain the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and determine what were the intermediate hosts between the original reservoir and humans. On the following day, two of the WHO members were barred from entering China because, according to the country, antibodies for the virus were detected in both. On January 25, the Brazil variant was detected in Minnesota. On January 29, it was reported that the Novavax vaccine was only 49% effective against the 501.V2 variant in a clinical trial in South Africa. The China COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac indicated 50.4% effectivity in a Brazil clinical trial.
On March 12, it was reported that several countries including Thailand, Denmark, Bulgaria, Norway and Iceland had stopped using the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine due to what is being called severe blood clotting problems. Additionally, Austria halted the use of one batch of the aforementioned vaccine as well. As of March 23, more than 123 million cases have been reported worldwide due to COVID-19; more than 2.72 million have died and more than 70 million have recovered. The same day, the WHO and European Medicines Agency found no link between thrombus — a blood clot of clinical importance, leading several European countries to resume administering the AstraZeneca vaccine.
According to the April 22, 2020 article “Enough Bad News — 10 Positive Things to Come Out of the Coronavirus Pandemic” at lifesize.com, the “pause” in our normal, day-to-day existence created by the coronavirus has allowed the earth to take a deep breath. As a result, many have noticed striking changes in scenery and air quality due to the break from the hustle and bustle typically associated with urban living.
1. Air pollution is decreasing
Thanks to the significant reduction in road traffic, air traffic and industrial work, there has been a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions and climate pollutants. For this reason, cities are seeing a sharp decline in air pollution, with pollution levels dropping as much as 50% in parts of Europe. As skies continue to clear around the world, scientists, politicians and activists are already discussing how to sustain these positive changes long after the coronavirus pandemic has passed.
2. Nature is returning.
If you’ve even casually browsed social media lately, chances are you’ve seen some of the images of animals roaming through deserted streets. In addition to slowing the spread of COVID-19, a surprising side effect of social distancing has been the return of a variety of wildlife. With so many people staying indoors, some animals have reclaimed their natural habitats, while others seem to be using this time to graze and play while their newfound freedom allows.
3. Cleaner bodies of water
As one of the most beloved cities in the world, Venice, Italy, hosts tens of millions of visitors each year. But now, without gondolas, water taxis and cruise ships filling its famous waterways, Venetians have noticed a striking improvement in the quality of the canal water. While typically murky and muted, today the canals appear crystal clear, offering incredible visibility in shallower areas and allowing for the return of swans, fish and more.
Satellite images released by the European Space Agency show a change in Venice's canals from 2019 to 2020. The photo from April 19, 2019, shows the tourist hot spot's canals filled with boats. The photo from April 13, 2020, shows Venice's waters are a darker blue, and the canals are less trafficked. The change is likely because of Italy's coronavirus lockdown that went into effect in March to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Less boat traffic during the lockdown has allowed sediment to settle at the bottom of the waterways.
4. Reduced noise pollution
Without the buzz of cars, construction and city life, some reports are citing a considerable reduction in noise pollution This downturn can translate to positive health impacts, as exposure to chronic noise is connected to higher stress levels, hearing loss and high blood pressure. What’s more, these calmer soundscapes have unexpected benefits for birds, too; reductions in noise are linked with greater reproductive success and lower mortality rates for many breeds.
The noise reductions go deep – literally. Seismologists are reporting less seismic noise or vibrations in the Earth’s crust. Seismic noise caused by human activity in Brussels, for instance, is reported to be down by 1/3 compared to pre-lockdown levels. One benefit is that tools to detect earthquakes and other seismic activity can be more precise.
Even oceans are more tranquil, with cruises temporarily on hold. The decrease in ocean noise is likely to be decreasing, in turn, the stress hormone production of sea creatures.
5. Gardens are thriving.
While many people are now opting for grocery delivery services over visiting retail stores, others have begun planting gardens for the very first time. Beyond putting less strain on our environment than commercial farms, gardening is also proven to have therapeutic benefits. Planting your own herbs and vegetables is a great way to meet the needs of your family, as well as an opportunity to share with neighbors and nearby food banks.
6. Entrepreneurs and businesses are pitching in to assist.
A number of notable entrepreneurs and billionaires have been using their wealth for good by supporting health care workers worldwide. James Dyson, industrial designer and founder of the British technology company of the same name, committed his company’s staff and facilities to aid in pandemic relief within the United Kingdom. Access to ventilators is one of the greatest needs hospitals have, so the team at Dyson manufactured 15,000 ventilators to be utilized in lifesaving treatment.
In addition to ventilators, face masks are a form of personal protective equipment that has been hard to come by. Near the end of March, a handful of prominent tech billionaires announced they would be delivering millions of masks to health care workers on the frontlines, making sure national medical staff are well-equipped for the long days ahead. Tim Cook of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Elon Musk of Tesla are among those who promised to donate masks, an important effort in limiting exposure for those in the medical field and in slowing the spread of the virus everywhere.
Last, many video conferencing providers have launched and expanded free video conferencing services, enabling colleagues, families and friends to stay connected while social distancing and quarantining. These services are also being used by frontline health care workers, religious organizations, community groups, entertainers and millions more in virtually every country around the world.
7. Selfless health care workers make sacrifices.
Working in the health care field has always required certain selflessness, but our current situation is seeing unprecedented levels of sacrifice. As the number of new cases of coronavirus has climbed over the last few weeks, PPE is still in high demand but short supply. Workers have become resourceful with what’s available, sometimes repurposing sports goggles as face shields or storing their face masks in Tupperware to reuse them on their next shift.
For fear of infecting loved ones at home, many hospital staff have moved into rentals or temporary housing for the foreseeable future. Concordia University Texas opened its residence halls to health care workers and first-responders, so they can rest and self-isolate after shifts. And for the workers who are living at home, they’re taking ample precautions every time they come and go — from removing their scrubs at the front door, to routinely disinfecting every surface, to thoroughly washing “contaminated” clothing. As they regularly put themselves at risk by helping patients recover, health care workers are truly inspiring the world with their selfless sacrifice.
8. Communities are rallying.
In the midst of so much uncertainty, communities are continuing to rally around one another through incredible acts of kindness. By harnessing the power of social media, money transfer apps and Google Docs, neighborhoods far and wide have formed online groups to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of their communities.
Because of this virtual support network, people confined to their homes have been able to find others to do their grocery shopping for them. In the same way, child care has been coordinated for parents who are still working outside the home, while crowdfunding sites have been set up to raise funds for people who remain unemployed. This solidarity may not have happened had our circumstances not shifted so dramatically, yet it’s amazing to watch people rise to the occasion and offer endless assistance to one another.
9. People are helping the elderly.
In the wake of COVID-19, numerous elder-care facilities have suspended visitors in an effort to protect their residents. But even when residents remain indoors, staff are ensuring they’re not without their fair share of fun, like a team did through a lifesize version of the Hungry Hungry Hippos board game. If the corresponding video is any indication, it’s safe to say the game provided some much-needed amusement during this lockdown.
While care facilities are providing light-hearted relief to residents, supermarkets and box stores are looking out for the interests of seniors, as well. Groceries and major chains — including Target and Walmart in the United States — have implemented dedicated shopping hours for seniors to browse at their own pace and avoid the commotion of large crowds.
10. There are all-star virtual concerts and shows.
Although the coronavirus has caused concerts to be canceled, creativity always finds a way to prevail. Instead of performing in person, artists have taken their shows online to share the gift of music with fans across the globe. Chris Martin of Coldplay kicked off the live-stream concert trend in mid-March, partnering with Global Citizen and the World Health Organization to launch the aptly titled “Together at Home” series.
Since then, various other artists have followed suit, with the project culminating in a historic eight-hour event called One World: Together at Home. This incredible concert broadcast saw performances and appearances from dozens of major celebrities and collected donations totaling an impressive $127.9 million to support the WHO and COVID-19 relief efforts. If Together at Home is any indication, virtual events and video conferencing are an impactful way to connect people across time zones and trying times.
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