The past year has changed the lives of millions of people across the U.S. Over 200,000 people have died at the hands of COVID-19, a virus that has swept through the nation that attacks the respiratory system. Due to COVID the United States government enforced a lockdown until the number of positive COVID cases went down. This mandatory lockdown has caused a great strain on the american economy but, with the right precautions returning to a pre-COVID lifestyle is not only an obtainable goal but will also improve the lives of the people living in the U.S.

In order to stop the spread of COVID the American government enforced a lockdown that kept over 20 million of people from working. Most families do not have the option for the breadwinners to simply just stop working, and for many businesses it was a struggle to keep employees causing the majority of workers to be furloughed or fired from their jobs. The government’s solution to the sudden decline of working people was to establish a pandemic relief fund that people could apply for by filing for unemployment. As helpful as this might have been it was not a permanent solution, the government provided $600 per week for a total of 8 weeks however, once the $600 per week stopped, individuals on unemployment had to adjust to only having approximately $150 a week. For the majority of families this was just barely enough to cover groceries let alone the other expenses it takes to keep a household running. The amount of people on unemployment is also the highest it has ever been and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of unemployment was 10 percent higher due to the pandemic.in order for the government to provide unemployment money to the million of people affected the economy is taking a hit. The american economy is in its first recession since 2009 and the economy has contracted by 32.9 percent. All due to the loss of work since COVID swept through the nation. By returning to a pre-COVID lifestyle, the American economy will get a chance to grow once people get back to work. Getting people back to work will not only benefit those struggling to get by because they lost their job, but also improve the economy as a whole.

The COVID 19 nationwide shutdown has also had a serious impact on the amount of food in the U.S. Due to a lack of workers, the food industry is not able to keep up with production as the demand for food seems to increase. Researchers for the Center for Poverty Research and Department of Economics at the University of Kentucky have conducted a study and found that, “The share of the adult population reporting the more severe form of food insufficiency tripled from 3.4 percent in 2019 to 10.8 percent in July 2020. Seniors also reported higher food insufficiency, but a more attenuated increase of 75 percent, from 2.8 to 4.9 percent.” (Ziliak, 2) With the rise of COVID there is a serious food shortage that is affecting the lives of thousands of people. Before covid there wasn’t as wide of a food insufficiency issue in the US but, since the pandemic hit the amount of people suffering from a lack of food has increased to an alarmingly high number. There is also the issue of people who have now become dependent on outside assistance for receiving food. There are a multitude of different organizations that work within struggling communities to help feed those in need. However since the mandated shutdown, thousands of people who were once capable of providing food for themselves and/or their household, now depend on those food programs as a way to find their next meal. A CPS questionnaire found out that, “The share of disadvantaged adults receiving free food rose steadily from just under 6 percent at the start of the sample period to just over 9 percent in December 2019, with no discrete change during the Great Recession. This share leapt to 14.5 percent by June 2020. The share of low-income or food insufficient seniors receiving charitable food exceeded that of adults overall in every year, and also increased steadily…” (Ziliak, 3) The average amount of people needing assistance in getting food increases by approximately 5.5% since the COVID outbreak. By returning to a more normal pre-COVID lifestyle this number will hopefully start to return to normal levels, once people are able to return to work there will be a growth in the food production business thus helping the economy provide food services for those in need and also make more food accessible. 

Another serious underlying issue with the government mandated quarantine is the toll it is taking on the minds of those stuck indoors. It is human nature to form relationships and to stay in groups, the human race thrives in social settings where people can interact with each other freely. Due to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) quarantine and social distancing guidelines, people are forced to stay indoors for a minimum of 14 days and prohibited from seeing others. This can have a negative impact on individuals who struggle with food, doctors who specialize in the field relating to eating disorders (ED) are concerned that, “Worldwide, one of the principal strategies to contain and limit the pandemic has been the implementation of social distancing measures. Beyond the restrictions and limitations to daily activities and movement discussed above, these measures have major, negative psychological impacts. Reduced social and physical contact with others may be associated with boredom and frustration, which may in turn increase ED risk and symptoms by increasing emotion-related eating.” ( Rodgers, 3) Eating out of boredom can lead to serious health issues, the individuals suffering from this can face weight gain, body image issues and depression. Preserving the physical health of the American people is the reason for all of the measures put in place by the government and CDC however, the mental health of the American people should also be a priority. Trying to return back to a pre-COVID lifestyle will be a step in the right direction in helping the mental state of the American people.

It is important to still be cautious during these difficult times, some may say that reopening the country is a bad idea because there can be an increase in COVID-19 cases. However, if proper safety precautions are taken like frequent hand washing, wearing a proper face covering, and trying to maintain social distancing while in groups, then the people living in the US will be able to start going back to having a normal life again. It is imperative to the people living in the US and economic success of the nation to get back to a pre-COVID lifestyle because there are millions of people depending on it.

 

SOURCES CITED:

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“COVID-19: When to Quarantine.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html.

James P. Ziliak. “Food Hardship During the Covid‐19 Pandemic and Great Recession.”    Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Oct. 2020, doi:10.1002/aepp.13099.

McCausland, Phil. “Generations of Americans Are Unemployed in the COVID-19 Economy. Hear Their Stories.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 30 June 2020, www.nbcnews.com/specials/generations-americans-unemployed-covid-19/.

Rachel F. Rodgers, et al. “The Impact of the COVID‐19 Pandemic on Eating Disorder Risk and   Symptoms.” International Journal of Eating Disorders, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, June 2020, doi:10.1002/eat.23318.

Tappe, Anneken. “US Economy Posts Its Worst Drop on Record.” CNN, Cable News     Network, 31 July 2020,   www.cnn.com/2020/07/30/economy/us-economy-2020-second-quarter/index.html.