Editor’s Choice: COVID-19 in History

Coping with isolation is something that every American citizen has had to deal with throughout the last several months. While it is possible that not every American citizen was necessarily touched by the virus in a direct or indirect way, it is very likely that most Americans have had struggles with the forced isolation that took place throughout March, April, and May, and is still happening on a daily basis as people are forced to quarantine or choose to take precautions for their health. While the disease itself has been incredibly impactful on our nation and the people in it, the lasting effects for many might be those of a psychological nature. And, if nothing else, the isolation has been so universal that it will be remembered by all who were alive during the COVID crisis, while physical symptoms might not have changed so many of us.

 

This photo comes from today.com, and shows the excessive amounts of cleaning supplies that were necessary during America’s time of isolation. Cleaning supplies were selling quickly. Grocery shopping also became the only outing that people were allowed to go on. I personally remember by family disinfecting every grocery item as it came into the house, and how otherworldly that felt.

This photo comes from theconversation.com. The article from which it was taken is titled “Social isolation: The COVID-19 pandemic’s hidden health risk for older adults, and how to manage it.” This has been an especially hard time for many high-risk elderly people who were forced away from their families. Visits through windows and facetime have become essential for feeling connected to our loved ones.

This photo is from evidentlycochrane.com, and shows a child holding up a drawing in their window during isolation. Bits of sunshine, happiness, and connectivity came from inside now. People made works of art out of chalk and drawings to hang in windows. I remember walking around my neighborhood and seeing the messages that had been left on driveways and in windows by adults and children alike.

This photo is from an article called “Stay physically active during self-quarantine” from the WHO. Many aspects of life had to be shrunken down into at-home versions of themselves, like work or exercise. “At-home workouts” became their own phenomenon as gyms were closed and people were forced to stay in their homes. This photo also represents the peace that many people had to make with themselves while being alone for so long.

 

This photo is from Indiana University Health. The article, titled “Tired of Isolation? What to do about quarantine fatigue,” touches on the harsh impact of so much time spent away from friends and family, and, quite frankly, boredom. People were forced to work from home, which meant office meetings were now on the couch and our pets could be in our laps at any time of day. We see these things as silver linings now, and though they were silver linings then, too, it was harder to see them as such. It has taken a few months for us to see the experience as a whole as we begin to move from total isolation to a half-isolated world.