One year ago, on March 13, the United States went into lockdown. This past year has gone down as one of the toughest times in many peoples’ lives, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer as businesses and schools begin the transition back to normalcy. Regardless, even when it all comes to an end, the long-lasting effects of the pandemic will remain.

Education and Workforce

Businesses and education will strongly be impacted by the lasting effects of this pandemic. Businesses and employees took a huge hit in the past year. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, about 25% of adults in the United States stated that they, or someone in their household, lost their job due to the pandemic. 

Furthermore, Global Workplace Analytics states that about 30% of Americans will work remotely by 2021. They also believe that about 20% of the workforce will work remotely by 2025. These statistics prove the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it will continue to change trajectories for companies and educational institutions alike. With remote work and education becoming more common, businesses and schools will have to adapt.

Mental Health

Multiple lockdowns and quarantines resulted in an overall decline in mental health. Anxiety and depression were a worldwide impact of the stresses of this global pandemic. According to Medical News Today, in 2019, 11% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, but in 2020 that number jumped to 42%.

Fears of the virus and how it would affect loved ones frightened many. These symptoms resulted from numerous anxieties such as concern for the virus, fear for loved ones, job insecurities, unstable businesses, isolation and more. Being secluded from everything that was once normal was a huge stressor that contributed to this rise in anxiety. The world had seemed to be on pause, and only now is it beginning to feel more normal again.

Future Updates

One year later and restrictions have continued. Fortunately, many countries have found strategies to combat this virus in hopes of coming out as strong and quickly as possible. Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine has been authorized and distributed in 68 countries. The CDC has reported that in the United States, more than 62.4 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine so far. With the rapid distribution that has been seen in the past few months, there has been lots of hope for the future. The world has made great strides to overcome these tough challenges, and it has made everyone stronger.

This past year has been unforgettable, in good ways and bad. Although there have been numerous negative outcomes from this global pandemic, there have been also countless positive lessons about communication, family and generosity. The world has come out of these tough times stronger and more resilient than ever before.