What If Covid-19 Never Happened?
What If Covid-19 Never Happened?
In 2020, I lost my father to
COVID-19, a virus that changed the world in ways none of could have ever
imagined. But what if it had never happened? What if life had continued as
normal, by lockdowns, loss, and uncertainty? In December 2019, a scientist
first discovered a contagious virus in Wuhan, China. Two days after its
discovery, China was put on strict lockdown. “In January 2020, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted the nation of the outbreak abroad.
Later that month, the first national case of COVID-19 was reported in the state
of Washington; by January 24, the virus had made its way to Chicago” (Northwestern
Medicine). No one would have ever imagined the disruption it was going to cause
in everyone’s daily life. This virus impacted millions of people. What if COVID-19
had never happened? The world would have avoided such massive suffering, and
all those individuals who lost loved ones, like I did, would have still been
here today. Losing my father to this virus was the most heartbreaking grief I’ve
ever experienced. To this day, his absence remains a deep wound. On a positive
note, the world would have missed out on all the important improvements like
remote work and online classes. COVID-19 was very much a tragedy, but it forced
the world to learn and adapt to the new norms.
If COVID-19 had never happened the most
significant benefit would be the prevention of millions of deaths. According to
National Institute of health, “COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in
the United States between March 2020 and October 2021.” Many families suffered
from loosing someone as dear to them as my father was to me. He was taken too
soon by this deadly virus. His absence left a void that can never be filled. This
is why, if I had the chance to alter history, this would absolutely be my first
choice. Without the pandemic, families across the world wouldn’t have had to
face similar grief. Many had to say goodbye under heartbreaking conditions or
didn’t get to say goodbye at all. We were all taught to stay away from anyone
with the virus, maintain social distance, wear masks, and wash your hands
frequently. It happened so fast; no one thought it would happen to them or you’re
their loved one. According to National Library of Medicine, “As of May 23,
2023, the CDC estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused 6,152,982
hospitalizations and 1,128,903 deaths in the United States”. How many of those deaths
were head of households? My father was the sole provider for my family. Losing
him left my family emotionally devastated and financial vulnerable. That emotional
toll on my mother turned into a deep depression. I had no choice but to handle all
the final details after his death. I remember crying every time I had to go to
the funeral home to sign another document or discuss further plans. It was the
hardest thing I ever had to do. Of course, I’m not the only one to experience
such intense loss; countless families around the world faced similar struggles,
forced to rebuild their lives in the wake of grief and uncertainty.
Beyond personal loss, the pandemic
had a devastating impact on small businesses. Many businesses had to shut down,
and millions of people lost their jobs. Families were put in very difficult financial
situation, struggling to pay bills. Put fodd on the table, or afford
healthcare. According to National
institutes of health, “66% of small businesses face financial challenges”. If COVID-19
had never happened, those businesses would have continued to thrive. Instead, millions
experienced setback that took years to recover from. Matthew Woodward from Search
Logistic states, “Only 29% of small businesses were able to keep all their
employees. 83.5% of food services and accommodation businesses said they felt a
significant negative effect on their business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” How long did COVID impact small businesses? 56%
of small business owners think it took about six months to 1 year for the
business climate and economy to recover from the pandemic. There is no doubt
that small businesses felt the enormous effects of government policy around
COVID-19”. In the Tri-Cities of Washington, several beloved local businesses
had to close permanently due to financial strain caused by the pandemic. Cousin’s
Restaurant temporarily closing its doors in March 2020, unfortunately the
closure became permanent. Shari’s Café & Pies, a staple in my community for
over 40 years, had to shut down in 2023 due to the challenges resulting from COVID-19.
These closures not only affected business owners but also left many employees
jobless. Contributing to the economic downturn in the region.
Another area that suffered was the
education system. The pandemic led to so many school closures worldwide. In Bangladesh,
schools were closed for over a year. The United States transitioned to online learning,
but most children lack the necessary resources needed for effective remote education.
The shift was more than overwhelming for the teachers alike. According to
National Library of Medicine, “On March 18, 2020, the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization estimated that 107 countries had
implemented national school closures related to COVID-19, affecting 862 million
children and young people, roughly half the global student population”. If COVID-19
had never happened, schools would have continued operating as usual, preventing
the worldwide disruption to education. Without these interruptions, students would
have advanced steadily, developing solid communication skills. Many missing out
on milestone events like prom and
graduation ceremonies, leaving them feeling
disappointed and incomplete. College students work so hard on their
prerequisites to be able to wear that gown and represent their school’s colors.
Graduation ceremonies symbolize all those tears and sleepless nights it took to
get there. Without these ceremonies, students may feel their achievements
weren’t fully recognized, potentially affecting their confidence and motivation.
The loss of these moments contributed to the increase of anxiety, loneliness
and depression. At the time my daughter was just turning 15 years old, she was
a freshman in high school. I remember it being so difficult for her, we decided
to switch schools hoping that would help. Like many others, she fell behind and
isolated herself a lot as well as developed anxiety. Fortunately, school opened
she found a supportive group of friends, including her current boyfriend of
3yrs.
After all the pain and suffering COVID-19
caused, it also had its positive outcomes. The pandemic forced businesses to
rapidly adapt to new ways of working. Like the educational system, the
workplace had transition to telework, also known as remote work. This shift
primarily affected office setting, where communicational tools like Zoom and
Microsoft Teams became essential. This increased job opening not only in remote
work but also cybersecurity. Businesses needed to protect sensitive data, as
well as reply on digital training for new
employees. This also opened the doors to hiring anywhere in the world,
to a much bigger pool of talent. All these changes required new strategies not
only for communication but performance monitoring and employee engagement.
Telework provides flexible hours for those individuals who go to school or have
children. Remote work helped many families spend more time together, as well as
a better work-life balance. With one or both parents home that would also help
on financially due to not having to pay for childcare or gas to get to and from
work. For some this help them be more productive because they can focus and
efficiently complete tasks faster with quiet and personalized workspaces.
In conclusion, If COVID-19 had
never happened the world would have been spared from a huge amount of suffering,
educational setback and economic loss. More importantly families like mine wouldn’t
have experience the devasting loss of loved ones. However, the pandemic taught
million the value family, and friendship, and adaptability. While we can not change the past, we can still
honor those we have lost by carrying forward the lessons we have learned and
work toward a better future.
Works Cited
Katella, Kathy. “Our Pandemic Year—A COVID-19 Timeline.” Yale Medicine,
9 Mar. 2021,
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-timeline.
Ponce, Stephanie A., et al. “Positive and Negative Aspects of the
COVID-19 Pandemic Among a Diverse Sample of US Adults: An Exploratory
Mixed-Methods Analysis of Online Survey Data.” National Library of Medicine,
Jan. 2024,
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10762906.
Shiels, Meredith S. “COVID-19 Was Third Leading Cause of Death in the
United States in Both 2020 and 2021.” National Institutes of Health, 5
July 2022,
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
“COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response.” UNESCO, 6 Apr. 2020,
https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-school-closures.
Northwestern Medicine. “COVID-19 Pandemic Timeline: COVID-19 Milestones
Around the World and at Northwestern Medicine.” Northwestern Medicine,
Woodward, Matthew. “Small Business Statistics 2025 [US EDITION].” Search
Logistics,
https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/small-business-statistics/.
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