It’s safe to say that 2020, the year of perfect vision, has not gone as expected- we have entered a new world of masks, medicine, and isolation. The rise of COVID-19 cases worldwide in the early Spring put much of us in between a rock and a hard place, but it is important to remember that there is still hope, and that we are going to get through this together.
COVID-19 In The United States
COVID-19 is a disease caused by just one type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), dubbed the novel coronavirus, meaning it is the newest one discovered. Coronaviruses have been responsible for epidemics in the past including, SARS and MERS, but none have spread to this global scale before. This is because this strain of coronavirus is quite infective, meaning it’s very good at spreading from person to person- it is spread through airborne droplets.
It came as a shock to everyone when countries began rapidly shutting down as COVID-19 cases multiplied after the discovery of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States occurred in January when travelers arrived from Wuhan, but it didn’t really start gaining ground until March when a nationwide call for isolation was released.
Since then, the United States has been locked down, but some states are working on slowly reopening to return to normalcy without causing a huge influx of cases. Soon we will be able to return to the lives we had before COVID-19, and we will return stronger and wiser for the wear.
Staying Healthy
Staying healthy during a pandemic such as this is not limited to avoiding contracting the virus, it encompasses all areas of health. Taking care of yourself and your loved ones is crucial during such stressful times.
The most-reported way of keeping yourself and everyone else safe is by socially distancing by at least 6 feet from others and wearing masks. Social distancing keeps you away from people who may be carrying diseases, and masks block particles that might contain the virus from blowing into the air and infecting others. Masks and social distancing are inconvenient, but they are what research has shown to be effective right now.
Now that masks are out of the way, it is crucial that you pay attention to your mental health. Stress and isolation are not a good combination for the mental health of anyone, especially those who are predisposed to mental illness. However, there are things you can do to alleviate the ill-effects of quarantine: picking up a new hobby such as learning an instrument, woodworking, reading, or painting can all be a good place to start to combat boredom and increase your productivity!
Physical health is also extremely important, so make sure that you are exercising regularly to the best of your ability. You can accomplish this by taking walks, hiking, fishing, or playing golf! If these options are not available to you, then you can work out at home using your own plans or finding resources online. 10-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts are a fun and low-impact way to stay healthy that have recently gained popularity!
Staying Connected
Staying connected is one of the most important ways to stay healthy during this pandemic- it’s so important that it has its own heading. We can have an incredible reach with the technology that is right at the edge of our fingertips- people love being connected, and it’ll make you happier as well. Staying connected is easy once you start, call your family, text your friends and coworkers, and you could even video chat with all of them!
Final Thoughts
2020 may still be the year of perfect vision as we learn more about ourselves and the world which we live in. As we return to normalcy, we should remember to be kinder, more compassionate, and more optimistic than ever before because we have the power to make the best of our situations if we try.
We will beat this pandemic, but right now the best thing you can do is make sure that you and the important people in your life are happy and healthy. Try to learn all that you can about yourself and others so that you can emerge from this time as an even better person than you were before!