The world has been faced with the never-ending challenges and disaster caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. For most people, this is the first time they are living through and experiencing what it is like to have a global pandemic. In some countries across the world, life is starting to slowly change back to normal or at the pre-pandemic times. These are for countries that have completed a high percentage of vaccinations of their citizens such as the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom.

However, for some the idea of now booking a flight to visit elderly relatives that they have not seen for quite a long time seems very frightening. People that are vaccinated also feel that it is impossible to revert to their normal lives.

Effects of the pandemic

Global deaths – To date, according to data from the Worldometer, more than 5 million people across the world have died from Covid-19. [2] For their loved ones, ‘normal’ might feel like it may never come. And many of those who haven’t suffered traumatic losses are also reeling, struggling with continuous Covid-19 symptoms that it feels like a never-ending illness.

Loss of jobs – The Covid-19 pandemic has caused 114 million people to lose their jobs over 2020. The International Labour Organization estimated that working hours lost in 2020 were equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs, leading to $3.7 trillion in lost labor income. That’s even higher than the worst-case estimate made in spring 2020, when the ILO had predicted lost labor income between $860 billion and $3.44 trillion for the entire year. [3] Although millions have returned to work, the ILO does not expect global working hours to return to pre-Covid levels in 2021.

Rising cases in mental health – In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in December 2020 that 42% of Americans suffered from depression or anxiety. This is a significant increase from the 11% that was recorded before the pandemic. [3]

The end of the pandemic?

Post-pandemic anxiety refers to fear and nervousness around life returning to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic is over. Health practitioners across the world have started to address this issue and one of the main methods of confronting the anxiety is to confront the reality of what has happened over the past 17-18 months.

Most people will not forget this experience we have been through. Experts have claimed that to confront anxiety, some people have opted for a more gradual approach. Since the post-pandemic age will be no different and although some permanent social effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are unclear; many people will get to that feeling of ‘normal’ eventually. We also need to try to control our behaviours going forward despite the hardships we’ve collectively endured.

In Belgium for example, the B2Help programme which is supported by Semlex For Education, is a non-profit organization that is very active during the pandemic in assisting schools and communities in Belgium and some in Africa in providing supplies and support to persons in need.

If there are other projects that you would like to share with us, please do not hesitate to contact us!

 

Written by Bhoomattee Surujdin for Semlex for Education.

 

Sources

[1] Lukhfin Brian, Is going back to normal even possible? – July 2021

 

[2] Worldometer data-Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Retrieved from WorlMeters

 

[3] WE Forum-COVID-19 has caused a huge amount of lost working hours-Retrieved from weForum