The “COVID-19 Pandemic” has been a life-changing event for all of us. It has affected every aspect of everyone’s lives, from the way we work and shop, to the way we socialize. With the pandemic slowly crawling to an end, it’s worth reflecting on what we missed, still miss, and don’t miss at all, from this time in history. The US federal government officially ends its Public Health Emergency on 5/11. Who knew emergencies could be scheduled? In seriousness, the PHE is ending on a formal schedule due to all the federal, state, and corporate health policies in place for various COVID related programs and insurance funding.
What We Missed
During the pandemic, most of us missed the simple things in life that we once took for granted. We missed hugging our loved ones, going out to eat, window shopping and strolling outside carefree, attending church and temple services, and traveling the world. We missed gathering with all our friends and family without worrying about the risk of infections or extreme differences of opinion. We missed the normalcy of our daily routines. We missed our basic civic freedoms and the American (and seemingly global) way of normal civic and consumer life.
Open or Closed?
What closed? Government officials ordered certain institutions and businesses to close: “mom and pop” shops including hairdressers, pet stores, yarn stores, yoga studios, gyms for exercise and organizations of God and spirit: churches, temples, synagogues, and more.
Which business stayed open? Large corporate stores and online companies: Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Target, Dollar Store, Safeway, Von’s, Sprouts, Foodmaxx, gas stations, hospitals, and clinics. Liquor stores and cannabis dispensaries were also prioritized. The post office and package delivery companies were deemed “essential” and their workers were known as “essential workers” including warehouse staff and drivers. This helped the online shopping giants, and the most nimble mom and pop ventures.
What did this say about our priorities as a society, of corporations, and governments?
What We Don’t Miss
While there were many things we missed, there were also things we didn’t miss during the pandemic. We didn’t miss the long commutes to work, overcrowded shopping malls, or the hectic pace of our pre-pandemic lives. The smog cleared and the skies were very clear in spring 2020.
Nowadays, we don’t miss the Zoom, Teams, and Netflix marathons with little real life human interaction. We certainly don’t miss forced physical isolation from each other as social human beings at school, at work, at the gym and café, and even outdoors.
We don’t miss being forced to wear synthetic masks constantly to walk outside our house, to merely go grocery shopping, or to lay on the beach alone. Remember those seemingly epic fights over toilet paper in store aisles? We don’t want to either, but it happened.
Some things we can laugh about. Others were and are hard: seniors dying alone in nursing homes and hospitals, family members forced to stay physically distant from loved ones. Some government policies, medical industry, and community reactions felt like torture and even abusive at times. Being offered donuts, lotto tickets, stickers, and Facebook profile stickers to get vaccinated felt either supportive, funny, coercive, or ridiculous – depending on who you ask. Being encouraged, cajoled, bribed, or forced by mandate against our normal hesitations with any new technology to suddenly receive experimental genetic modification injections in order to sit down at restaurants in some cities, to travel abroad, or even to merely go to work felt either exhilarating and exciting, or completely unwanted. Again, it depends on who you ask.
We don’t miss the pressure of being constantly on the go and the fear of missing out on events and activities. That said… we’re mostly back to these busy schedules – with seemingly endless worldly pressures. And yes, lots of fresh air, sunshine, and hugs!
Lessons Learned
The pandemic taught us many valuable lessons about life and health. It reminded us about the infinite importance of self-care. Getting enough sleep and rest, exercising enough, and eating nutritious foods. It also reminded us of the importance of community and supporting each other. The pandemic also reminded us of human frailties – not just physical kind – and the need to appreciate higher powers, grace, what is true, and what is truly essential to live life with passion. 2020 onward with all the distractions of the last three years at home and abroad continually encouraged and challenged us to be present.
Moving Forward
As we move forward from the pandemic, it’s important to take these lessons with us. We can appreciate the small things in life. We are mindful of our health and well-being. We continue to support ourselves and others with compassion. and strengthen our communities. We can also take this opportunity to bring back a proper state of normal that allows for a balanced, fulfilling, and healthy life. No fear. Eyes wide open.
My Care Labs’ Perspective:
At My Care Labs, we understand the impact that the pandemic has had on our patients. We’ve been proud to offer Covid, RSV, and Flu testing services throughout the international pandemic to ensure the safety and health of our cities, metro area, state, country, and world. We recognize that regular testing will continue to be important even after the pandemic ends. And not just for Covid and other diseases, but for the routine testing that we all need – whether occasionally or frequently.
Regular testing can help to identify any potential outbreaks and prevent the spread of illness. Routine tests help people to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. At My Care Labs, we offer a range of testing services to meet the needs of our patients, including Covid testing, a variety of wellness panels, and drug screening.
Conclusion:
The “COVID-19 Pandemic” has been a challenging time for all of us, but it has also reminded everyone about what is truly important and timeless: life and health. As we move into the rest of the 2020s, we can take these lessons with us, continue maintaining our health and well-being, and at My Care Labs, we’re here to support our patients every step of the way.
