Five Years of Covid-19: A Pandemic That Changed the World!

KAKALI DAS

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. Few could have imagined that what started as a mysterious outbreak of viral pneumonia in Wuhan, China, would soon bring the entire world to a standstill.

Within weeks, countries imposed lockdowns, businesses shut down, travel came to a halt, and hospitals struggled under the weight of a rapidly spreading and deadly disease.

As the world marks the five-year anniversary of the pandemic, the WHO has once again urged China to share crucial data on Covid-19’s origins. Understanding the virus’s beginnings remains critical to preventing future pandemics. Since its emergence, Covid-19 has claimed more than 37 million lives globally, leaving deep scars on economies, healthcare systems, and the way we live.

Five Years of Covid-19: A Pandemic That Changed the World!

The world first heard of a mysterious pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan on December 31, 2019. Health officials were baffled by a new virus that caused severe breathing difficulties. Soon, it was identified as a coronavirus and given the name Covid-19. Initially, it was linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, but the virus quickly spread beyond China’s borders.

Italy was one of the first countries outside China to face the devastating effects of the virus. In Northern Italy, hospitals were overwhelmed, and heart-breaking images of military vehicles carrying coffins to crematoriums shocked the world. In India, the first case was reported in January 2020, but by March, infections were rising at an alarming rate.

On March 24, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown, giving citizens only four hours’ notice. This 21-day lockdown was intended to slow the virus’s spread, but it also led to one of the biggest humanitarian crises in India’s history.

One of the most visible and devastating consequences of the lockdown was the migrant crisis. Migrant workers, who had left their homes in rural India to work in urban centers, were suddenly stranded. With businesses shut down and daily wages no longer available, many migrant workers found themselves jobless, hungry, and desperate to return home. The lockdown had been imposed with little warning, leaving people stranded far from their homes without transportation, food, or money.

The situation rapidly spiralled out of control. Thousands of migrant workers, many of them walking for days and nights, undertook arduous journeys to return to their villages. These workers, who contributed significantly to the country’s economy, were left in a state of despair. According to a survey conducted in mid-April 2020, nearly 90% of migrant workers reported that they had not been paid their wages, and over 96% had not received rations from the government. Many were left without food or shelter.

The government later arranged special trains for migrants, but by then, the damage was done. The lockdown had exposed the deep inequalities in Indian society, with the poorest suffering the most.

This mass exodus of the working poor highlighted the immense socio-economic vulnerabilities that were often ignored by policymakers. The lack of proper planning, compounded by misinformation and inadequate government support, left India’s most vulnerable populations facing unimaginable hardships.

The pandemic caused an economic collapse like never before. As the lockdowns caused businesses to shut and industries to halt, millions of people lost their jobs. Unemployment surged, with workers in various sectors, from construction to manufacturing, seeing their livelihoods vanish overnight. The small businesses that had been the backbone of India’s informal economy were hit the hardest.

The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) reported a steep decline in household incomes during the first six months of the pandemic. The average household income was 17% lower in nominal terms compared to the same period in 2019. At the bottom of the income distribution, many households saw their incomes drop to zero, with migrant workers and daily wage earners bearing the brunt of the crisis.

This economic slowdown had long-term consequences. Many businesses closed permanently, and those that managed to survive faced severe financial strain. Economic recovery remains slow, with many sectors still struggling to regain pre-pandemic levels of activity. The impact on employment and wages has been far-reaching, particularly in India’s informal economy, which employs a large proportion of the population.

The healthcare system, which was already stretched thin, struggled to cope with the massive influx of COVID-19 patients. Hospitals were flooded with patients, and there were not enough doctors, nurses, or ventilators. It quickly ran out of space, and many health workers, especially nurses and doctors, were left without adequate protective equipment.

During the deadly second wave in 2021, India faced an oxygen crisis. Covid-19, which primarily attacked the lungs, made oxygen a crucial necessity. Hospitals ran out of oxygen cylinders, and patients died waiting for treatment. Families of patients scrambled from one hospital to another, desperately searching for ICU beds.

“I watched my father gasp for breath while we waited outside a hospital,” recalled a woman from Delhi. “They told us they had no beds, no oxygen. He passed away in my arms.”

The shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) exposed frontline workers to infection. A lack of resources and preparation put health workers at greater risk of infection. Many hospitals were forced to close their doors due to the increasing number of infected healthcare workers.

The crisis exposed the weaknesses of India’s public health system. While large private hospitals managed to cope, government hospitals struggled due to years of underfunding. Many healthcare workers, exhausted and overworked, lost their lives battling the virus.

Even as the virus raged, scientists across the world worked at an unprecedented pace to develop a vaccine. By early 2021, vaccines were rolled out, offering hope that the pandemic could be brought under control.

In India, the government launched the world’s largest vaccination drive. However, vaccine shortages, misinformation, and logistical challenges slowed the process. At first, many were hesitant to take the jab. But as the second wave ravaged the country, people rushed to get vaccinated.

While vaccines helped reduce the severity of infections, they did not eliminate the virus. New variants emerged, forcing countries to keep adapting their Covid-19 strategies.

While Covid-19 was a physical health crisis, it also triggered a mental health pandemic. Isolation, job losses, fear of infection, and the loss of loved ones took a heavy toll on people’s well-being.

Depression and anxiety cases soared worldwide. In India, being confined to homes for months led to a rise in domestic violence cases. Children, too, suffered—being kept away from schools, friends, and playgrounds for long periods. Online learning was a struggle for those without access to smartphones or the internet.

A college student from Assam shared, “I felt trapped. No college, no friends, just an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The pandemic stole two years of our lives.”

Even today, many continue to struggle with post-pandemic trauma. The importance of mental health care has been highlighted, but support systems remain inadequate.

The pandemic was not just a health crisis; it was a mirror reflecting deep social and economic inequalities. The poor suffered the most—whether it was migrant workers walking home, daily wage earners losing jobs, or patients dying due to lack of oxygen.

Marginalized communities, including transgender people, disabled individuals, and sex workers, faced extreme hardship. With no income and little government support, survival became a daily battle.

The Education sector also suffered. While wealthy students attended online classes, millions of underprivileged children had no access to digital learning. Reports suggest that many children from rural India dropped out of school permanently due to the pandemic.

Five years after the pandemic, life has largely returned to normal, but its impact remains. The way we work, travel, and connect with others has changed permanently.

Work from home: Many companies have embraced remote work, realizing that physical offices are not always necessary.
Digital boom: Online shopping, telemedicine, and virtual meetings have become a part of everyday life.
Health preparedness: Governments are now investing more in healthcare infrastructure to prevent future crises.
Social behaviour: People are more health-conscious, and wearing masks have become a common practice in many places.

However, many challenges remain. Economic recovery is still uneven, mental health issues persist, and new Covid-19 variants continue to emerge.

The origins of Covid-19 remain a subject of debate. The WHO has repeatedly called on China to share crucial data, but transparency is still lacking. Without knowing how the virus emerged, the world risks being unprepared for future pandemics.

As we move forward, global cooperation is essential. Stronger healthcare systems, faster vaccine development, and better economic policies are needed to prevent another crisis of this scale.

Covid-19 changed the world in ways no one could have imagined. It exposed vulnerabilities, tested resilience, and reshaped how we live. Millions lost their lives, and millions more continue to feel its impact.

As we reflect on five years of the pandemic, one thing is clear: the world must learn from its mistakes. Only by being better prepared can we hope to prevent another disaster of this magnitude.

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