2020: The Year That Spread Fear And Panic In The World

2020: The Year That Spread Fear And Panic In The World
Global pandemics have been around for almost thousands of years. Almost after every hundred years these epidemics reappear with slight transformations in their nature and shape. The global outbreaks of these pandemics such as Cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, and influenza have been the ruthless slayers of masses throughout history.

In the year 2019, Corona – that has been named Covid-19 as it is a disease of 2019 – outbroke in Wuhan District, China, and suddenly spread all over the world within the short period of three months. The first wave of this plague has claimed millions of lives so far. And yet the first wave has not stopped, the second has begun. We have made so much progress in the field of science and technology that we have yet to develop an effective vaccine for it. This advancement and progress sounds absurd. And it is too early to say when this terrible epidemic will come to an end. It feels as if the Hour has come before the Hour.

Some countries like the USA, Italy, Spain, China, France, Iran, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Turkey have suffered the worst effects of this plague. Among these countries, Italy was the one that observed the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19 in the world. Death had encamped there, and military vehicles outside the hospitals served as a battleground where military vehicles were being used instead of ambulances to pick up the corpses as the number of ambulances also dwindled. In such horrific circumstances, even the Prime Minister of Italy folded his hands to nature crying that they are tired of carrying corpses. Every country was worried about its people, economy and education. The bazaars that used to be opened until late night, where the hustle and bustle of life could be seen, now look like a deserted place as if people used to live here years ago. Now the streets, bazaars and alleys looked like wasteland, an uninhabited place where death was roaming.

Global Corona pandemic has affected almost the people of all ages. It devastated life all over the world, and halted economic and social activities. The system of life came to a standstill. Besides social and economic catastrophe, the pandemic has also severely affected the education system.

The economy is the backbone of any country. This pandemic badly affected the economy which resulted in a significant surge in unemployment, decline in income and commotions in transportation, service, industry and ruined roughly every field of life. Now, it is clear that the world underestimated the hazards of its rapid spread. The disruption in economic activities has negative impacts on any country.

The Global health crisis (Covid-19) has also put a severe impact on our social relationships. We feel socially alienated and our interactions have become limited too. If we do not address Covid-19 properly, the consequences will be very serious in terms of mass unemployment, increase in economic and social disparity, and discrimination.

The pandemic also had negative impacts on our education system that is already very defective. The closure of educational institutions has added miseries for the students. Our country is not yet so advanced in the field of science and technology and also in the field of the internet. We cannot provide this facility in every nick and corner of the country. And this is our first experience of online education that has not been so successful so far. By following the SOPs we can open the educational institutions on alternative days and with a minimum number of students in the classes.

As 2020 draws to a close, we have yet to get rid of the virus. We are entering 2021 with the same epidemic, which is a terrible start of the year. With the advent of the second wave of Covid-19, the rapid spread of the pandemic is once again on the surge. Being responsible citizens, if we do not take precautionary measures, we will be responsible for the huge losses in 2021. We need to take necessary steps and proactive actions not only to save the lives of our people but also to ensure economic prosperity and wellbeing of people. The infection does not seem to disappear; we have to live with it by following preventive and precautionary measures i.e., keeping social distancing, using masks, applying hand sanitizers etc. We need to be vigilant in future.