By Jennifer Hao Ph.D
COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019. According to worldometers, as of this week, there are more than 197 million people infected and 4.21 million people dead. Even those that have recovered are still suffering.
Now, the world is in the third wave of COVID-19 with uptrend numbers due to the rapid spread of the delta variant. In the US, 49 states are seeing a surge in cases, and some experts say strict vaccine mandates may be the best way to prevent a full downward spiral. President Biden announced new measures to boost vaccinations, including requiring that all federal employees must attest to being vaccinated or face strict protocols.
The CDC’s new guidance is that fully vaccinated people also need to wear face masks indoors.
Israel will begin offering a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to people over age 60 who have already been vaccinated, the country’s prime minister announced on Thursday, becoming the first country to offer a third booster dose to its citizens.
Data from Pfizer suggests that a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine ‘strongly’ boosts protection against the Delta variant.
Under Covid-19, everything seems different. People are no longer going out for gym exercise, coworker lunches, or friends’ parties. Many people staying home are lonely and without social opportunities or have difficulty purchasing living necessities.
The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that a third of Americans show signs of clinical depression and anxiety. These and other mental conditions are becoming even more prevalent during the pandemic.
Experts have predicted that Covid-19 and its variants will likely stay for 18 months to two years. Life under Covid-19 is something we all need to get used to.
In order to live a happier life under Covid-19, people need to be aware of what is going in current events, as well as find alternate ways to be healthy and exercise. For example, since the shelter-in-place order was issued, I have been unable to go to the gym. However, I increased my backyard planting capabilities for self-grown vegetables and fruits as well as flowers, not only providing my family with organic foods but also impelling myself to exercise every day and reduce stress from work, causing me to be happier. In addition, we hosted many events online. Every summer we go on a trip to China for purposes such as providing financial support to 55 underprivileged children in Pucheng, bringing books to left behind students in Shaanxi, donating food and necessities to special needs children, and planting trees in Tibet. Obviously, due to Covid-19, we cannot attend these events in person. However, through virtual means, we were still able to complete them. Furthermore, I connected with family and friends through WeChat.
Therefore, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, I was able to do many things and not let it define my life, and you can too.
