By Thomas Ellis II
It’s been a year now since COVID-19 hit the United States of America, and my, how things have changed in a one year.
Starting out in March 2020, not many people knew what COVID-19 was, but we knew that it was deadly. We were watching on television; hospitals overcrowded with patients, EMS staff responding to a number of calls about people sick with severe cough and breathing problems, patients being admitted, patients laying in hallways waiting to be treated, governors requesting ventilators, PPE equipment, schools across the country going virtual, and cities all over closed (shut down).
The recommendation from the CDC was that everyone wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash their hands regularly.
While everyone was practicing the guidelines and protocols, the numbers of people testing positive was rising, and the number of deaths was increasing.
Now let’s look at it one year later. There are 3 vaccines on the market: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson. People have been lining up to get a shot, but it seems like there are some issues when it comes to the Black Community. Many in the community do not trust the vaccine. Some say it was produced too fast, others are asking for more information, and others just don’t know enough about the production.
The vaccines were approved under the EAU and not fully approved by the FDA. This is one more concern that many are having across the country.
In Newark, the public schools are still closed, and unemployment has risen. Many businesses have closed, with no sight of reopening, and the mask mandate is in full effect. Meanwhile, several church pastors are encouraging their members and the community to take the vaccine.
There is hope that Newark Public Schools will reopen in April. All of Newark public schools have been closed for in-person learning since March 16 of last year, with the children doing remote learning. Now, a year later, the children are still remote.
In recent months, the number of hospitalizations has declined in Newark. The death numbers have been lowered, and people are getting tested, but the city is still on a lockdown of sorts.
Many cites have decided to loosen up their earlier restrictions. In Texas, they are doing away with the mask mandate and opening up 100% for businesses, schools, churches, etc.
Jobs, schools, families, businesses, recreation, concerts, sports, and large gatherings have all been impacted by the COVID-19 virus, and even though it looks a little better, there are still several variants of the strain that can still be harmful, and dangerous to the public. Until there is a 100% effective vaccine that gives 100% safety and effectiveness in fighting off the virus, everyone has to make some lifestyle changes.
Starting this month, Moderna will being vaccinating children as early as six months old. Meanwhile, the AstraZeneca vaccine has been pulled in several European nations, like Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Iceland, and many others. This is because it has linked to incidents of blood clots in people, as well as some non-effectiveness to new virus strains in the UK. The AstraZeneca vaccine has not been approved for use in the USA as of yet.
In the United States of America more people are being vaccinated, with cities across the country relaxing restrictions, but some do not agree, and say that they are moving too quickly to open up, even if there numbers have gotten lower.
The 46th President of the USA, Joe Biden, is looking to have all the schools back with in-person learning by September 2021, and he also said that by July 2021, people should be able to have larger gatherings and visit families because most of the people would have received a vaccination shot. However, you still have to wear your mask, wash your hands regularly and practice social distancing.
Spring will be starting in a couple of days, then Good Friday, then Easter following, not to mention the schools and colleges that will be on spring break, which means that this could be a challenging time for many cities because of the large crowds coming together.
Let’s hope for the best for all, while many try to enjoy themselves even in the middle of a pandemic.
