Year Ender 2020: The Year of COVID-19, Lockdowns, Crippled Economies & Now Hope as We Ring in 2021

As 2020 comes to an end, we sit back and realise what a tumultuous year this was due to COVID-19. From the outbreak of a pandemic which led to rising infections, mounting death toll, job losses to economies dwindling, the human race has experienced and seen a lot.

And just as economies started to open, and we thought that things will now get better, several countries experienced the second wave of COVID-19. US became the worst affected nation, with not only rising cases but also the highest death toll. Let's take a look at the impact of COVID-19 and how it crippled our lives this year. Vaccine Tourism Set to Become A Thing in Future? Mumbai Travel Company Offers India-US COVID-19 Vaccine Packages.

Origin of COVID-19 virus:

The novel coronavirus epidemic first broke out in Wuhan and then spread to the rest of China and the world.  On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) met and they declared the coronavirus outbreak from China a public health emergency of international concern.

A wet market in Wuhan, called the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, was believed to be the source of COVID-19. On January 26, China banned the trade and consumption of wild animals for food. China sealed off Wuhan, a city with over 11 million people, in late January to stop the spread of the virus. However, it had already reached other countries by then and cases started spurting and spreading like a wild-fire. China Reopens Wuhan’s 'Wet Markets' That Sell Bats, Pangolins For Human Consumption, After COVID-19 Effect Declines.

Symptoms of COVID-19

The symptoms included fever, difficulty in breathing, cough, and invasive lesions on both lungs of the patients. In severe complicated cases it took the form of pneumonia.

Face masks

In an attempt to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus, countries made wearing face masks mandatory in public spaces, with citizens facing a possible fine if caught without one. There were conflicting opinions on whether face masks can prevent COVID-19 from transmitting from one person to another. Initially, the WHO recommended the use of medical masks for sick people, those with COVID-19 symptoms, health workers, and those with underlying health conditions.

In June, WHO, however, changed its stance on wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the general public should wear a three-layer fabric mask.

Lockdown

In order to check the spread of coronavirus, countries across the world declared a complete lockdown and shut their borders. Flights were banned, offices were shut, businesses were closed and people were asked to stay indoors, except for emergency services.

Collins Dictionary declared 'lockdown' as its Word of The Year in 2020 following a dramatic increase in usage during the spread of Covid-19. Collins defines "lockdown" as "the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces".

India had one of the strictest lockdowns but in spite of that, the coronavirus infections in the country increased tremendously. According to an Oxford researcher, in April "India was testing 1 person per 10,000, whereas a country like South Korea was testing 100 times that amount." The researcher further pointed out that South Korea has a much smaller population so a comparison would be difficult. India later on, however, ramped up on the testing facilities.

Job losses

Increase in Stress & Domestic Violence

The UN described the worldwide increase in domestic abuse as a "shadow pandemic" alongside Covid-19. The cases increased during the lockdown, as many people were trapped at home with their abuser.

In April, UN Secretary-General António Guterres wrote on Twitter, "I urge all governments to put women’s safety first as they respond to the pandemic." The number of calls in emergency numbers for domestic violence also witnessed a rise across countries during the lockdown. Lockdown and Rise in Domestic Violence: How to Tackle Situation if Locked With an Abuser.

In Spain, the emergency number for domestic violence received 18 percent more calls in the first two weeks of lockdown than in the same period a month earlier.

Shoots of Recovery

Things, however, started to improve towards the latter end of the year, as lockdowns were lifted and businesses started to resume. S&P revised India’s real GDP growth estimates of the current fiscal year to a contraction of 7.7 per cent, from 9 per cent. The improved perception of India’s growth was due to a faster-than-expected recovery in the current fiscal’s second quarter, rising demand, and a falling rate of Covid-19 infections.

The UK economy has seen a fragile recovery as parts of the country have emerged from lockdowns in the run-up to Christmas.

The biggest hope comes as countries have started their vaccination drive and several are on the verge of finalising the vaccine.  The United Kingdom became the first country to start Covid-19 vaccination outside the trial stage.  The first shots of COVID-19 were given in the American mass vaccination campaign this week, thus opening a new chapter in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more people in the United States over 300,000. Covaxin Phase 1 Test Results: Bharat Biotech COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Triggers Immune Response, Shows No Serious Adverse Effect.

Canada and Bahrain are also among countries to have granted Pfizer vaccine candidate permission to be used in emergency cases.

Even though it has been one of the toughest years in history, but the signs of recovery are strong and we sincerely hope that with easy access to vaccines for all, countries will be able to stem the pandemic.  Here's wishing our readers a Happy New Year 2021.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2020 07:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).