Stop the presses! Can you believe it’s been FIVE years since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on March 11th, 2020? Yeah, time flies when you’re stressed to the max and living through something that feels straight out of a dystopian movie. The World Health Organization dropped the bombshell that forever altered our world, and let me tell you, it didn’t take long for things to spiral.
In just a few days, it felt like the world hit the pause button. If you weren’t hoarding toilet paper (remember those dark days?), you were probably elbowing people out of the way in a mad dash to stock up on canned goods and hand sanitizer. Suddenly, social distancing wasn’t just a term you’d read about in science fiction—it was something we were all doing, often while trying to figure out how to work from home without turning your living room into a full-time office.
But hold up, there’s more! In those first few weeks, we saw it all. The stock market took a nosedive, sports leagues hit the brakes, and let’s not forget that “Imagine” video from Gal Gadot that made us cringe, but also, somehow, bonded us in collective discomfort. Zoom meetings became a regular part of the workday, and “essential workers” became the real MVPs. As for “social distancing” and “N95 masks”? Those became words we couldn’t escape, whether we wanted to or not.
Fast forward to today, and while the pandemic itself has “officially” ended, COVID is still very much here—it’s now considered “endemic,” which basically means it’s gonna be around in a more predictable way. Sure, most of us aren’t living in total lockdown anymore, but let’s face it—life as we knew it pre-2020 feels like it was a lifetime ago.
And, of course, the toll was heavy. Over 7 million people worldwide have died from COVID, with 1.2 million of those in the U.S. It’s hard to forget how much we all lost during that time. But hey, if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s how to adapt—whether that meant getting comfortable in front of Zoom cameras or finding new ways to make sourdough bread.
So, five years later, let’s raise a glass to surviving a pandemic and the wild ride it gave us. Sure, COVID-19 still kinda sucks, but we’re here, and we’re rolling with the punches. Here’s to hoping the next five years are a little less stressful. Stay safe out there, folks!
