Bhubaneswar: The past two years have not been ziyamedika.id good enough for the world which was hit by a pandemic called COVID-19, whose impact continues to haunt us, as we enter a new year on Saturday.
The coronavirus Tsunami was a never-seen-before scenario that keep changing its forms and throws a challenge to mankind day in and day out.
At a crucial juncture when our scientists are fighting hard for a breakthrough to deal with the new variant Omicron, let us take a look at the positives we can hope for in 2022.
In a way or other, most of the points noted below are connected to the situation, the world is facing today…
Impact of COVID tapers down: COVID is here today stay and we have to learn to live with it, say health experts when questioned, when will COVID obliterate. However, it has been two years, since almost the entire Globe has been a victim to this deadly infection and has (or likely to) developed some sort of immunity against coronavirus. Coronavirus is going to exist, but we can only hope that the impact of COVID tapers down and we learn to live and survive with it.
A robust vaccine for Coronavirus, its variants: Our scientists, virologist, health experts, and other stakeholders in the vaccine manufacturing industry have done a tremendous job over the past two years to save humanity from Coronavirus. Within record time, they have been successful in making vaccine for COVID-19, which has been effective to a large extent in shielding us from coronavirus. However, this virus is a tricky one that keeps on changing forms and faces. With another highly virulent variant of coronavirus, the Omicron, spreading terror, we can hope that the industry comes up with a robust vaccine that can protect us from most forms and variants of the virus.
Revival of economy: Marred by lockdowns, deaths, restrictions in travel and logistics, the world economy was apparently paralysed due to the pandemic. However, despite the recession in 2020, and unexpected setbacks of the Delta variant in 2021, the global economy has recovered from the pandemic shock compared to past recessions. Economists expect that in 2022, most of the key economies of the world will be at pre-pandemic output levels. This would, in turn, trigger employment, trade, and livelihood.
Confidence in Travelling: Intra-nation, and international travel has been locked due to restrictions induced by the pandemic over the past two years. The unprecedented global health, social and economic emergency had a telling impact on travel and tourism which lost around USD 935 billion revenues (UNWTO figures). Looking ahead, more and more vaccinations are expected to gradually increase consumer confidence and contribute to ease travel restrictions in 2022.
Normalisation in functioning of Educational Institutions: The effect of the pandemic on young people, their education, and careers has been devastating. The productive potential of an entire generation has been impacted. Students were confined indoors and had to use computers and mobile phones to attend classes, something unprecedented. The situation has been even worse for students of lower-income families, who have less access to the internet, a lack of equipment, and sometimes a lack of space at home. While bidding adieu to 2021, we can pray and hope that the pandemic ends, and students resume their education as normal.
Rediscovering Life, Redefining Happiness: In the midst of hectic work schedules, away from hometown, family, near and dear ones, people are getting tuned to be mechanical. Lockdowns gave people an opportunity to come back home, be with parents, relatives, and friends. Scores of lessons have been learned from the pandemic. Valuing family, concern for the environment & eco-system, and most importantly, acknowledging the prowess of the unseen, COVID has taught a few many things which humanity would not defy for the foreseeable future.
Needless to say, the adversities were uncountable, people losing their loved ones and livelihoods impacted harshly. But the COVID-19 pandemic has tutored us ways to rediscover happiness in small things, redefine the value of life and happiness. Hope humanity carries these good values and learnings forward in 2022, and learn to be happy with all that we have, with some concern for all living entities around us.
Happy New Year 2022!
