ESCHLEMAN: How coronavirus has contributed to unsettling collective numbness
Column: Shower Thoughts
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has raged on for more than two years now, largely due to its ability to mutate. Society has struggled to generate technology quickly enough and advanced enough to combat each and every variant.
Most recently, a highly contagious sub-variant of the omicron strain, BA.2, has prevailed in the U.S. I remember when I first arrived at college, COVID-19 appeared to be muted for the most part. I heard of the occasional case here and there.
Friends of mine would get sick, get a COVID-19 test, and it would come back negative. People were getting sick, but for the most part, it was not COVID-19. This insight offered me and many others a glimmer of hope. Yes, COVID-19 is here to stay but maybe it will stop mutating, and it will just seep into the background. Perhaps, cases will rise during the winter, like the flu. Or so we thought.
But then, at the end of the fall semester, omicron exploded and was plaguing universities and colleges across the country. People scrambled to secure rapid tests before holiday gatherings, and many were ruined by the dreaded positive result. People had to be more cautious when seeing family and friends over winter break.
And after a relatively normal fall semester, this felt like a huge setback as winter break transitioned into a virtual start for the spring semester. Even though we returned to campus, COVID-19 has continued to lurk in the background, bound to strike fiercely at any moment.
I remember when I had made it through the first year of COVID-19 without getting it. I was relieved to see that I had gotten the confirmation email stating when I would be getting my first dose of the vaccine. I thought I had made it through entirely. I could stop worrying as I had made it through quarantine. And now, I could have my life back due to the vaccine.
It felt like that for a short while, at least. I had senior prom and graduation in person, but I observed that over the summer, COVID-19 had not completely diminished. Even though I was disappointed, I was willing to accept that it would exist in the background. I could still contract COVID-19, but at least I was vaccinated. I will not get a serious case, and maybe, I am less likely to spread it.
But then the delta variant arose, and there was a spike in fear. It was also a major reality check. COVID-19 cases will rise at certain times and everyone will be on their toes. But, this repeated pattern of variant after variant, of relaxing and then suddenly worrying again is extremely tiring for everyone. Not only that, but it has also made a lot of people numb to the events currently going on.
It is too disappointing and exhausting to check the news every day just to see that another variant has popped up. More than that, though, everyone seems to be on different pages. Just today, I saw many different headlines in terms of numbers and types of coverage given in relation to the pandemic.
Articles talking about how BA.2 rages on and prove that COVID-19 is here to stay, who should get a second booster shot, the fact that more and more people are not caring about COVID-19 anymore, mask mandates getting repealed for travel, the first breath tests getting approved for COVID-19, you name it. There's an article written on all of these topics and more.
It feels like no one is on the same page because COVID-19 has raged on for so long that it is impossible to maintain any sort of consensus. What is the focus anymore? Masking? Testing? Booster shots? To be honest, I could not tell you.
Rutgers’ updated masking policy is still quite ambiguous. We do not need masks in dining halls or in residence halls or fitness centers, but we need them in classrooms and buses. Why? The policies seem to contradict each other more than align.
My point is, COVID-19 has contributed to two major phenomena: a lack of uniformity and collective numbness. Everyone has different opinions about COVID-19 at this point, but more than that, our generation is experiencing long-term collective apathy.
We keep living because we must. But a dangerous virus prevails at the same time, disrupting the lives of everyone in its wake. Another positive test, another event canceled, another shutdown, another mask mandate, another death.
And I fear that this mindset of numbness will translate to other global events as well, for example, the devastating Ukrainian-Russian conflict. As we have dealt with a global public health crisis for more than two years, I fear that people will want to turn their heads away from global crises because it is just too tiring.
I urge everyone to check in with themselves, friends and loved ones in order to ensure that we do not grow numb to what is occurring. I am sure historians will be analyzing how COVID-19 has impacted society for years to come. I want to validate your fatigue, and I hope that we can achieve collective consensus and awareness.
Sara Eschleman is a Rutgers Business School first-year majoring in marketing and minoring in English. Her column, "Shower Thoughts," typically runs on alternate Thursdays.
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