Coronavirus
# A Sweeping Virus
The first worldwide pandemic has swept the globe to begin 2020. Early on, the virus started in China and spread through Japan and Italy. By the middle of March, here in the States, Coronavirus (Covid-19) began to be taken seriously and the nation underwent a quarantine for the first time in it's history.
The NBA was the first sports league to suspend play along with the NHL and MLB for the upcoming seasons. Large gatherings were banned then restaurants and bars followed suit.
# Only the Essential
Only institutions deemed 'essential' were allowed to remain open such as grocery stores, hositals, pharmacies, and government. Over time, executives and managers determined who was considered essential and most people were told to work from home, which until this point in time, was not very common. Even in the tech sector, it was discouraged to tellecommute because it would affect the 'team' and 'family' workplace atmosphere. Many workplaces were not ready for the months-long work-at-home order all of a sudden. Tellecommuting procedures were not well established, remote desktop functionality limited, video conferencing not ubiquitous, and home workstations not commonplace.
# Plummeting Economy and Suffering
As the months wore on, the nation's stock market plummetted and the good will of paying for employees unable to work quickly resulted in layoffs. Many people lost jobs in the entertainment, retail, tourism, and restaurant industries. The government, led by President Donald Trump, was determined to find ways to reopen the country for business ASAP due to the plummeting economy. As of now, California and many other states hit early on, such as Washington and New York, are set to reopen in June. There has never been a precedent for such an event other than countries such as Hong Kong and China, who have just begun to return to normal life.
Many people have suffered and died from this cold-like virus. Testing kits were not in large supply due to legal regulations limiting who was allowed to produce the kits. To this day, there are still insufficient numbers of testing kits and only the most seriously ill are allowed to be tested. Many young adults and millennials whom were most likely infected, but in most cases experienced very minor symptoms. This mild virus mostly affected the elderly and those with compromised respiratory systems. The true extent will never be fully known due to the lack of availability of testing kits.
# Don't Tell Me What to Do!
In America, many people did not like being told that they had to stay indoors with their families and soon the people rebelled. Parks became overcrowded and more people were seen walking the streets. "Social distancing" measures (staying 6 ft from others) were not always taken seriously. Freeways, once seemingly empty, experience daily traffic problems and freuent accidents as people venture outside their homes. Officially there is no way to enforce the government orders and there are no fines or repercussions for acting irresponsibly. Only time will tell if this becomes a new normal such as annual wildfires that plague the state.