Blog Post
Societal consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
For many people, the COVID-19 infection is not perceived as dangerous as it was in the early stages of the virus' outburst, leading many to believe that the pandemic is behind us, and we can finally resume pre-pandemic life. The shift in priorities to political and economic matters is a choice, but it does not change the fact that thousands of people globally are still losing their lives due to the SARS-CoV-2. Not only that, but numerous people are also beginning to realize the consequences of the pandemic on our society.
First, the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak didn't impact society equally, causing also widening geographic inequalities. A place-based perspective has played a significant role in shaping the impact of the crisis on multiple levels, such as health and wellbeing, local economic risk, poverty, deprivation, and response planning. The importance of addressing these inequalities lies in how they reveal how diverse priorities may be required in different places based on geographical location, physical infrastructure, and social conditions.
The current generations of young people have also to face the reality that the levels of trust in governments are in decline worldwide.
Whether in each other, our institutions, or our leaders, trust is essential for any society's functioning. It facilitates social and economic progress by allowing people to work together and express solidarity and public bodies to make decisions and deliver services. In addition, the creation of jobs and compliance with regulations has been found to be improved by a higher level of public trust. All those aspects could be jeopardized in the future if the governments do not act promptly to improve the situation.
On a more positive note, the pandemic redesigned the role of local communities.
Local and hyper-local charitable and voluntary organizations played a salient role in the COVID-19 response, and they are here to stay in the near future. However, communities differ in infrastructure level; the national capacity to respond to changing circumstances and challenges depends on community engagement at the local level and a strong network of communities in a broader sense.
Structural and health inequalities, pressure on revenue streams across the economy, rising unemployment, and changing labor markets are other side effects of the pandemic that we should not ignore if we hope for a thriving future. Therefore, each individual and institution must take responsibility and actively participate in creating opportunities to reshape society for the better.
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