Two years of isolation

Summary

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly altered human interaction and social norms over the past two years, leading to prolonged periods of isolation and a reevaluation of what constitutes normalcy.

Abstract

The article reflects on the profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on society, emphasizing the physical and emotional separation it has caused since 2020. The implementation of lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing measures has reshaped daily life, turning homes into secluded havens and altering the way people connect with one another. Despite initial hopes for a return to normalcy with the advent of vaccines, the emergence of variants like Omicron and Delta has prolonged the sense of isolation, casting a shadow over the winter of 2021-2022. The text suggests that the prolonged period of isolation has not only cooled personal relationships but also transformed professional communication, with smart working becoming a norm at the expense of face-to-face interactions. As the pandemic continues, the article extends holiday greetings with a hopeful outlook for the restoration of empathy in 2022.

Opinions

The author believes that the pandemic has led to a significant loss of personal connections, with some relationships becoming estranged.
There is a sense of disillusionment regarding the initial hopes for a swift return to pre-pandemic life, with the ongoing spread of virus variants dampening optimism.
The article implies that the shift to remote work, while beneficial in some respects, has contributed to a decline in traditional communication and social skills.
The author expresses a desire for the new year to bring about a renewal of empathy and human connection, suggesting a need for emotional recovery from the pandemic's effects.
The mention of a Medium membership hints at a self-awareness of the article's tone and an invitation for readers to engage with more content, possibly indicating a broader discussion on the platform about the pandemic's impact.

The Covid-19 pandemic has now had all the time to separate us, divide us, distance us

We have been living in isolation for two years, some more and some less. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has had all the time to separate us, divide us, distance us. The anti-Coronavirus measures have closed us at home, kept on the sidelines, suggested to avoid gatherings. The very nature of the virus has advised us not to be close, to hug, to see each other.

First, in 2020 the international health emergency forced us to lockdown and quarantine to limit infections, transforming the walls of houses into the physical boundaries of our existence, then in 2021 the hope of moving towards a new normal has faded more and more, leaving space for the beloved reality of the Omicron and Delta variants that are spreading and of the infections that show no signs of abating, despite the benefits brought by the advancement of the vaccination campaign.

So we have now had almost 24 months to completely isolate ourselves. We have cooled our affections, lost contacts, forgotten about sociability.

In some cases, even relatives and friends may have become foreign people. And if smart working has very often saved us, we have however sent the ability to communicate with colleagues, people, and the rest of the world in general into early retirement.

And therefore to all of us isolated, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. May 2022 bring back all our empathy.

Two years of isolation

The Covid-19 pandemic has now had all the time to separate us, divide us, distance us

The fog of this time

The haze - mental, emotional, and concrete - blankets the winter of 2021–2022

The Winter of Our Discontent

After two years of the pandemic, at Christmas, the question “What if it never ends?”