Covid-19 has created a new “normal” – The East Texan

Almost a year after Covid-19’s first outbreak in March 2020, there appears to finally be some hope. 

There was a widespread panic around the world; grocery store shelves were empty, restaurants were closing down and all fun and exciting things were at a sudden halt. It almost felt like all hope was lost as more and more cases were accumulating each day and everywhere people were dying.

By mid-summer however, Moderna and Pfizer were establishing themselves for the “race” to develop, create and distribute a vaccine. By mid-December, both companies received immediate authorization for emergency use from the U.S Food and Drug Administration. Three months later the process into Phase 1B has started.

Toward the end of February, the Texas Department of State Health Services had released a statement saying that over 600,000 more vaccines were on the way. Which for some counties and cities meant so much as there were waitlists up to hundreds or thousands of people, just waiting to receive the vaccine. You can see the list of top states with the highest number of cases and the total number of deaths and other Covid-related data on the CDC website. As of now, Texas is second to California for the highest number of cases and total deaths. 

When the vaccine started its distribution in Phase 1A, I called my primary care doctor and asked the one question on everyone’s mind: “Should I get it?” As a 22-year-old college student with serious health conditions I wanted to know; was it something I desperately needed and was it even safe to get? She told me that someone with my health issues would benefit greatly from it. Although at the end of the day it probably could not 100% guarantee me to be Covid free, it will ensure that my chances of dying from it would decrease. She also mentioned that with my conditions, I was eligible and qualified under the Phase 1B category. Naturally I trust my doctor and so I registered everywhere for it. I am now fully vaccinated, which means so much more to me now than before. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. And now my parents just received their first doses. 

With more vaccines being received and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine being released within the next few weeks, the hope is for case numbers to decrease and the nation itself to get back to “normal.” But not everyone is fortunate enough to receive the vaccine early on and not everyone listens to the CDC guidelines, so how are we ever going to be able to get to “normal”?

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