The impact of COVID-19
For me, one of the biggest things I’ve experienced is COVID-19, and as a Wuhan native, that was a very unique experience. After the Military Games in 2019, the new coronavirus broke out. At the beginning, we only thought that it was a very small infectious disease, and then as people around us were constantly infected, we realized that it was a very serious infectious disease. Within weeks, schools were sent home quarantine orders. After that, we were isolated at home for half a year, and our lives changed dramatically.
First, all of our classes became online. Each of us needs to turn on our cameras in class while actively answering questions, even in PE class many of us need to turn on our cameras and then do some physical exercise. We also gradually began to use chat software to do homework, such as QQ’s job submission function. Of course, it was also very easy to be lazy during that time. I asked my friend what was the most common thing he did during quarantine? He told me that the most common thing he did was to secretly read novels and play games in class. He even said that several times he did not turn on the microphone, which also led to his game sound being heard by the teacher, and then he did not dare to admit that it was a very funny experience.
Secondly, we have made great changes in our daily life. For example, when we buy food, the government sends food to everyone from house to house. Although there has been a lot of improvement since. Because in Wuhan, because the epidemic isolation is not only once, but many times, but the time is different, and later we can use the APP to select ingredients and have them sent to us. There will also be batches, you can go to the entrance of the community to buy some ingredients.
One of the things my mom said during that time was：“记住带好口罩小心感染”（remember wear a mask everywhere to prevent infection）Because during that time my family was also accidentally infected, my aunt was infected, during that time my mother went to take care of her every day, but I was a person at home, I also asked my aunt, what was the feeling of that period, she answered me this way “感觉就是严重发烧，几天都不退烧很难受，短时间还好但是一周一直发烧下来，就很难抗住” (feeling is a serious fever, a few days do not reduce the fever is very uncomfortable, It’s fine for a while, but after a week of fever, it’s hard to fight it off.) Within a few months, we went from a total lockdown to a semi-lockdown, where we could leave our homes, but we couldn’t leave our neighborhoods, and even though the residents of our building were allowed to sneak out because of the construction of our building, that’s beside the point, because it wasn’t safe to do that, And then every morning at 10 a.m., we all need to go downstairs “做核酸”（do nucleic acid testing）to prevent someone from getting infected.
During that time, it was relatively easy, but the losses caused by the new crown lockdown are not easy to get back. Because of the lockdown many shopping malls, small restaurants, have to continue to pay the rent, but there is no profit so it has bankrupted many merchants.Of course, employees are not paid. But mask and drug manufacturers are making a lot of money.But this also makes the form of work become more diverse, this is because of such a series of things, Wuhan take-out, delivery industry has become more rapid, after the end of the epidemic, even small restaurants, there will be take-out, and basically there will be a big discount coupon, like the usual 7 yuan 10 yuan milk tea, the last 1 yuan can be bought is a common thing.After Wuhan lifted its lockdown, the city experienced significant economic and social changes. In the first quarter of 2020, Wuhan’s GDP dropped sharply by 40.5%, but by the end of the year, it rebounded to exceed 1.56 trillion yuan, returning to the top ten cities in China in terms of economic output. Transportation recovered rapidly, with Wuhan Tianhe International Airport handling over 580 flights daily during the 2021 summer-autumn season, a 12.1% increase compared to the previous winter-spring season. In terms of industrial recovery, Wuhan’s industrial output above a designated size grew by 12.1% in December 2020, marking six consecutive months of positive growth and setting a record high for the year. The commercial sector also bounced back, with major shopping malls like Wuhan International Plaza reopening and local street markets thriving. Popular areas like Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street saw bustling crowds again. Tourism and culture revived as well, with Wuhan University and East Lake becoming major attractions. During a single weekend in March 2021, East Lake’s Cherry Blossom Park welcomed 115,000 visitors, 60% of whom were from outside Wuhan. Overall, Wuhan demonstrated remarkable resilience post-lockdown, with its economy and social life steadily recovering, becoming a symbol of post-pandemic recovery in China.（China news）
After Wuhan lifted its lockdown on April 8, 2020, residents experienced a gradual return to normalcy, though challenges remained. A study by East China Normal University tracked over 300 Wuhan residents for two months post-lockdown, revealing that while psychological well-being improved slowly, many continued to practice self-isolation out of health concerns rather than external mandates. By June 2020, participants felt their lives had returned to approximately 75% of pre-pandemic normalcy.(东华大学电子办公室). Despite the easing of restrictions, authorities advised residents to minimize unnecessary outings and avoid gatherings to prevent a resurgence of infections. The public remained vigilant, with many expressing gratitude for frontline workers and a cautious optimism about the future.(观察者网)
Although the outbreak of the epidemic in Wuhan has brought no small impact on us, it has made us become a first-tier city in China much later, but it has also brought us a lesson. There is an old saying in China:“吃一堑长一智” (A fall into the hole, a gain in wisdom).This will only make us develop faster and more prosperous in the future.