by 2020 has been a year full of the unthinkable. In the winter, wildfires struck devastation in Australia, Kobe Bryant passed away, and President Trump was acquitted from impeachment. In the spring, Canada experienced one of their most devastating mass shootings, murder hornets were spotted, and Derek Chauvin brutally kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for thirty-nine minutes, killing him. This summer, Hong Kong now has to comply with China’s new security policy and US congressman/civil rights leader John Lewis passed away. All of these events reeked devastation all over the world and in the United States. However, there’s one tragic topic that has changed the remembrance of the year 2020 forever: COVID 19. The emergence of COVID 19 has created a paradigm shift. The adjustments made economically, politically, and socially have resulted in new ideas, creativity, and open mindedness.
Thomas Kuhn was a philosopher who focused on scientific study. He is most famously known for his invention of the term paradigm shift. Paradigm can be defined as a model that can be replicated. Paradigms can be very helpful when dividing and compartmentalizing data and information. A paradigm shift is when the usual way of thinking and acting gets replaced with a new, unusual way.
SARS-CoV-2, or COVID 19, is an illness that is spread through contact from person to person and can result in death. There have been about 26.6 million cases and 857,000 deaths worldwide, affecting almost all countries. The devastating effects of COVID 19 have resulted in us changing aspects of our lives that we wouldn’t have had if this disease had never surfaced. The usual way that we think and act every day has been replaced with a new way. The shift in social stigma surrounding group gatherings and mask wearing is something that would have never been present a year ago. Before the pandemic, going outside with a mask on would most likely prompt weird looks from people around you. Now it’s quite the opposite.
COVID 19 has wreaked havoc all over the world. However, some countries have seen devastation on a smaller scale. Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Denmark. What are the two things these countries have in common? They have some of the best COVID-19 reponses and are run by women. The fight for gender equality, especially in leadership roles, is one that has been ongoing for the past two hundred years. Although I see no near end to this mistreatment, this proof that women can lead their country to success and safety brings the fight one step closer to ending. The previous notion that women are unfit, too emotional, too soft to lead a country is clearly illustrated.
The lack of resources and materials helps contribute to the idea of COVID-19 triggering a paradigm. When the pandemic first hit, the lack of masks for medical professionals and people in general provoked a serious issue. Yet, we adjusted; people donated masks and even started to make their own out of an old shirt. However, not every necessary adjustment is positive and inventive. The lack of ventilators resulted in the change of deciding who gets necessary healthcare treatment.
Although the negative aspects of COVID-19 have been devastating, the dawn of the illness has created an unusual opportunity for growth. The COVID paradigm will culminate with the discovery of the vaccine. How long will this paradigm shift last? What more discoveries will arise?
Sources:
https://www.ksat.com/features/2020/06/10/27-things-you-probably-forgot-happened-in-the-whirwind-that-2020-has-been/
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/world/coronavirus-women-leaders.html
Photos:
https://www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value/feature/covid-19-era-female-leaders-are-shining-here-s-why-ncna1227931
https://www.ktvq.com/news/coronavirus/diy-how-to-make-a-cloth-mask-with-just-a-t-shirt-and-scissors