TNS
By 2023, all statewide mask mandates had been lifted.
On March 13, we reached the five year anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown that sent the world into a state of unprecedented fear and uncertainty. While we are no longer required to wear masks and isolate ourselves from others, the impact of the pandemic still lingers in society today.
The pandemic created a culture of working from home in the U.S., and studies done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in 2025 one in four people still work from home. Nearly 50 percent of those with an advanced degree work remotely or hybridly. Not only are so many citizens working this way, nearly 40 percent say that they would not work at a job that does not offer some form of remote work.
Students and schools were impacted like never before. Students were sent into lockdown expecting only two weeks off. Instead, learning was virtual or hybrid for nearly two years. The impacts are clear in schools, as many students missed critical years of learning and are still working to fill those gaps.
The U.S. economy was also greatly affected by the pandemic. By May of 2020, over 23 million people were unemployed due to the pandemic. This had immense impacts on the economy, as small businesses and entire industries completely shut down and business owners were forced to adjust their lifestyles to try to stay afloat. Our economy is still recovering and faces post-pandemic recovery.
Many people faced extreme challenges with their mental health. People were no longer socializing, and there was increased fear all around the world, as everything often seemed uncertain. A study by WHO shows that in the first year of the pandemic anxiety and depression levels worldwide increased by 25 percent. While these numbers are now decreasing, they are still much higher than before.
With the five year anniversary of lockdown now behind us, many have expressed hope for the path ahead and the potential for a positive future. “I feel like the last five years have gone by so fast, but so much has happened. I can’t even imagine where we might be in another five years,” says Callie Roumanis ’27.