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What has changed the most about the world since the coronavirus began is how we greet each other. Usually when you meet someone new you shake their hand, but now that personal connection when you first meet someone is gone. The CDC originally suggested elbow bumps instead of handshakes, but now greetings all together are not acceptable. Adding in an additional six feet of distance between you and another person into the mix also makes sure that no greetings are taking place. Social distancing and mask wearing makes it hard to read expressions on someone's face, which is a crucial part of interacting with someone new. Also, masks prevent people from being able to read lips, which makes it difficult for those who are hard of hearing to follow a conversation and contribute their own thoughts to one. Social interaction is also crucial to babies who were just born. Children born during the pandemic are missing out on these important first developmental steps. As we must continue with these protocols to ensure the safety of our community and slow the spread of the coronavirus, it is crazy to see just how many groups of people are affected in different ways and how these changes are quite significant. These new social measures will have a lasting impact on society, as it will be a slow transition back to large gatherings, handshakes, and mask free events. It will be interesting to see if people will ever feel comfortable standing within a close proximity to strangers and if mask-wearing when you are sick will become normalized. Although many aspects of the world has changed since the pandemic first started, I believe the social aspect of our world will be the most impacted.
October 5, 2020