EDITORIAL: Sad anniversary: A year into pandemic, what have we learned?

This time last year COVID-19 was just beginning to tighten its death grip on our global society. The virus that was first diagnosed in this country just a month earlier was killing people by the thousands; schools were telling students not to return from Spring Break; businesses were closing in the name of public safety; people were being asked, then ordered, to stay home, cover their faces. We were told that simply learning how to wash our hands properly could save our lives.

In this past year millions of people have caught COVID-19 and millions have died around the world, including nearly 5,000 in the Rio Grande Valley. Vaccines were made available a couple of months ago and appear to be working; infections and fatalities are still occurring, but in smaller numbers. The Biden administration hopes all those who want the vaccine can get it by the end of may — and we hope most people want it.

As we begin taking those initial small steps toward normalcy, we can now begin to assess the pandemic and our reaction to it. What, if anything, have we learned from this pandemic that no one expected and many people believed could never happen, at least to this extent?

> We learned the dangers of our own hubris. Most people take for granted our supposed domination over the universe, but were violently reminded that a single microscopic germ can bring the entire world to its knees.

> We learned that technology makes many things possible. Simple, free computer programs enabled many people to work from home and schools established virtual classrooms so that students could continue to receive instruction. We also learned that many families still don’t have the tools to make remote learning possible. Dips in student performance showed us that no matter how good technology can be, nothing compares to the personal attention of a teacher and support from other students in the classroom.

> We learned, unfortunately, that depending on personal responsibility can be risky. Too many people failed to understand that individual freedom requires individual responsibility. They defied calls to practice safety measures, saying they would rather be dead than lose their freedoms, and continued to place themselves, their families and others at risk of catching the deadly virus.

> We learned that within a year of the outbreak, about a half-dozen different vaccines were ready for public use; three of them are available in this country. We hope it leads to a thorough review and streamlining of the years-long drug development process so that future medications can be released, and start saving lives, sooner.

> Above all, we have learned that the human spirit is strong. Workers, students and others have dealt with the challenges placed before them. Many of them — some of them grieving from the loss of loved ones to the pandemic — stepped forward to help others, taking people to be tested and treated or distributing food and other goods to those who needed it.

All of this information can help us prepare and deal with future health crises — if we’re willing to learn.