Attitudes, Ideas, and Radical Adjustments During the Covid-19 Crisis

A CRITICAL THINKING ESSAY IN GEOGRAPHY
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A Critical Thinking Essay in Geography
Radical changes in ideas happen over a short time. As such, significant circumstances or events cause people to view things from new perspectives, therefore triggering the reevaluation of previously held attitudes and beliefs. The ideas and opinions I had at the beginning of the semester have changed significantly because of the COVID-19 crisis. The changes are radical adjustments compared to what I had initially believed.
The spring season started in the United States on 19th March. It was also the date when the daily lives and behaviors of people changed substantially because of the COVID-19 crisis. John Hopkins University had reported approximately 3,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 65 fatalities. As a result, the government closed all theme parks and postponed all sporting events. Besides, guidelines that limited gatherings to a minimum of 50 participants had been issued by the CDC. Citizens in San Francisco were ordered to self-quarantine, and airlines were mandated to decrease routes, because of a decrease in demand and the closure of borders by the government. Hotels reported a substantial decline in occupancy, while cruise lines stopped their operations. Although the retail stores remained open, the local shops in some cities curtailed hours because of decreased foot traffic. Some counties closed schools for a few weeks or months, while spring breakers were directed not to return for the semester. People were afraid of the lockdown and bought groceries in plenty. As a result, the grocery store shelves remained empty from 12th to 15th March.[Webster, Karen. 2020. "The 11 Days That Changed Mindsets On COVID-19 | PYMNTS.Com". PYMNTS.Com. /coronavirus/2020/11-days-that-changed-consumers-covid-19-mindset/.]
Italy had gone for lockdown as reports of deaths and confirmed cases increased in the country. On 15th March, Dr. Anthony Fauci addressed that America had increased chances of seeing many people infected by COVID-19, and advised the state to close bars and restaurants to stop the spread, and therefore flatten the curve. On 16th March, the California, Illinois, and Ohio announced the closure of restaurants and bars.[Webster, Karen. 2020. "The 11 Days That Changed Mindsets On COVID-19 | PYMNTS.Com". PYMNTS.Com. /coronavirus/2020/11-days-that-changed-consumers-covid-19-mindset/.]
I could not imagine that coronavirus had an unprecedented effect on every aspect of life. For instance, within 11 days, the number of consumers in the United States who indicated that they could get infected by coronavirus increased twice. Besides, the number of seniors and baby boomers, who stated that they were concerned about getting infected increased from 6% to 61%. Moreover, within ten days, nearly 90% of consumers in the United States decreased their consumption and changed their purchasing patterns significantly, because of the fears of contracting the virus. Approximately 31% of consumers stated that they were working from home, 46% stopped traveling, and 47% stopped leisure activities because they were afraid of contracting the virus.[Webster, Karen. 2020] [Webster, Karen. 2020]
Consumers pract...