Man has always been at the top of the food chain, and we all take it for granted. But little was mankind prepared for a visually invisible microbe that could bring the world crashing to it's knees. And that is exactly what happened in the last months of 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, affected the world in unprecedented ways, so much so that it changed the collective behaviour of humanity and the way we interact with each other. But that is a minor inconvenience compared to the millions of families who lost their loved ones. And worse, due to the extreme nature of the contagion, many families lost multiple members in the early stages of the pandemic, when no one had any clue how to treat the patients and doctors turned to trial and error mode, prescribing multiple medications without knowing their efficacy.

We all know that history repeats itself, but we still fail to learn from it. The 1918 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza Epidemic, or by the common misnomer of the Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic that infected a third of the world's population and killed an estimated 50-100 million people. But in modern times, with all the technology and medical advancements, no one imagined a scenario like that until the pandemic spread havoc. It caught everyone off guard, exposing the inadequacies in preparedness for a public health crisis of this magnitude. Even countries that had robust public health systems, and thought they were better prepared, fared only marginally better.

A Black Swan event is one that has a very low probability of happening, but when it does happen, the impact is explosive. So no one, no system, and no nation is generally prepared for Black Swan events. People like to call themselves experts in their fields and are recognized as such. But that's only for normal times and normal scenarios. When the pandemic hit, no experts were ready to tackle it. It resulted in the worldwide failure and disruption of not only the medical services but everything as well. From communication and essential services to hearses and crematoriums. And ultimately, inevitably, the world went into lockdown.

Even though the global pandemonium caused by the pandemic has been almost tamed, it has already left its indelible footprint with far-reaching consequences that have affected every aspect of human life, from health and education to social and economic systems.

As a student, the sudden changes in ingrained routines were not easy to deal with. Being stuck inside the home all day, not meeting up with friends, no sports or games, and barely being able to grasp the content of online classes, which even teachers weren't prepared for, were big hurdles. And that's only for the middle class and higher. As schools around the world closed, remote learning was not even possible in poor communities, with the unavailability and unaffordability of technology, devices, and internet connections. Even for middle-class families, many parents lost their jobs, which took a severe toll on their economic reliability, and many students had to take up part-time jobs to contribute to their education, which is often expensive. Childhoods were crushed, and innocence was lost way before it was supposed to happen.

Another thing that's seldom a priority was brought to the forefront: Mental Health, especially when the collective humanity was shrouded by a thick cover of fear, uncertainty, and hopelessness. I can't even imagine what it was like for families who had members with ailments that needed critical care and a regular supply of medicines, let alone those affected by the deaths of their beloveds.

But we cannot ignore the fact that the fragile psyches of children and students were deeply affected. Their confidence, self-esteem, emotional well-being, and morale took a hit, as feelings of isolation, loneliness, anxiety, and agoraphobia crept in and spread, leading to a detrimental effect on their mental health as well. That could certainly have future untoward consequences that we don't even know yet.

Additionally, the pandemic has created a sense of uncertainty about the future, which can be particularly challenging for high school students who are planning their academic and career paths. With self-help and determination, high school students can overcome the adversities and challenges posed by the pandemic and emerge stronger and more resilient in the future.

The pandemic has been a great test for humanity, but it has also taught us valuable lessons about the importance of preparedness, community, and resilience. Even with losses, life always goes on.

Lessons learned from the pandemic will hopefully bode well for mankind in the long run, if the lessons are not forgotten. The pandemic has shown that investing in public health infrastructure and emergency preparedness is crucial to prevent or mitigate future pandemics. It also resulted in massive levels of cooperation between scientists, doctors, and epidemiologists. So much so that vaccines, which normally take 10–15 years to develop, were released in under a year. This monumental level of productivity and efficiency will hopefully speed up the rate of other medicines and vaccines that are developed in the future.

Combating a global crisis resulted in at least the temporary boundaries imposed by mankind dissolving as nations, communities, and people across the world came together to express solidarity and extend helping hands wherever required. Challenges and suffering make us more adaptable, resilient, and tough, and hopefully, that mindset will be instilled in future generations to tackle future crises that will be different and make them more creative and better prepared to surpass seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Moving forward, we must continue to apply these lessons and work together to build a better and more resilient world.

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