Will the measles outbreak turn into another pandemic similar to Covid-19?  We all remember how Covid-19 shut the world down. It affected every facet of our lives. If the measles outbreak leads to another pandemic, what can we do differently?

For the last pandemic, Covid-19, we closed the schools, closed workplaces, and also closed restaurants (causing a serious blow to the economy). Several precautions were put into place such as wearing masks and later the Covid vaccine. Even though, there were vaccines that were supposed to protect us, many continued to get sick and some died.  All the things that were supposed to help and protect us did not save a large part of the population from getting sick or dying. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the news media constantly and exclusively discussed how many people were getting Covid-19, how many were dying of Covid.  It was as if there was no other news to report other than Covid. This caused a great sense of panic amongst people.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to democratic backsliding. Dr. Fauci released a great deal of false information to the public regarding Covid-19.  Fauci really pushed the vaccine as if people who did not take the vaccine would die. This led to even more panic from the public. People who did not take the vaccine lost their jobs, lost friends, and had conflicts within their family. Now in 2025, it is obvious that the vaccine is not a cure for covid since people who were vaccinated still caught covid and some who were not vaccinated have not gotten covid. This information may be controversial. But there are many of us who know at least one person who has been vaccinated and has gotten covid and also many of us know someone who has not been vaccinated and has not gotten covid. It got so bad that people no longer had a choice to take these vaccines, they were ordered to take them or lose their jobs. You could not visit loved one in the hospitals if you did not have the vaccine. Classes were taught on zoom. Any establishment that was open had to have people stand 6 feet apart. Also, people were quarantined and this seriously affected people’s mental health. This took a huge toll on children. It also affected their schoolwork. There was a great learning loss that teachers are still trying to correct to this day.

If you are wondering where the first covid-19 case occurred in the United States, it was New Rochelle, New York. March 3, 2020. A New Rochelle lawyer was one of the first to test positive in the United States. He was admitted to the hospital and became critically ill. Officials had to retrace his steps. He took a commuter train to Manhattan. He had attended an event at his synagogue, Young Israel of New Rochelle, days before he tested positive for covid-19. After this, the news media took this story and ran with it because this global crisis was now on American soil.  He really went through a lot. For example, he was banned from his law firm and the media constantly took pictures of his home. He could not have any privacy and felt ostracized.

The measles outbreak is on the rise. Hundreds of people (mostly children) have gotten sick from measles.  According to CDC, measles was eliminated in the US in the year 2000, but now it is back on the rise.  96% of those who have gotten sick had not received the measles vaccine. The main reason that most people are not getting the measles vaccination is because of the media.  There is lots of fake news on social media surrounding vaccines. Also, Robert Kennedy Jr told people that they do not need the measles vaccine. There are misconceptions about measles. One of them is that measles is not so bad. However, measles is a life-threatening virus, especially for young children. It can lead to blindness, brain swelling and even death. Also, measles are four times more contagious than Covid-19. Even those who recover from measles risk developing an incurable fatal brain disease years later.  With the measles on the rise and being highly contagious, why aren’t more people getting their children vaccinated? I was vaccinated for measles when I was a child. Even though I caught the measles because I was vaccinated, it was a mild case. Now a days, many children are dying from the measles because of them not getting vaccinated.

In closing, the measles outbreak is becoming a serious problem. It is starting off like the Covid-19 pandemic. At first there were a few Covid death here and there, and then it began to spread rapidly. The same thing or worse will happen with measles, since it is more contagious than Covid 19. So, I am wondering if the world will shut down again.  The pandemic contributed to democratic erosion by heightened political polarization which poses a threat to democratic stability. In polarized environments, political fragmentation make it difficult for government to enact policies that benefit the majority reenforcing polarization. There were laws that people did not follow, such as getting the Covid-19 vaccination, others did not agree with wearing a mask when it became mandatory. The effect of policy reaction to the sudden global shock of the global pandemic on democratic backsliding has catalyzed the search of how much the event has harmed democracy. The policies made in response to the pandemic have complicated social life and democratic processes. In fact, these political actions have been considered a serious threat to democracy. To summarize, we politicized the pandemic.  The contributing to democratic erosion.

Cov-19 pandemic triggered twenty five per cent increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. One major explanation for the increase in the unprecedented stress cause by social isolation. Among health workers exhaustion has been a major trigger for suicidal thinking.

Bibliography:

The Commercial Appeal ran “Pandemic Milestone 5 Years of Covid, A world forever changed”. Date March 9, 2025. The whole section 2pe through 12 pe gives good details of that five years we endured covid-19. Another article appeared on February 25, 2025. 

“This was looking back at 2020.”  By William Cain, USA. TODAY

References for” the 5 Years of covid, A world forever changed”.

USA TODAY Pages 2PE-12PE

Commercial Appeal “Today in History” Page 2A February 25, 2025, a wake-up call for parents

https://www.cdc.gov/global-measles-vaccination/data-research/global-measles-outbreaks/index.html

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

https://www.britannica.com/science/measles