The Covid-19 pandemic has been more than a little stressful for the entire country (and most of the world, for that matter). It caused us all to spend weeks or months indoors, to avoid seeing others or spending time out of the house, and to live in persistent fear of catching the virus.
The country has since (mostly) reopened, but the pandemic is far from over. In fact, nearly all epidemiologists agree that there will be multiple “waves” of infection, some of which might require us all to go into quarantine again.
The coronavirus pandemic impacts all of us, whether we contract it or not. For instance, many sociologists are predicting a spike in divorce rates because of problems that either arose during the quarantine or were exacerbated by it. In some cases, extended periods of isolation with a spouse increased tensions and divisions which were already present in the marriage. In other cases, the quarantine caused couples to see that they don’t have much in common.
If the United States is forced to go into a second or third quarantine, there is reason to believe the divorce rate will climb even higher as a result. Generally speaking, it seems like Americans have exhausted what little patience they had for staying home and avoiding public places. Another quarantine would likely be met with much more stress and anger. Those who experienced marital strife the first time around may be in for even more problems if patterns repeat.
The pandemic has also been associated with an even more urgent issue: a rise in rates of domestic violence. Check back later this week as we continue the discussion in our next post.
