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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Masks work, telehealth is here to stay — and other health lessons we’ve learned since the pandemic started 4 years ago

Yahoo News This month marks the four-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. During the months on lockdown, millions of Americans were grappling with uncertainty, with worries ranging from becoming ill and being separated from loved ones to facing unemployment — while simultaneously helping kids with virtual learning, sanitizing the groceries and searching high and low for a package of toilet paper. Even though the days of social distancing are behind us, some of the impacts of the pandemic — both positive and negative — have been long-term. Here, mental health professionals break down some of the important lessons we’ve learned since 2020.

Lesson No. 1: Loneliness is detrimental to our health

The pandemic both exacerbated and shined a spotlight on how many Americans were struggling with loneliness — defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as feeling isolated and “like you do not have meaningful or close relationships or a sense of belonging.” In a 2023 report, the U.S. surgeon general shared that 10 years ago, he didn’t view loneliness as a public health problem, but learned through research that being socially disconnected is harmful — its impact on mortality being equivalent to “smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.” Loneliness is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia, depression, anxiety and premature death, according to the report. This led to the surgeon general declaring the epidemic of loneliness a “public health crisis” in 2023.

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