Since it first appeared at the end of 2019 and cases skyrocketed in the first half of 2020, COVID-19 has been part of daily life. You couldn’t leave your home without seeing its aftermath everywhere you went. Entire industries had to transform to survive this pandemic. Read on to see which industries COVID-19 disrupted the most.
Hospitality
One industry hit incredibly hard in the first stages of the pandemic was hospitality. Virtually no one was traveling, which meant that hotels saw little to none of their standard clientele. Thankfully, they could work with local governments and offer shelter or provide additional room for medical testing. With time, the industry managed to recover, and today, it embraces many new cleaning and sanitization protocols to keep guests safe.
Health Care
One of the most obvious industries affected by the pandemic is the health care industry. Hospitals experienced overcrowding, staff worked long hours, and treatment limitations made standard processes impossible. The changes even impacted mobile health clinics, as while they were useful for mobile testing and assisting smaller communities, governments shifted money away from clinics to support hospitals.
The health care industry is still struggling today as hospitals and smaller clinics work to keep their staff numbers high and deliver the best care possible. The medical world learned more about combating viruses, distributing PPE, and how to best treat patients, but there is still much more to learn.
Airlines and Rental Cars
Another industry that the pandemic hit incredibly hard was the airline industry. People were not traveling in the initial phases of the pandemic, and then even as it continued, restrictions kept planes from flying with a full passenger count. People did not feel safe sitting in such close proximity to each other, and airlines suffered as a result.
In addition to the airlines, a closely related industry of rental cars also struggled. Many rental companies had to sell their vehicles to make up for the loss in income, so when people started flying again, they could not provide enough rental vehicles to meet demand. Both industries have managed to recover but still face some consequences of the pandemic, such as severe understaffing and cancellations.
COVID-19 has disrupted many industries, but as time has gone on, the world has found ways to bounce back. The virus still exists and has many variants plaguing people and filling hospitals, but the world is operating to some degree as it once was.
