The Pandemic Project Vol. 2

What Is Essential?

Pierce Cochrain The word essential has been tossed around like a plastic bag in the wind of 2020 due to the pandemic. Essential has been used as an adjective before words like essential workers, how it is essential to wear a mask, and how it essential to quarantine. The vaccine may even become essential when it becomes available. The concept of what makes something essential varies by everyone’s perspective of what they think is essential. That is what makes the word essential unique, because whether something is essential or not is not the same for every single person. Hence, why we have ongoing debates whether or not masks and quarantining are essential to defeat this virus. I think something that is essential is something that benefits my own needs and benefits the greater society as best as possible. This being said, it may not be the most essential element for other people.

I am an essential worker. I work as a sales associate at a beer store. We never once got closed due to the pandemic or laws because beer and liquor stores are deemed as essential. Why is it that a beer store is deemed essential, but a gym must close? Is our physical health not essential? Lawmakers have decided what businesses are essential and what ones are not. Although it may not seem essential to them, it is essential to the small business owners who have suffered through this entire pandemic. It is essential that we social distance because there are many health risks with the virus in play. But what also is essential is that we keep our economy going, and not kill off small businesses with closings.

Who would have thought McDonald’s and Wegman’s cashiers would be in a position to risk their lives and families’ lives and be deemed essential? Essential grocery store workers and service workers are put in danger every day because of this virus. The thought never crossed my mind before this pandemic that the word essential would become so crucial in society. It is amazing that minimum wage jobs are now just as dangerous as jobs that had high risk before the pandemic hit. The virus really has given the word essential a larger and more in-depth meaning. It has made the world recognize and truly appreciate the meaning of what is essential.

The essential workers that have been affected the most by this pandemic have been healthcare workers and first responders, those who have been on the frontlines of all this since the very beginning. The battle against Covid-19 has been essential; these frontline workers have been trying their best to keep the virus at bay. I think we all can agree what they do is essential no matter what your perspective on them may be. These workers already had essential jobs before Covid, and now have to bear the burden of still fulfilling their jobs throughout this world-wide outbreak.

The purpose of essentiality from a pandemic standpoint is so we can defeat the virus and move on from it. For something to be essential, it has to be something we need to do or must do. We must wash our hands and wear masks because it is essential to everyone’s health. Do we continue quarantining? Or is it essential that we stop all the social distancing and try herd immunity? For example, online schooling or remote learning. School is essential for everyone, whether it be pre-kindergarten or college. But failing rates for students are at an all-time high now. So, with learning being essential and social distancing being essential, which do we benefit from more?

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