It’s clear now the novel coronavirus pandemic will have a dramatic and long-lasting impact on just about every aspect of life, in some form or another. Undoubtedly, over time, we’ll discover new consequences as the ripples from this tidal wave crash and wash ashore. 
 
Analysis published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, drawing from a study on the health of Hurricane Katrina survivors, suggested the effects of this pandemic are likely to result in lasting physical and mental health consequences for many people, particularly vulnerable populations. Alongside efforts to reduce COVID-19 transmission, the researchers called for public health measures that may help mitigate indirect effects, for example by preventing lapses in healthcare and medication access. 
 
Meanwhile, with unemployment and financial losses mounting, and parents forced into impossible scenarios of work and home/virtual schooling, stress and anxiety have been ratcheting up. With so much uncertainty looming, the chronic nature of the coronavirus disaster may leave lasting scars.
 
A survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) found 46% of parents said their average stress level related to the coronavirus pandemic is high (between 8 and 10 on a 10-point scale where 1 means “little or no stress” and 10 means “a great deal of stress”). Only 28% of adults who don’t have children under the age of 18 reported similar levels of stress.
 
“Stress in America 2020: Stress in the Time of COVID-19, Volume One,” was conducted by The Harris Poll from April 24 to May 4, and surveyed online 3,013 adults age 18+ who reside in the U.S. 
 
The survey also found the economy is a significant source of stress for 70% of adults, compared with 46% in APA’s 2019 Stress in America poll. Current stress levels are similar to those seen in 2008 during the Great Recession. Similarly, seven in 10 employed adults said work is a significant source of stress in their lives, compared with 64% in the 2019 survey. 
 
Meanwhile, global lockdowns seem to have one beneficiary: the planet. A team of international scientists reported “extreme” reductions in carbon emissions, according to analysis published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Global daily emissions decreased by 17%, or 17 million tons of carbon dioxide, during the peak of the confinement measures in early April compared to mean daily levels in 2019, dropping to levels last observed in 2006. These effects, however, are unlikely to last, researchers cautioned. 
 
As experts continue learning about the novel coronavirus and how we may combat it, the long-term devastation this crisis will have on public health deserves careful consideration. There’s no magic bullet. There’s no time-turner. It’s a one-way, uphill climb ahead. But the products this industry can deliver, and the values it evokes and presents to the public may help ease the pain.