This week marks the unofficial one-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. (Photo: Shutterstock)
This week marks the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down our lives. Though the pandemic had already been recognized in China and a few cases had even been found in the United States, it wasn't until states began shutting down and President Trump declared a national emergency on March 13 that we began to understand just how serious the threat was.
Even at BenefitsPRO, we urged caution, writing in February that employers and their workers should, "Keep calm and wash your hands." And Kaiser Family Foundation polling found that, at the end of February, just 9% of people had bought or worn protective masks.
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Emily Payne
Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
