Resilience and Vulnerability: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 Outbreaks on Indians

Abstract

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic in India may have passed its height in 2023, it is still having a major effect on the country's population, economy, and healthcare system. After surviving the first wave, the public health system must now contend with the prospect of sustained pressure on its resources and workforce. Due to peak-time overcrowding, non-COVID illnesses may have gone undiagnosed or untreated. Because the pandemic hit low-income areas and informal labourers the hardest, socioeconomic gaps became wider. Many fell more into poverty as a result of lockdowns, company closures, and job losses. A possible fall in GDP and investment is one of the long-term effects that are just now becoming apparent. Anxieties about mental health also rose to the forefront. Anxiety, despair, and other mental health problems spiked during the lockdowns, social isolation, and virus dread. The road to complete recuperation will certainly be lengthy and need ongoing endeavours to fortify the healthcare system, tackle socioeconomic disparities, and offer mental health assistance to the populace; but, India has achieved progress in limiting the virus's spread. Keywords: COVID-19, India, Public Health, Long-Term Impact, Socioeconomic Disparity, Mental Health