317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students

Although in May 2023, COVID-19 was declared to no longer be a public health emergency, it is still a global threat. We suggest a list of pandemic essay topics you can explore. In this collection of COVID-19 essay examples for students, we cover various dimensions of the pandemic, from origins to management and effects.

🦠 TOP 7 COVID-19 Essay Topics for Students

🏆 best pandemic essay topics, 🎓 interesting covid-19 essay topics for students, 👍 covid-19 essay examples for students, 💡 simple titles for covid-19 essay, 📌 more examples of covid-19 essays, ❓ pandemic research questions, ✍️ pandemic essay topics for college, 🔎 essay ideas on pandemic.

  • Digital Technologies During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Reflection on the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Leadership Approaches During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Singapore Airlines’ Strategic Plan During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Social Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and the Effect of the Pandemic on Nurses’ Well-being
  • Online Learning During the Pandemic
  • Walmart Digitalization in the Post-Pandemic Era At this moment, Walmart has to deal with technological advancement, customers’ interest in digitalization as a post-pandemic outcome, and unpredictable competitors’ moves.
  • Tourism Industry During the Pandemic This paper assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply and demand of tourism activities and consumer behavior.
  • Social Changes After the Coronavirus Pandemic The global coronavirus pandemic is rapidly changing the economic, behavioural, and social aspects of people’s lives.
  • The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic The year 2019 will forever be engraved in many people’s hearts as the time when a virus known as the COVID-19 invaded almost all the sectors, thereby disrupting daily activities.
  • Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Canada The current project is going to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Air Canada and provide a PESTEL analysis of the organization.
  • Zoom Video Communications During Covid-19 Pandemics The case study shows that Zoom company has become one of the most preferred brands in this industry since the COVID-19 pandemic because of its unique products.
  • The Covid-19 Pandemic Impact on the Family Dynamic The problem threatened children’s mental and physical health, further exacerbated by inadequate access to welfare for those living in poverty.
  • The Covid-19 Pandemic’s Influence on Socialization The recent COVID-19 pandemic has represented the topic of secondary socialization, unearthed the true extent of financial and social inequality across the world.
  • The Covid-19 Pandemic Analysis Coronavirus, or Covid-19, is a contagious virus that began in December 2019. It causes an infection on the upper throat, sinuses, and nose.
  • Pandemic Effects on Churches and Families Both churches and families appreciate those moments when they can be together, as it is often taken for granted pre-Covid 19.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic: Economic Impacts This paper aims to find the economic impacts of the coronavirus by exploring current financial status in the United States and around the world.
  • Multinational Companies in a Post-Pandemic World As MNCs are major employers, it is important to determine their prospects to operate in the post-pandemic world of 2022.
  • Pandemics in History Black Death, smallpox, Spanish flu were one of the most lethal and impactful pandemics. This paper describes the origin of these three outbreaks and analyses social consequences.
  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Standard Chartered Bank This paper will explore the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the Standard Chartered bank, the development of technology, and its influence on human resource management.
  • Tourism Sustainability After COVID-19 Pandemic This essay will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the sustainability sector of the tourism industry.
  • Public Health: The Issue of HIV/AIDS Pandemic The public is involved in the prevention of HIV through the enhancement of public awareness. Advertisements that show prevention measures should be made for the public.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic and New Parenthood This paper aims to explain the impact of COVID-19 on the breastfeeding process, the psychological well-being of new mothers, and the type of support necessary.
  • Post-Pandemic Work Environment The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people approach work because the majority of companies had to transition to remote work.
  • Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Global Economy The paper is aimed to overview the Coronavirus pandemic’s characteristics and analyze the outcomes of the disease outbreak within major economic spheres.
  • Pre-pandemic and Pandemic Consumer Behavior The pandemic of COVID-19 has had a noticeable influence on consumer behavior around the globe that will most probably be long-term.
  • Leadership and Management During COVID-19 Pandemic The current leadership framework that lifts a substantial amount of responsibility from the staff might help them feel relieved, yet will reduce the efficacy of their performance.
  • Managerial Accounting in the COVID-19 Pandemic Any company or an organization with a dream of succeeding in the world of business should consider managerial accounting as a critical element of propelling its objectives.
  • Impact of COVID-19 Pandemics on the Environment The spread of the COVID-19 and the contingency prevention measures harm the environment, and it is urgent to solve problems like the growing volume of waste.
  • Ethical Controversies During COVID-19 Pandemic Regulations The paper discusses the ethical controversies involving USAA and Shake Shack from moral and economic points of view.
  • Organizational Culture After the COVID-19 Pandemic The paper provides a collection of summaries or excerpts from various research papers on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on corporate culture.
  • Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Human Well-Being The COVID-19 pandemic taught people to appreciate their social ties and health more and helped them reconsider the impact of social isolation on human well-being.
  • Mental Health and COVID-19 Pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the biggest global challenges in the last 50 years. The virus has affected world economies, health, societal cohesion, and daily life.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Hospitals The novel coronavirus has impacted hospitals and healthcare facilities, leading to increased strain on limited available resources and increased outpatient visitations.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic: Businesses Negotiation Strategies The use of negotiation strategies can help businesses to reduce losses and service interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus offering a significant competitive advantage.
  • Consumer Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic The pandemic has affected consumers’ purchasing behaviour. People have been spending less money on items such as clothes, jewelry, shoes, electronic gadgets, and games.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on the US This paper discusses some of the social, economic, and psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States of America.
  • Government Responses and Expectations During the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919
  • The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
  • Preparing Your Finances for a Bird Flu Pandemic
  • Teachers’ Emotion and Identity Work During a Pandemic
  • Disease Risk and Fertility: Evidence From the HIV/Aids Pandemic
  • Disruptive Innovation Can Prevent the Next Pandemic
  • Potential Bird Flu Pandemic
  • Mental Health and Coping in the Shadow of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Israeli Case
  • Bank Integration and Systemic Risk: Panacea or Pandemic
  • HIV/Aids Pandemic and Women
  • Child Abuse: The Pandemic
  • Could Avian Flu A(H5N1) Become a Pandemic
  • Novel Criteria for When and How to Exit a COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown
  • Nepal Flu Pandemic: Causes and Solutions
  • Vaccine Prioritization for Effective Pandemic Response
  • COVID-19 and the Brazilian Reality: The Role of Favelas in Combating the Pandemic
  • Choosing Between Adaptation and Prevention With an Increasing Probability of a Pandemic
  • Relationship Between World War I and the Influenza Pandemic
  • Hazard Prevention, Death and Dignity During COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy
  • The Possible Macroeconomic Impact on the UK of an Influenza Pandemic
  • Dehumanization During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Emotional, Behavioral, and Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Modeling Influenza Pandemic and Planning Food Distribution
  • Pandemic, Quarantine, and Psychological Time
  • Stigma and Discrimination During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Solid Organ Transplantation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Psychological and Behavioral Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece
  • Spasticity Treatment During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Mortality From the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 in Indonesia
  • Preparing Your Business for a Bird Flu Pandemic
  • “Pandemics Are Not War” by Wilkinson: Article Review In her article “Pandemics are not war,” Wilkinson writes about the use of war as a metaphor for pandemics. She argues that it is unfair to view pandemics as a force of terror.
  • The Malaysian Workforce After the COVID-19 Pandemic This essay discusses the employee health and well-being issue prevalent among the Malaysian workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic in detail.
  • Social Institutions: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic The purpose of this paper is to identify how the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the problems of various social institutions, such as the economy and education.
  • Cancel Culture Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic The case study will analyze various academic studies with a social science focus and will assist in defining how the cancel culture has been shaped by the pandemic.
  • Food and Beverage Plan: The COVID-19 Pandemic Influence The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many social spheres. The food and beverage industry is still in the conditions of many restraints and limitations.
  • Effects of the Pandemic on Early Childhood Education and Children The pandemic has placed early childhood education at serious risk. The closing of learning institutions that provide young children with education is a threat to their potential growth.
  • Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Human Relations In the article, the author analyzes how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted his relationships with family and friends.
  • The Effect of Global Pandemic on the Role of Sports in Our Lives The pandemic has changed the way I view sports and their meaning in people’s lives, and I no longer view sports as primal for people.
  • Intimate Partner Violence in the Australian Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic The pandemic and people’s resulting uncertainty about jobs and health can have a range of negative psychological effects, thus making conflicts between partners more common.
  • The Black Plague vs. the COVID-19 Pandemic The documentary History of the Black Death recounts a global pandemic during the Middle Ages that can somewhat be equated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Coronavirus Pandemic in Context of Existentialism Once humans can consider coronavirus from an existential viewpoint, they may take it easier, accepting the situation and not being overly nervous.
  • Nutrition: Obesity Pandemic and Genetic Code The environment in which we access the food we consume has changed. Unhealthy foods are cheaper, and there is no motivation to eat healthily.
  • Virtual Visit to Louvre During Covid-19 Pandemic Louvre is a famous museum, with millions of visitors each year. The museum has a virtual tour, which is a treat in the period of COVID-related restrictions.
  • Observing Harmony in Our Life During Covid-19 Pandemic During the pandemic, there have been many reasons to reflect upon the essence of the never-ending sequence of challenges that form the sequence of our lives.
  • The Sphere of Leadership: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic This research paper is aimed at evaluating the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sphere of leadership.
  • Relation Between the COVID-19 Pandemic and Depression The paper is to share an insight into the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of thousands of people and provide advice on how to reduce its impact.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic: Preparing a Presentation The social science issue I work on is urgent for the audience as it is related to the recent COVID-19 pandemic and shares actual data about changes among social institutions.
  • Durkheim: Pandemic and Functionalism Durkheim defined the concept of division of labor as follows: “a way of investigating the moral consequences of the growing complexity within modern societies”.
  • Covid-19 Pandemic Effect on the Economy The COVID-19 pandemic had a profoundly detrimental consequence on the state of micro- and macroeconomic activity.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic: Human Response The most adequate and effective human response to COVID-19 is launching public information campaigns that contribute to most individuals’ understanding of the situation.
  • Government-Funded Assistance Before and After Pandemic Social welfare and national insurance programs are the primary forms of public support aid in the United States. Incentives from social programs are associated with low salaries.
  • The Effectiveness of the US in Response COVID-19 Pandemic The paper discusses the effectiveness of the US in response COVID-19 pandemic, the lessons learned from COVID-19, and whether the CDC played its role.
  • Police Brutality During COVID-19 Pandemic In the United States, there has been a perceived and observed police injustice towards minority communities, especially Blacks.
  • Risk Communication in Pandemic Prevention Effective structuring of risk communication in a way that the citizens get all relevant information about a disease outbreak can prevent a pandemic in the future.
  • Economic Systems During the Pandemic Government-mandated national lockdowns restrict COVID-19 propagation and negatively affect the economy. Employees were unable to work during the shutdown.
  • How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed the Human Resource Landscape The paper states that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the human resources landscape, such as staffing, working patterns, and workplaces globally.
  • Healthcare Costs Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic In all over the world, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic growth of national healthcare spending as the prevention and treatment required the implementation of new measures.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Health Policy The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous health challenges and made it vital for healthcare professionals and policymakers to introduce new effective measures.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic: Patient Care Problem The essay discusses the COVID-19 pandemic patient care problem and its effect on the hospital’s budget and the role of a nurse leader in mitigating the effects.
  • Decision-Making in Nursing: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic This paper deals with the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the ability of nurses to make sound decisions as to the wellbeing of patients in clinical settings.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic: Role of Leisure The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous health challenges, and leisure activities have played a significant role in combatting it.
  • Managing Incremental Healthcare Costs in a Post Pandemic World India’s burgeoning medical tourism industry offers affordable, high-quality healthcare services and wellness options, attracting global visitors.
  • Combating Ebola and Marburg Outbreaks Compared to the COVID-19 Pandemic Treatments for the Zaire Ebola virus and vaccines for COVID-19 have been developed. In combating these epidemics, governments must acquire the required resources.
  • Childhood Obesity During the COVID-19 Pandemic While the COVID-19 pandemic elicited one of the worst prevalences of childhood obesity, determining its extent was a problem due to the lockdown.
  • Changes in Demand and Supply During the Coronavirus Pandemic The paper explains that government measures to regulate prices, namely the creation of price ceilings, created shortages of essential and personal care products.
  • Parenting in a Pandemic: Tips to Keep the Calm at Home The article ​“Parenting in a Pandemic: Tips to Keep the Calm at Home” provides a set of recommendations for parents regarding managing children’s behaviors during the pandemic.
  • Leadership Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak The paper presents a healthcare leadership response plan to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. It identifies the issue’s urgency and the importance of effective leadership.
  • MD Properties’ Project Evaluation During the COVID-19 Pandemic The purpose of the report was to evaluate the project implemented by MD Properties in 2021 to adapt to help operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • COVID-19: Considerations for Children and Families During the Pandemic
  • Risk and Protective Factors in the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Psychosocial Support for Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Community Strategy For Pandemic Influenza
  • Combating the Pandemic COVID-19: Clinical Trials, Therapies, and Perspectives
  • Disease and Fertility: Evidence From the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in Sweden
  • Pharmaceutical Patents and the HIV/Aids Pandemic
  • Gender-based Violence During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Physical Fitness and Exercise During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Pandemic Perspective: Commonalities Between COVID-19 and Cardio-oncology
  • The Successes and Failures of the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic Response in Romania
  • Food Safety During and After the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Spanish Flu 1918 Pandemic
  • Fighting Strategies Against the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic: Impact on Global Economy
  • Diabetes the 132 Billion Dollar Pandemic
  • Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: The Role of Printing Media in Asian Countries
  • Spanish Flu Global Pandemic
  • Federal Reserve System Vigilant for Flu Pandemic
  • Ethics and Preparedness Planning for an Influenza Pandemic
  • Cancer Patient Management Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Gaussian Doubling Times and Reproduction Factors of the COVID-19 Pandemic Disease
  • Revisiting the Global Overfat Pandemic
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic and Intelligence Communication in the United States
  • Pregnancy During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic
  • What Caused the Aids Pandemic?
  • Radiation-induced Lymphopenia Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Exercise Frequency and Subjective Well-Being During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Challenges for Drug Repurposing in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era
  • Flexible Teaching and Learning Modalities in Undergraduate Science Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • The Great Influenza Pandemic Was the Worse Pandemic That Occurs During the First World War
  • Effects Women Have Faced During the COVID-19 Pandemic Globally The essay discusses the challenges women face in maintaining their economic security, juggling caregiving responsibilities, and coping with job losses and business closures.
  • The Covid-19 Pandemic Impact on Business The pandemic significantly negatively influenced society and the global economy. The pandemic had a massive influence on economics, enterprises, and labor supply.
  • Social Changes Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-2019 pandemic has affected all areas of society, and from the experience gained, people should draw the appropriate conclusions in order to avoid this in the future.
  • Discussion: Supply Chain Management and Pandemic Although the author was aware of the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the global supply chain, Ellyatt (2021) provides a more in-depth insight into this problem.
  • Organizational Culture After the COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 outbreak and its consequences led to the necessity to adjust to new working conditions and make corporate culture more flexible.
  • Hotel Brands in the Post-Pandemic Era Strong hotel brands are fitter for the recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and have more opportunities to attract new consumers and keep loyal ones.
  • Domestic Violence in Melbourne: Impact of Unemployment Due to Pandemic Restrictions The purpose of this paper is to analyze to what extent does unemployment due to pandemic restrictions impact domestic violence against women in Melbourne.
  • The Role of Digitalization in Supporting SMEs During the COVID-19 Pandemic This article analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs and retailers, focusing on the organizational culture of retail businesses and their responses to the crisis.
  • Policy Brief: Access to Education After the Pandemic The After-Hours Academy is a business that aims to provide learners from underserved communities with resources to improve their online education.
  • The US Government Pandemic Initiatives In order to address the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide, including in the United States, designed special initiatives to help companies.
  • The 1918 Pandemic Representation The 1918 pandemic caused by the flu influenza led to the death of more than 50 million people and was believed to be one of the tremendous diseases in history.
  • Struggles Families Encounter During Pandemic Since late 2019, the coronavirus pandemic has expanded far and quickly, wreaking havoc on countless families worldwide.
  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oceania It is necessary to analyze exactly how the pandemic affected the remote states of the Pacific Ocean and the fisheries in particular.
  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Intimate Partner Violence in the US The safety measures implemented by the U.S. government in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus resulted in increased intimate partner violence in the country.
  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sibling Violence The problem of domestic abuse has been extensively studied by researchers worldwide, and one of the main forms of the phenomenon is sibling violence.
  • Job Losses as a Result of the Pandemic Macroeconomics examines the performance of the economy in general, as such, the issue of job losses demonstrates how the economy of countries was affected by Covid-19.
  • Stress in Pregnant Women Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Pregnancy is a particularly crucial time for the mental health of a woman. The high levels of stress have been linked to exposure to the pandemic.
  • Issues of Working With People During the Pandemic Communication is essential when de-escalating a crisis. It is critical that they feel understood, so they need to pay close attention to them.
  • The Rental Housing Market Challenges During the COVID Pandemic The policy of freezing the rental price and setting the bar for a monthly fee, as in a German city, can significantly improve the situation in Istanbul.
  • How the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Changing the Economy World Health Organization characterized the illness as a pandemic on 11th March 2020, resulting in 3 million cases and the demise of 207,973 people.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Social Impact The authors of the article examine the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological and social conditions of the population.
  • Air Canada: History, Profit, Pandemic, and Future Air Canada delivers not only people but also cargo all over the world, but, unfortunately, it took a full two years for the company to adapt to the pandemic.
  • Utilitarianism and PR During the Pandemic The principle of utilitarianism in the PR sphere contradicts the modern ethical paradigm because it cannot fully provide the ability to make decisions.
  • Vaccination Issue Concerning the COVID-19 Pandemic This paper discusses the current vaccination issue concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Large numbers of patients worldwide refuse vaccines.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Black Plaque This paper discusses the social, economic, and political factors contributing to COVID-19 in the domestic and international spheres and connects COVID-19 and the Black Plague.
  • Modeling the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Coronavirus has taken a substantial toll on people worldwide. Being only a year after the eruption of the virus from Wuhan, its effects have been felt globally.
  • Addressing Economic Inequality: The Pandemic Challenge Economic inequality continues to be relevant to modern society, with the full range of human rights being available only to the wealthy minority.
  • Pandemic Coverage: Omicron Issues The news media provided trustworthy information surrounding pandemic-related developments that had transpired but proved inefficient in making prognoses.
  • Economic Inequality and Pandemic Challenge The most vulnerable populations were affected by the coronavirus pandemic because they often could not access economic and public health resources to meet their needs.
  • Influenza (H2N1) vs. COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19 and H2N1 pandemic has impacted the lives of many people. Both pandemics have some similarities and differences, and each has a particular significance.
  • The Issue of the Opioid Pandemic in the USA The efforts at addressing the issue of an opioid pandemic have been quite numerous, yet the results that they have yielded cannot be described as stellar.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Media Response by the American Government Using social media to address the public on COVID-19, President Biden and his vice have developed a seven-point plan to help combat the pandemic.
  • Pandemic Challenge and Economic Inequality The coronavirus pandemic has presented two significant challenges for American society: public health and economic crises.
  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the International Trading The coronavirus pandemic has created new tough barriers to globalization and trade: the shutdown of production and the borders of leading countries and economic groups.
  • Production and Growth During the Pandemic: A Case of U.S. Manufacturing By recognizing the factors that shape the production process, U.S. manufacturers have managed to continue delivering solid performance despite the effects of the coronavirus.
  • “And the Band Played On” During the AIDS Pandemic The movie “And the Band Played On” touches on different prevalent issues during the AIDS pandemic that affected the world in the 1980s.
  • Planning in a Post-Pandemic World With the need for new, stricter health regulations in the workplace for a safer internal environment in the office come limitations on the number of persons of staff present.
  • Pandemic in Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of la Grande Jatte” The current paper includes reflecting on the pandemic through the lens of Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”.
  • Could Avian Flu AH5N1 Become a Pandemic?
  • Does the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Call for a New Model of Older People Care?
  • How Can the COVID-19 Pandemic Lead To Positive Changes in Urology Residency?
  • How Should HIV/Aids Pandemic Be Addressed?
  • What Is the Potential for Avian Influenza to Cause Another Worldwide Pandemic?
  • What Is the Impact of Pandemic COVID-19 on Education in India?
  • What Are the Regulatory Challenges for Drug Repurposing During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
  • What Were the Successes and Failures of the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic Response in Romania?
  • Why Obesity Is the New Global Pandemic of 21st Century?
  • What Is the Possible Macroeconomic Impact on the UK of an Influenza Pandemic?
  • How Financial Markets Lived Under the Global Pandemic of COVID-19?
  • What Are the Measures of Ecology and Economics for Pandemic Prevention?
  • Are Women Publishing Less During the Pandemic?
  • What Is the Impact of COVID-19’s Pandemic on the Economy of Indonesia?
  • Which Interventions Work Best in a Pandemic?
  • Why Community Participation Is Crucial in a Pandemic?
  • How to Prepare Business for a Post-pandemic World?
  • What Are the Strategies for Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic?
  • What Are the Origins of HIV and the Aids Pandemic?
  • How to Predict and Prevent the Next Pandemic Zoonosis?
  • How Did COVID‐19 Pandemic Show Cricial Cybersecurity Issues?
  • What Are the Best Practices for Implementing Remote Learning During a Pandemic?
  • What Were the Ecological Consequences of a Pandemic?
  • How to Manage the Effectiveness of E-Commerce Platforms in a Pandemic?
  • What Are the Internal and External Effects of Social Distancing in a Pandemic?
  • Police Killing Black People in a Pandemic Police violence as a network of brutal measures is sponsored by the government that gives the police officers permission to treat black people with disdain.
  • Racial Discrimination in the Industry of Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic This research, done in an industry that produces face masks, provides a clear image of racism during the coronavirus pandemic period.
  • American Pandemics From Columbus to Coronavirus The decisions made by previous generations of Americans during epidemics led to the development of structural racism and class segregation.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on the Airline Industry The main objective of the paper was to provide evidence-based coverage of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on airline operations around the world.
  • Pandemic-Related Changes in Consumer Behavior The COVID-19 pandemic has affected consumer behavior around the globe so considerably that new trends have emerged that are mostly based on seeking stability.
  • United States Economy’s Outlook After Pandemic The United States has shown signs of a rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic through the rising GDP and the low unemployment rates witnessed in the country.
  • Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health & Substance and Alcohol Abuse While substance use disorder can impose mental health challenges on those who consume drugs, COVID-19 affects the psychology of all humankind.
  • The US Stock Market Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic Despite the terrible effects that the coronavirus has had on the stock market in the United States, it is clear that the country has gained a great deal from the adverse effects.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic in Media: Agenda Setting Theory For the analysis, the currently gaining attention theory about the laboratory origin of the virus was chosen, as well as its coverage in authoritative publications.
  • The H3N2 Virus Pandemics of 1968 The H3N2 virus contained two genes derived from the six genes from the A(H2N2) virus, associated with the 1957 H2N2 pandemic.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic and Labor Market Dynamics The labor market dynamics of the COVID-19 recession in the United States are studied using a search-and-matching model incorporating temporary unemployment.
  • Recovery the Post Pandemic World The paper briefly explains what sort of recovery the post-pandemic world will likely experience and how Ireland is positioned to cope or change tact.
  • The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Housing Market in Singapore Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused various economies around the globe to fumble and struggle, the housing market in Singapore tends to remain healthy.
  • Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the African American Communities This paper analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the economic aspect of the African American communities. A female and two males were interviewed.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Effects Worldwide Covid-19 has remained a threat in many countries in the last two years. Numerous restrictions and precautions have been implemented in various nations.
  • COVID-19 and Playing Sports During a Pandemic The review focuses on three significant sports areas under the conditions of a pandemic: health, commercialism, and structural aspects.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic and Valuable Cargo The COVID-19 pandemic has played a significant role in changing logistics, with the supply chain playing a more critical role than ever before.
  • Telehealth in the Pandemic: Benefits & Limitations Despite the benefits of telehealth during the pandemic period, the older population still has reservations about the suitability and efficacy of such technologies in the long run.
  • Review of “For Millions, the Pandemic Is Far From Over” Article The article by Doheny, presented by the reputable healthcare source Medscape, examines the challenges of immunocompromised Americans.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Society COVID-19 has disrupted daily life and slowed the global economy. In addition, thousands of people have been affected by this pandemic, and are either sick or dying.
  • Extraversion & Social Connectedness for Life Satisfaction During the Pandemic This laboratory report critically examines the effects of strict isolation and social distancing on perceptions of self-satisfaction.
  • Older Adults Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mental Health Benefits of Physical Activity The aim of this paper is to identify the effect of physical activity on mental health among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Virtual Teams’ Adaptation to the Conditions of the COVID-19 Pandemic Virtual teams’ adaptation to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic happened through forced utilization of technology to establish effective communication.
  • The Dabbawalas and the COVID-19 Pandemic The global COVID-19 pandemic cannot go unnoticed for the dabbawalas, which is a system of lunchbox delivery and return services for India’s employees.
  • Global Pandemic of COVID-19 From an Epidemiological Perspective The epidemiological perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic requires studying the statistical data for identifying patterns that could be addressed or eliminated.
  • Supply Chain Management Challenges Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic The increasing number of suppliers and business continuity risks must be considered to find relevant solutions to the Kuwaiti supply chain management problem.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Australia This work will focus on discussing some of the considerations necessary for the Australian business to start its operation in a new market environment during COVID-19.
  • Long-Term Changes in Information Technology During the Pandemic of COVID-19 The outbreak of the COVID-19 in China is not only destructing the global economy but it can also have a positive effect on the development of the IT industry.
  • Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Macroeconomic Issues COVID-19 fueled many macroeconomic issues. The first is high inflation which increased the living costs and pressure on low-income earners.
  • Texas Judiciary During the COVID-19 Pandemic The current paper indicates that the main issues faced by the Texas justice system and state judges are caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Brought Us Too Close Together The resources presented in the articles depict a new reality where violence and riots occur due to a depressed populace who can’t stand any injustice.
  • Consumer Behavior: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Consumers come out of COVID-19 with very different habits, and the main challenge for businesses, both small and large, is to find an approach in the new environment.
  • How the Corona Virus-19 Pandemic Affected Society This paper discusses the Corona Virus-19 effect on society’s stratification and social classes, politics, families and marriages, and problems in education that students faced.
  • Healthcare Policy Influences: COVID-19 Pandemic The research indicates that the impactful aspect of the economy of a nation became the most prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Built Environment and Pandemics Healthy built environments have services and resources that contribute to the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of the people who occupy it.
  • Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans During the Pandemic An outbreak of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans after the outbreak of the pandemic has led to thousands of violent episodes against members of the group.
  • Hand Sanitizers in COVID-19 Pandemic: Pros and Cons The paper states that hand sanitizers are indeed associated with controversial aspects and have both positive and negative properties.
  • The Story of Sam, OCD, and the COVID Pandemic Her name is Sam, short for Samantha; you may not tell by looking at her, but she has a mental condition called obsessive-compulsive disorder.
  • Parents and Children’s E-Safety Education During the Pandemic
  • Domestic Violence During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Arguments Against Masks During Pandemic and Personal Freedom
  • White and Black People in USA During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Psychological Effects COVID-19 Pandemic Leading to Hospital Nursing Shortage
  • Poor Staff Management During the Pandemic
  • Economic Predictions on Recovery After COVID-19 Pandemic Shock
  • Tourism and Sustainable Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Healthcare for Underserved Communities During Covid-19 Pandemic
  • Preparing a Child for School During COVID Pandemic
  • Restaurant Business During The Pandemic
  • US Actions Concerning COVID-19 Pandemic
  • The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Businesses
  • Can Coronavirus Pandemic Lead to World War III?
  • Poor Management & Care Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic in US and World History
  • Comparison of How Communities React to Plagues and COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Social Solidarity During the Pandemic
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic Organizational Risk Management Strategies
  • Global Society: Before and After The Coronavirus Pandemic
  • The Covid-19 Pandemic of 2019-2021
  • Autoethnography: The COVID-19 Pandemic
  • VA Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Expansion and Impact
  • Mental Health During the Pandemic: Research Design, Steps, and Approach
  • Physical Activity Impact on Psychological Health During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Public Policy Meeting: “VA Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
  • Existence of God in Times of Covid-19 Pandemic
  • How Can Irish Funeral Traditions Help the Bereaved People Cope with Losses during the Pandemic?
  • Children and the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Covid-19 Pandemic and Mental Health of American Population
  • Key Takeaways from the Coronavirus Pandemic
  • Racial Inequalities in the Context of Pandemic Vaccination
  • Healthcare Rationing During a Pandemic
  • Pandemics & Biothreats and Governmental Responses
  • Labor Market Developments During the Covid-19 Pandemic
  • Influenza Pandemic Outbreak Analysis
  • Streaming Service for the Elderly During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Picnics Become Popular Around the Globe During Pandemics

🌶️ Hot Pandemic Ideas to Write about

  • School Closure During Influenza Pandemic
  • Influenza Pandemic Outbreak Overview
  • Changing Health Behavior in Current Pandemic Situation
  • The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Community of Charleston, South Carolina
  • Mental Health Buring a COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Is the Pandemic Beneficial?: Argument with an Opossum
  • Job Satisfaction Levels During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Christianity and the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • COVID-19 Pandemic: Economic Factors and Consequences
  • Florida Administration’s Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Social Values
  • City Planning and Pandemics: Efficient Approach
  • COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on the Environment
  • Nature Relatedness and Well-Being during COVID-19 Pandemic
  • COVID-19 Pandemic: What We Can Learn From the Past?
  • COVID-19 Pandemic and a Globalized Economy
  • Psychonomics of Consumers During the covid19 Pandemic
  • Social Barriers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • How the Pandemic Has Worsened Opioid Addition
  • The Impact of the Worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic on Essential Social Values
  • Project Management in Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • The Sports Industry During the Covid-19 Pandemic
  • Ethical Perspective on Pandemics
  • Airline Labor Relations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Mitigating the Impact of the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic
  • The Company’s Exit from the Crisis in a Pandemic
  • Employees Retention During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Pandemics and Epidemics that Changed the World
  • Streaming Service and Elderly During COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Hoarding and Opportunistic Behavior during COVID-19 Pandemics
  • Racist Assaults Against Asians and Coronavirus Pandemic
  • Australian Freight Companies’ Ethics During the COVID-19 Pandemics
  • Pandemic and Its Aftermath Impact
  • Budgetary Change: Unstable Situation Due to the Pandemic
  • City Planning and Pandemic: Efficient Approach
  • Psychological Effects of Pandemic Control Measures
  • Global Pandemic Issues: Prevention of Infection and Transmission of COVID-19
  • “Senate HELP Hearing on Coronavirus Responses and Future Pandemic Preparedness”: An Overview
  • The Coronavirus Pandemic: Detergents Against the Germs
  • AIDS Pandemic: Impact on Human Health
  • Negative Impact of the 2020 COVID Pandemic on World Industries
  • 2009 H1N1 Flu Pandemic, Vaccination and Rates

Cite this post

  • Chicago (N-B)
  • Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2022, March 1). 317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/pandemic-essay-topics/

"317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students." StudyCorgi , 1 Mar. 2022, studycorgi.com/ideas/pandemic-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) '317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students'. 1 March.

1. StudyCorgi . "317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students." March 1, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/pandemic-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students." March 1, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/pandemic-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students." March 1, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/pandemic-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Pandemic were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 22, 2024 .

Persuasive Essay Guide

Persuasive Essay About Covid19

Caleb S.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay About Covid19 | Examples & Tips

11 min read

Persuasive Essay About Covid19

People also read

A Comprehensive Guide to Writing an Effective Persuasive Essay

200+ Persuasive Essay Topics to Help You Out

Learn How to Create a Persuasive Essay Outline

30+ Free Persuasive Essay Examples To Get You Started

Read Excellent Examples of Persuasive Essay About Gun Control

Crafting a Convincing Persuasive Essay About Abortion

Learn to Write Persuasive Essay About Business With Examples and Tips

Check Out 12 Persuasive Essay About Online Education Examples

Persuasive Essay About Smoking - Making a Powerful Argument with Examples

Are you looking to write a persuasive essay about the Covid-19 pandemic?

Writing a compelling and informative essay about this global crisis can be challenging. It requires researching the latest information, understanding the facts, and presenting your argument persuasively.

But don’t worry! with some guidance from experts, you’ll be able to write an effective and persuasive essay about Covid-19.

In this blog post, we’ll outline the basics of writing a persuasive essay . We’ll provide clear examples, helpful tips, and essential information for crafting your own persuasive piece on Covid-19.

Read on to get started on your essay.

Arrow Down

  • 1. Steps to Write a Persuasive Essay About Covid-19
  • 2. Examples of Persuasive Essay About Covid19
  • 3. Examples of Persuasive Essay About Covid-19 Vaccine
  • 4. Examples of Persuasive Essay About Covid-19 Integration
  • 5. Examples of Argumentative Essay About Covid 19
  • 6. Examples of Persuasive Speeches About Covid-19
  • 7. Tips to Write a Persuasive Essay About Covid-19
  • 8. Common Topics for a Persuasive Essay on COVID-19 

Steps to Write a Persuasive Essay About Covid-19

Here are the steps to help you write a persuasive essay on this topic, along with an example essay:

Step 1: Choose a Specific Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement should clearly state your position on a specific aspect of COVID-19. It should be debatable and clear. For example:

Step 2: Research and Gather Information

Collect reliable and up-to-date information from reputable sources to support your thesis statement. This may include statistics, expert opinions, and scientific studies. For instance:

  • COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness data
  • Information on vaccine mandates in different countries
  • Expert statements from health organizations like the WHO or CDC

Step 3: Outline Your Essay

Create a clear and organized outline to structure your essay. A persuasive essay typically follows this structure:

  • Introduction
  • Background Information
  • Body Paragraphs (with supporting evidence)
  • Counterarguments (addressing opposing views)

Step 4: Write the Introduction

In the introduction, grab your reader's attention and present your thesis statement. For example:

Step 5: Provide Background Information

Offer context and background information to help your readers understand the issue better. For instance:

Step 6: Develop Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should present a single point or piece of evidence that supports your thesis statement. Use clear topic sentences, evidence, and analysis. Here's an example:

Step 7: Address Counterarguments

Acknowledge opposing viewpoints and refute them with strong counterarguments. This demonstrates that you've considered different perspectives. For example:

Step 8: Write the Conclusion

Summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement in the conclusion. End with a strong call to action or thought-provoking statement. For instance:

Step 9: Revise and Proofread

Edit your essay for clarity, coherence, grammar, and spelling errors. Ensure that your argument flows logically.

Step 10: Cite Your Sources

Include proper citations and a bibliography page to give credit to your sources.

Remember to adjust your approach and arguments based on your target audience and the specific angle you want to take in your persuasive essay about COVID-19.

Order Essay

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Examples of Persuasive Essay About Covid19

When writing a persuasive essay about the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s important to consider how you want to present your argument. To help you get started, here are some example essays for you to read:

Check out some more PDF examples below:

Persuasive Essay About Covid-19 Pandemic

Sample Of Persuasive Essay About Covid-19

Persuasive Essay About Covid-19 In The Philippines - Example

If you're in search of a compelling persuasive essay on business, don't miss out on our “ persuasive essay about business ” blog!

Examples of Persuasive Essay About Covid-19 Vaccine

Covid19 vaccines are one of the ways to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but they have been a source of controversy. Different sides argue about the benefits or dangers of the new vaccines. Whatever your point of view is, writing a persuasive essay about it is a good way of organizing your thoughts and persuading others.

A persuasive essay about the Covid-19 vaccine could consider the benefits of getting vaccinated as well as the potential side effects.

Below are some examples of persuasive essays on getting vaccinated for Covid-19.

Covid19 Vaccine Persuasive Essay

Persuasive Essay on Covid Vaccines

Interested in thought-provoking discussions on abortion? Read our persuasive essay about abortion blog to eplore arguments!

Examples of Persuasive Essay About Covid-19 Integration

Covid19 has drastically changed the way people interact in schools, markets, and workplaces. In short, it has affected all aspects of life. However, people have started to learn to live with Covid19.

Writing a persuasive essay about it shouldn't be stressful. Read the sample essay below to get idea for your own essay about Covid19 integration.

Persuasive Essay About Working From Home During Covid19

Searching for the topic of Online Education? Our persuasive essay about online education is a must-read.

Examples of Argumentative Essay About Covid 19

Covid-19 has been an ever-evolving issue, with new developments and discoveries being made on a daily basis.

Writing an argumentative essay about such an issue is both interesting and challenging. It allows you to evaluate different aspects of the pandemic, as well as consider potential solutions.

Here are some examples of argumentative essays on Covid19.

Argumentative Essay About Covid19 Sample

Argumentative Essay About Covid19 With Introduction Body and Conclusion

Looking for a persuasive take on the topic of smoking? You'll find it all related arguments in out Persuasive Essay About Smoking blog!

Examples of Persuasive Speeches About Covid-19

Do you need to prepare a speech about Covid19 and need examples? We have them for you!

Persuasive speeches about Covid-19 can provide the audience with valuable insights on how to best handle the pandemic. They can be used to advocate for specific changes in policies or simply raise awareness about the virus.

Check out some examples of persuasive speeches on Covid-19:

Persuasive Speech About Covid-19 Example

Persuasive Speech About Vaccine For Covid-19

You can also read persuasive essay examples on other topics to master your persuasive techniques!

Tips to Write a Persuasive Essay About Covid-19

Writing a persuasive essay about COVID-19 requires a thoughtful approach to present your arguments effectively. 

Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling persuasive essay on this topic:

Choose a Specific Angle

Start by narrowing down your focus. COVID-19 is a broad topic, so selecting a specific aspect or issue related to it will make your essay more persuasive and manageable. For example, you could focus on vaccination, public health measures, the economic impact, or misinformation.

Provide Credible Sources 

Support your arguments with credible sources such as scientific studies, government reports, and reputable news outlets. Reliable sources enhance the credibility of your essay.

Use Persuasive Language

Employ persuasive techniques, such as ethos (establishing credibility), pathos (appealing to emotions), and logos (using logic and evidence). Use vivid examples and anecdotes to make your points relatable.

Organize Your Essay

Structure your essay involves creating a persuasive essay outline and establishing a logical flow from one point to the next. Each paragraph should focus on a single point, and transitions between paragraphs should be smooth and logical.

Emphasize Benefits

Highlight the benefits of your proposed actions or viewpoints. Explain how your suggestions can improve public health, safety, or well-being. Make it clear why your audience should support your position.

Use Visuals -H3

Incorporate graphs, charts, and statistics when applicable. Visual aids can reinforce your arguments and make complex data more accessible to your readers.

Call to Action

End your essay with a strong call to action. Encourage your readers to take a specific step or consider your viewpoint. Make it clear what you want them to do or think after reading your essay.

Revise and Edit

Proofread your essay for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Make sure your arguments are well-structured and that your writing flows smoothly.

Seek Feedback 

Have someone else read your essay to get feedback. They may offer valuable insights and help you identify areas where your persuasive techniques can be improved.

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Common Topics for a Persuasive Essay on COVID-19 

Here are some persuasive essay topics on COVID-19:

  • The Importance of Vaccination Mandates for COVID-19 Control
  • Balancing Public Health and Personal Freedom During a Pandemic
  • The Economic Impact of Lockdowns vs. Public Health Benefits
  • The Role of Misinformation in Fueling Vaccine Hesitancy
  • Remote Learning vs. In-Person Education: What's Best for Students?
  • The Ethics of Vaccine Distribution: Prioritizing Vulnerable Populations
  • The Mental Health Crisis Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • The Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Healthcare Systems
  • Global Cooperation vs. Vaccine Nationalism in Fighting the Pandemic
  • The Future of Telemedicine: Expanding Healthcare Access Post-COVID-19

In search of more inspiring topics for your next persuasive essay? Our persuasive essay topics blog has plenty of ideas!

To sum it up,

You have read good sample essays and got some helpful tips. You now have the tools you needed to write a persuasive essay about Covid-19. So don't let the doubts stop you, start writing!

If you need professional writing help, don't worry! We've got that for you as well.

MyPerfectWords.com is a professional essay writing service that can help you craft an excellent persuasive essay on Covid-19. Our experienced essay writer will create a well-structured, insightful paper in no time!

So don't hesitate and get in touch with our persuasive essay writing service today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any ethical considerations when writing a persuasive essay about covid-19.

FAQ Icon

Yes, there are ethical considerations when writing a persuasive essay about COVID-19. It's essential to ensure the information is accurate, not contribute to misinformation, and be sensitive to the pandemic's impact on individuals and communities. Additionally, respecting diverse viewpoints and emphasizing public health benefits can promote ethical communication.

What impact does COVID-19 have on society?

The impact of COVID-19 on society is far-reaching. It has led to job and economic losses, an increase in stress and mental health disorders, and changes in education systems. It has also had a negative effect on social interactions, as people have been asked to limit their contact with others.

AI Essay Bot

Write Essay Within 60 Seconds!

Caleb S.

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Get Help

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Keep reading

Persuasive Essay

Get Email Updates from Ballotpedia

First Name *

Please complete the Captcha above

Ballotpedia on Facebook

  Share this page

  Follow Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia on Twitter

Arguments in the debate over responses to the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic, 2020.

State and local government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have varied widely. Those responses have generated a similar variety of responses from pundits, policy makers, lawmakers, and more. This article highlights the arguments over government responses in several areas:

  • Universal or mass testing

Mask requirements

School closures, travel restrictions, lockdown/stay-at-home orders.

  • Expansion of absentee or mail-in voting

Religious service restrictions

This article is a hub for our coverage of arguments within each area of debate. It includes links to policy-specific pages that provide an overview of the arguments within each topic. It also includes links to state-specific pages that dive into the debate that's happening in each state about a variety of policies.

These arguments come from a variety of sources, including public officials, journalists, think tanks, economists, scientists, and other stakeholders. We encourage you to share the debates happening in your local community to [email protected] .

For an overview of federal, state, and local responses around the country, click here .

  • 1.1 Testing
  • 1.2 Mask requirements
  • 1.3 School closures
  • 1.4 Travel restrictions
  • 1.5 Lockdown/stay-at-home orders
  • 1.6 Expansion of absentee/mail-in voting
  • 1.7 Religious service restrictions
  • 2 General resources
  • 4 External links
  • 5 Footnotes

Topics and arguments

The main areas of disagreement about universal or mass testing for COVID-19 before the economy can reopen are:

  • Universal testing is necessary
  • Universal testing is effective
  • Universal testing is possible
  • Universal testing is not necessary
  • Universal testing is not possible
  • Universal testing would divert and waste resources
  • Universal testing might be dangerous
  • Massive testing is too expensive
  • Universal testing results are unreliable
  • Universal testing is too slow to protect public health

The main areas of disagreement about mask requirements during the coronavirus pandemic are:

  • Masks reduce airborne spread of coronavirus
  • Mask requirements are good for the economy
  • Mask laws are justified to promote public health
  • Mask mandates should apply statewide
  • Masks reduce the intensity of COVID-19 infection and sickness
  • Mask requirements are not necessary to stop the spread of coronavirus
  • Mask requirements give a false sense of security
  • Mask requirements restrict freedom
  • Masks present other health risks
  • Mask requirements have harmful social consequences
  • Mask requirements are unenforceable

The main areas of disagreement about school closures during the coronavirus pandemic are:

  • School closures are necessary to prevent the spread of the virus
  • Evidence from past pandemics supports the efficacy of school closures
  • Reopening Universities will increase COVID-19 spread
  • Reopening schools puts people of color at higher risk
  • Keep schools closed because COVID-19 outbreaks are inevitable
  • School closures are ineffective in preventing the spread of the virus
  • School closures pose significant unintended consequences
  • School closures and reopening plans have disparate economic effects
  • School closures and distance learning exacerbate digital divide
  • Reopen schools to protect the economy
  • School-aged children have reduced COVID-19 risk

The main areas of disagreement about travel restrictions are:

  • Travel restrictions prevent the spread of the virus
  • Travel restrictions promote the state's safety image
  • Travel restrictions are constitutional
  • Travel restrictions protect tourism workers
  • Certain travel restrictions are unconstitutional
  • Travel restrictions are unfair to tourism businesses
  • Travel restrictions are difficult to enforce
  • Travel restrictions are ineffective
  • Travel restrictions damage local economies

The main areas of disagreement about lockdown/stay-at-home orders are:

  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are necessary
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are better for the economy long-term
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are legal
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are limited
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are unnecessary
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are worse than the coronavirus pandemic itself
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are illegal
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are unpopular
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders are unenforceable
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders go too far
  • Lockdown/stay-at-home orders create COVID-19 risks

Expansion of absentee/mail-in voting

The main areas of disagreement about the expansion of absentee/mail-in voting are:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting reduces the spread of COVID-19
  • Absentee/mail-in voting expansion is necessary to facilitate access to voting
  • Expanding absentee/mail-in voting is unlikely to increase fraud
  • Expanding vote-by-mail is fair to both major parties
  • States have the capacity and experience to expand absentee/mail-in voting
  • Absentee/mail-in voting is less reliable than in-person voting
  • Absentee/mail-in voting systems can fail
  • Absentee/mail-in voting poses a higher risk for fraud and manipulation
  • It is unnecessary to change voting systems in response to COVID-19
  • The expansion of absentee/mail-in voting systems open the door to flawed election policies
  • Expansion of absentee/mail-in voting systems creates election controversies (“blue shift”)

The main areas of disagreement about religious service restrictions are:

  • Public safety priorities take precedence over religious interests
  • Religious services present a higher risk than other social and business activities
  • Restrictions on physical gatherings do not preclude religious practices
  • Limiting religious gatherings during a pandemic aligns with most religious values
  • Skepticism of religious restrictions has harmed religious communities during COVID-19
  • In-person religious gatherings are not essential services
  • Religious gathering restrictions do not discriminate against faiths
  • Religious service restrictions violate the First Amendment and religious freedom
  • Religious services are essential
  • Religious service restrictions put church viability at risk
  • There is insufficient evidence that religious services pose a higher risk than other social and business activities
  • COVID-19 religious restrictions unfair to some faiths

General resources

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
  • National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • World Health Organization
  • Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations, Our World in Data (Number of vaccines administered)
  • Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, New York Times (Progress of vaccine trials)
  • Ballotpedia: Political responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • State government responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021
  • Changes to ballot measure campaigns, procedures, and policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2022
  • Ballotpedia's elections calendar

External links

The external resources listed below are related to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Coronavirus arguments by topic
  • One-off pages, evergreen

Ballotpedia features 457,714 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Click here to contact our editorial staff or report an error . For media inquiries, contact us here . Please donate here to support our continued expansion.

Information about voting

  • What's on my ballot?
  • Where do I vote?
  • How do I register to vote?
  • How do I request a ballot?
  • When do I vote?
  • When are polls open?
  • Who represents me?

2024 Elections

  • Presidential election
  • Presidential candidates
  • Congressional elections
  • Ballot measures
  • State executive elections
  • State legislative elections
  • State judge elections
  • Local elections
  • School board elections

2025 Elections

  • State executives
  • State legislatures
  • State judges
  • Municipal officials
  • School boards
  • Election legislation tracking
  • State trifectas
  • State triplexes
  • Redistricting
  • Pivot counties
  • State supreme court partisanship
  • Polling indexes

Public Policy

  • Administrative state
  • Criminal justice policy
  • Education policy
  • Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
  • Unemployment insurance
  • Work requirements
  • Policy in the states

Information for candidates

  • Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey
  • How do I run for office?
  • How do I update a page?
  • Election results
  • Send us candidate contact info

Get Engaged

  • Donate to Ballotpedia
  • Report an error
  • Newsletters
  • Ballotpedia podcast
  • Ballotpedia Boutique
  • Media inquiries
  • Premium research services
  • 2024 Elections calendar
  • 2024 Presidential election
  • Biden Administration
  • Recall elections
  • Ballotpedia News

SITE NAVIGATION

  • Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot
  • 2024 Congressional elections
  • 2024 State executive elections
  • 2024 State legislative elections
  • 2024 State judge elections
  • 2024 Local elections
  • 2024 Ballot measures
  • Upcoming elections
  • 2025 Statewide primary dates
  • 2025 State executive elections
  • 2025 State legislative elections
  • 2025 Local elections
  • 2025 Ballot measures
  • Cabinet officials
  • Executive orders and actions
  • Key legislation
  • Judicial nominations
  • White House senior staff
  • U.S. President
  • U.S. Congress
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • Federal courts
  • State government
  • Municipal government
  • Election policy
  • Running for office
  • Ballotpedia's weekly podcast
  • About Ballotpedia
  • Editorial independence
  • Job opportunities
  • News and events
  • Privacy policy
  • Disclaimers

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

How to Write About Coronavirus in a College Essay

Students can share how they navigated life during the coronavirus pandemic in a full-length essay or an optional supplement.

Writing About COVID-19 in College Essays

Serious disabled woman concentrating on her work she sitting at her workplace and working on computer at office

Getty Images

Experts say students should be honest and not limit themselves to merely their experiences with the pandemic.

The global impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, means colleges and prospective students alike are in for an admissions cycle like no other. Both face unprecedented challenges and questions as they grapple with their respective futures amid the ongoing fallout of the pandemic.

Colleges must examine applicants without the aid of standardized test scores for many – a factor that prompted many schools to go test-optional for now . Even grades, a significant component of a college application, may be hard to interpret with some high schools adopting pass-fail classes last spring due to the pandemic. Major college admissions factors are suddenly skewed.

"I can't help but think other (admissions) factors are going to matter more," says Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy, a website that offers free and paid essay-writing resources.

College essays and letters of recommendation , Sawyer says, are likely to carry more weight than ever in this admissions cycle. And many essays will likely focus on how the pandemic shaped students' lives throughout an often tumultuous 2020.

But before writing a college essay focused on the coronavirus, students should explore whether it's the best topic for them.

Writing About COVID-19 for a College Application

Much of daily life has been colored by the coronavirus. Virtual learning is the norm at many colleges and high schools, many extracurriculars have vanished and social lives have stalled for students complying with measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

"For some young people, the pandemic took away what they envisioned as their senior year," says Robert Alexander, dean of admissions, financial aid and enrollment management at the University of Rochester in New York. "Maybe that's a spot on a varsity athletic team or the lead role in the fall play. And it's OK for them to mourn what should have been and what they feel like they lost, but more important is how are they making the most of the opportunities they do have?"

That question, Alexander says, is what colleges want answered if students choose to address COVID-19 in their college essay.

But the question of whether a student should write about the coronavirus is tricky. The answer depends largely on the student.

"In general, I don't think students should write about COVID-19 in their main personal statement for their application," Robin Miller, master college admissions counselor at IvyWise, a college counseling company, wrote in an email.

"Certainly, there may be exceptions to this based on a student's individual experience, but since the personal essay is the main place in the application where the student can really allow their voice to be heard and share insight into who they are as an individual, there are likely many other topics they can choose to write about that are more distinctive and unique than COVID-19," Miller says.

Opinions among admissions experts vary on whether to write about the likely popular topic of the pandemic.

"If your essay communicates something positive, unique, and compelling about you in an interesting and eloquent way, go for it," Carolyn Pippen, principal college admissions counselor at IvyWise, wrote in an email. She adds that students shouldn't be dissuaded from writing about a topic merely because it's common, noting that "topics are bound to repeat, no matter how hard we try to avoid it."

Above all, she urges honesty.

"If your experience within the context of the pandemic has been truly unique, then write about that experience, and the standing out will take care of itself," Pippen says. "If your experience has been generally the same as most other students in your context, then trying to find a unique angle can easily cross the line into exploiting a tragedy, or at least appearing as though you have."

But focusing entirely on the pandemic can limit a student to a single story and narrow who they are in an application, Sawyer says. "There are so many wonderful possibilities for what you can say about yourself outside of your experience within the pandemic."

He notes that passions, strengths, career interests and personal identity are among the multitude of essay topic options available to applicants and encourages them to probe their values to help determine the topic that matters most to them – and write about it.

That doesn't mean the pandemic experience has to be ignored if applicants feel the need to write about it.

Writing About Coronavirus in Main and Supplemental Essays

Students can choose to write a full-length college essay on the coronavirus or summarize their experience in a shorter form.

To help students explain how the pandemic affected them, The Common App has added an optional section to address this topic. Applicants have 250 words to describe their pandemic experience and the personal and academic impact of COVID-19.

"That's not a trick question, and there's no right or wrong answer," Alexander says. Colleges want to know, he adds, how students navigated the pandemic, how they prioritized their time, what responsibilities they took on and what they learned along the way.

If students can distill all of the above information into 250 words, there's likely no need to write about it in a full-length college essay, experts say. And applicants whose lives were not heavily altered by the pandemic may even choose to skip the optional COVID-19 question.

"This space is best used to discuss hardship and/or significant challenges that the student and/or the student's family experienced as a result of COVID-19 and how they have responded to those difficulties," Miller notes. Using the section to acknowledge a lack of impact, she adds, "could be perceived as trite and lacking insight, despite the good intentions of the applicant."

To guard against this lack of awareness, Sawyer encourages students to tap someone they trust to review their writing , whether it's the 250-word Common App response or the full-length essay.

Experts tend to agree that the short-form approach to this as an essay topic works better, but there are exceptions. And if a student does have a coronavirus story that he or she feels must be told, Alexander encourages the writer to be authentic in the essay.

"My advice for an essay about COVID-19 is the same as my advice about an essay for any topic – and that is, don't write what you think we want to read or hear," Alexander says. "Write what really changed you and that story that now is yours and yours alone to tell."

Sawyer urges students to ask themselves, "What's the sentence that only I can write?" He also encourages students to remember that the pandemic is only a chapter of their lives and not the whole book.

Miller, who cautions against writing a full-length essay on the coronavirus, says that if students choose to do so they should have a conversation with their high school counselor about whether that's the right move. And if students choose to proceed with COVID-19 as a topic, she says they need to be clear, detailed and insightful about what they learned and how they adapted along the way.

"Approaching the essay in this manner will provide important balance while demonstrating personal growth and vulnerability," Miller says.

Pippen encourages students to remember that they are in an unprecedented time for college admissions.

"It is important to keep in mind with all of these (admission) factors that no colleges have ever had to consider them this way in the selection process, if at all," Pippen says. "They have had very little time to calibrate their evaluations of different application components within their offices, let alone across institutions. This means that colleges will all be handling the admissions process a little bit differently, and their approaches may even evolve over the course of the admissions cycle."

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

10 Ways to Discover College Essay Ideas

Doing homework

Tags: students , colleges , college admissions , college applications , college search , Coronavirus

2024 Best Colleges

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Search for your perfect fit with the U.S. News rankings of colleges and universities.

College Admissions: Get a Step Ahead!

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S. News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

Ask an Alum: Making the Most Out of College

You May Also Like

Supporting low-income college applicants.

Shavar Jeffries April 16, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Supporting Black Women in Higher Ed

Zainab Okolo April 15, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Law Schools With the Highest LSATs

Ilana Kowarski and Cole Claybourn April 11, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Today NAIA, Tomorrow Title IX?

Lauren Camera April 9, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Grad School Housing Options

Anayat Durrani April 9, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

How to Decide if an MBA Is Worth it

Sarah Wood March 27, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

What to Wear to a Graduation

LaMont Jones, Jr. March 27, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

FAFSA Delays Alarm Families, Colleges

Sarah Wood March 25, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Help Your Teen With the College Decision

Anayat Durrani March 25, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Toward Semiconductor Gender Equity

Alexis McKittrick March 22, 2024

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

  • Newsletters

Site search

  • Israel-Hamas war
  • 2024 election
  • Solar eclipse
  • Supreme Court
  • All explainers
  • Future Perfect

Filed under:

Read these 12 moving essays about life during coronavirus

Artists, novelists, critics, and essayists are writing the first draft of history.

Share this story

  • Share this on Facebook
  • Share this on Twitter
  • Share this on Reddit
  • Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Read these 12 moving essays about life during coronavirus

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

The world is grappling with an invisible, deadly enemy, trying to understand how to live with the threat posed by a virus . For some writers, the only way forward is to put pen to paper, trying to conceptualize and document what it feels like to continue living as countries are under lockdown and regular life seems to have ground to a halt.

So as the coronavirus pandemic has stretched around the world, it’s sparked a crop of diary entries and essays that describe how life has changed. Novelists, critics, artists, and journalists have put words to the feelings many are experiencing. The result is a first draft of how we’ll someday remember this time, filled with uncertainty and pain and fear as well as small moments of hope and humanity.

At the New York Review of Books, Ali Bhutto writes that in Karachi, Pakistan, the government-imposed curfew due to the virus is “eerily reminiscent of past military clampdowns”:

Beneath the quiet calm lies a sense that society has been unhinged and that the usual rules no longer apply. Small groups of pedestrians look on from the shadows, like an audience watching a spectacle slowly unfolding. People pause on street corners and in the shade of trees, under the watchful gaze of the paramilitary forces and the police.

His essay concludes with the sobering note that “in the minds of many, Covid-19 is just another life-threatening hazard in a city that stumbles from one crisis to another.”

Writing from Chattanooga, novelist Jamie Quatro documents the mixed ways her neighbors have been responding to the threat, and the frustration of conflicting direction, or no direction at all, from local, state, and federal leaders:

Whiplash, trying to keep up with who’s ordering what. We’re already experiencing enough chaos without this back-and-forth. Why didn’t the federal government issue a nationwide shelter-in-place at the get-go, the way other countries did? What happens when one state’s shelter-in-place ends, while others continue? Do states still under quarantine close their borders? We are still one nation, not fifty individual countries. Right?

Award-winning photojournalist Alessio Mamo, quarantined with his partner Marta in Sicily after she tested positive for the virus, accompanies his photographs in the Guardian of their confinement with a reflection on being confined :

The doctors asked me to take a second test, but again I tested negative. Perhaps I’m immune? The days dragged on in my apartment, in black and white, like my photos. Sometimes we tried to smile, imagining that I was asymptomatic, because I was the virus. Our smiles seemed to bring good news. My mother left hospital, but I won’t be able to see her for weeks. Marta started breathing well again, and so did I. I would have liked to photograph my country in the midst of this emergency, the battles that the doctors wage on the frontline, the hospitals pushed to their limits, Italy on its knees fighting an invisible enemy. That enemy, a day in March, knocked on my door instead.

In the New York Times Magazine, deputy editor Jessica Lustig writes with devastating clarity about her family’s life in Brooklyn while her husband battled the virus, weeks before most people began taking the threat seriously:

At the door of the clinic, we stand looking out at two older women chatting outside the doorway, oblivious. Do I wave them away? Call out that they should get far away, go home, wash their hands, stay inside? Instead we just stand there, awkwardly, until they move on. Only then do we step outside to begin the long three-block walk home. I point out the early magnolia, the forsythia. T says he is cold. The untrimmed hairs on his neck, under his beard, are white. The few people walking past us on the sidewalk don’t know that we are visitors from the future. A vision, a premonition, a walking visitation. This will be them: Either T, in the mask, or — if they’re lucky — me, tending to him.

Essayist Leslie Jamison writes in the New York Review of Books about being shut away alone in her New York City apartment with her 2-year-old daughter since she became sick:

The virus. Its sinewy, intimate name. What does it feel like in my body today? Shivering under blankets. A hot itch behind the eyes. Three sweatshirts in the middle of the day. My daughter trying to pull another blanket over my body with her tiny arms. An ache in the muscles that somehow makes it hard to lie still. This loss of taste has become a kind of sensory quarantine. It’s as if the quarantine keeps inching closer and closer to my insides. First I lost the touch of other bodies; then I lost the air; now I’ve lost the taste of bananas. Nothing about any of these losses is particularly unique. I’ve made a schedule so I won’t go insane with the toddler. Five days ago, I wrote Walk/Adventure! on it, next to a cut-out illustration of a tiger—as if we’d see tigers on our walks. It was good to keep possibility alive.

At Literary Hub, novelist Heidi Pitlor writes about the elastic nature of time during her family’s quarantine in Massachusetts:

During a shutdown, the things that mark our days—commuting to work, sending our kids to school, having a drink with friends—vanish and time takes on a flat, seamless quality. Without some self-imposed structure, it’s easy to feel a little untethered. A friend recently posted on Facebook: “For those who have lost track, today is Blursday the fortyteenth of Maprilay.” ... Giving shape to time is especially important now, when the future is so shapeless. We do not know whether the virus will continue to rage for weeks or months or, lord help us, on and off for years. We do not know when we will feel safe again. And so many of us, minus those who are gifted at compartmentalization or denial, remain largely captive to fear. We may stay this way if we do not create at least the illusion of movement in our lives, our long days spent with ourselves or partners or families.

Novelist Lauren Groff writes at the New York Review of Books about trying to escape the prison of her fears while sequestered at home in Gainesville, Florida:

Some people have imaginations sparked only by what they can see; I blame this blinkered empiricism for the parks overwhelmed with people, the bars, until a few nights ago, thickly thronged. My imagination is the opposite. I fear everything invisible to me. From the enclosure of my house, I am afraid of the suffering that isn’t present before me, the people running out of money and food or drowning in the fluid in their lungs, the deaths of health-care workers now growing ill while performing their duties. I fear the federal government, which the right wing has so—intentionally—weakened that not only is it insufficient to help its people, it is actively standing in help’s way. I fear we won’t sufficiently punish the right. I fear leaving the house and spreading the disease. I fear what this time of fear is doing to my children, their imaginations, and their souls.

At ArtForum , Berlin-based critic and writer Kristian Vistrup Madsen reflects on martinis, melancholia, and Finnish artist Jaakko Pallasvuo’s 2018 graphic novel Retreat , in which three young people exile themselves in the woods:

In melancholia, the shape of what is ending, and its temporality, is sprawling and incomprehensible. The ambivalence makes it hard to bear. The world of Retreat is rendered in lush pink and purple watercolors, which dissolve into wild and messy abstractions. In apocalypse, the divisions established in genesis bleed back out. My own Corona-retreat is similarly soft, color-field like, each day a blurred succession of quarantinis, YouTube–yoga, and televized press conferences. As restrictions mount, so does abstraction. For now, I’m still rooting for love to save the world.

At the Paris Review , Matt Levin writes about reading Virginia Woolf’s novel The Waves during quarantine:

A retreat, a quarantine, a sickness—they simultaneously distort and clarify, curtail and expand. It is an ideal state in which to read literature with a reputation for difficulty and inaccessibility, those hermetic books shorn of the handholds of conventional plot or characterization or description. A novel like Virginia Woolf’s The Waves is perfect for the state of interiority induced by quarantine—a story of three men and three women, meeting after the death of a mutual friend, told entirely in the overlapping internal monologues of the six, interspersed only with sections of pure, achingly beautiful descriptions of the natural world, a day’s procession and recession of light and waves. The novel is, in my mind’s eye, a perfectly spherical object. It is translucent and shimmering and infinitely fragile, prone to shatter at the slightest disturbance. It is not a book that can be read in snatches on the subway—it demands total absorption. Though it revels in a stark emotional nakedness, the book remains aloof, remote in its own deep self-absorption.

In an essay for the Financial Times, novelist Arundhati Roy writes with anger about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anemic response to the threat, but also offers a glimmer of hope for the future:

Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.

From Boston, Nora Caplan-Bricker writes in The Point about the strange contraction of space under quarantine, in which a friend in Beirut is as close as the one around the corner in the same city:

It’s a nice illusion—nice to feel like we’re in it together, even if my real world has shrunk to one person, my husband, who sits with his laptop in the other room. It’s nice in the same way as reading those essays that reframe social distancing as solidarity. “We must begin to see the negative space as clearly as the positive, to know what we don’t do is also brilliant and full of love,” the poet Anne Boyer wrote on March 10th, the day that Massachusetts declared a state of emergency. If you squint, you could almost make sense of this quarantine as an effort to flatten, along with the curve, the distinctions we make between our bonds with others. Right now, I care for my neighbor in the same way I demonstrate love for my mother: in all instances, I stay away. And in moments this month, I have loved strangers with an intensity that is new to me. On March 14th, the Saturday night after the end of life as we knew it, I went out with my dog and found the street silent: no lines for restaurants, no children on bicycles, no couples strolling with little cups of ice cream. It had taken the combined will of thousands of people to deliver such a sudden and complete emptiness. I felt so grateful, and so bereft.

And on his own website, musician and artist David Byrne writes about rediscovering the value of working for collective good , saying that “what is happening now is an opportunity to learn how to change our behavior”:

In emergencies, citizens can suddenly cooperate and collaborate. Change can happen. We’re going to need to work together as the effects of climate change ramp up. In order for capitalism to survive in any form, we will have to be a little more socialist. Here is an opportunity for us to see things differently — to see that we really are all connected — and adjust our behavior accordingly. Are we willing to do this? Is this moment an opportunity to see how truly interdependent we all are? To live in a world that is different and better than the one we live in now? We might be too far down the road to test every asymptomatic person, but a change in our mindsets, in how we view our neighbors, could lay the groundwork for the collective action we’ll need to deal with other global crises. The time to see how connected we all are is now.

The portrait these writers paint of a world under quarantine is multifaceted. Our worlds have contracted to the confines of our homes, and yet in some ways we’re more connected than ever to one another. We feel fear and boredom, anger and gratitude, frustration and strange peace. Uncertainty drives us to find metaphors and images that will let us wrap our minds around what is happening.

Yet there’s no single “what” that is happening. Everyone is contending with the pandemic and its effects from different places and in different ways. Reading others’ experiences — even the most frightening ones — can help alleviate the loneliness and dread, a little, and remind us that what we’re going through is both unique and shared by all.

Will you support Vox today?

We believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, and stewards of this planet. Producing deeply researched, explanatory journalism takes resources. You can support this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Will you join us?

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Next Up In Culture

Sign up for the newsletter today, explained.

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

Patel, with a mustache and beard, peers between thin columns of purple glass, his face illuminated by red light.

Monkey Man’s imperfect political critique still packs a punch

A screen grab from Bluey showing two characters sitting outside a bathroom at a campsite.

Everything ends. Even Bluey.

Mayorkas, wearing a suit and tie, looks up at committee members out of frame.

The very short Mayorkas impeachment trial, explained

NTSB Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX.

Boeing’s problems were as bad as you thought

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Is Israel a “settler-colonial” state? The debate, explained.

Close-up photo of someone looking at a burger on a food delivery app on their phone.

How did the cost of food delivery get so high?

LISTEN LIVE: Capitals’ Charlie Lindgren joins WTOP at 8:30 a.m. to preview the NHL playoffs

EXCLUSIVE: Why are streetlights out along the Beltway? A Maryland highway official attempts to explain why

WTOP News

How to Write About the Impact of the Coronavirus in a College Essay

U.S. News & World Report

October 21, 2020, 12:00 AM

  • Share This:
  • share on facebook
  • share on threads
  • share on linkedin
  • share on email

The global impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, means colleges and prospective students alike are in for an admissions cycle like no other. Both face unprecedented challenges and questions as they grapple with their respective futures amid the ongoing fallout of the pandemic.

Colleges must examine applicants without the aid of standardized test scores for many — a factor that prompted many schools to go test-optional for now . Even grades, a significant component of a college application, may be hard to interpret with some high schools adopting pass-fail classes last spring due to the pandemic. Major college admissions factors are suddenly skewed.

“I can’t help but think other (admissions) factors are going to matter more,” says Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy, a website that offers free and paid essay-writing resources.

College essays and letters of recommendation , Sawyer says, are likely to carry more weight than ever in this admissions cycle. And many essays will likely focus on how the pandemic shaped students’ lives throughout an often tumultuous 2020.

[ Read: How to Write a College Essay. ]

But before writing a college essay focused on the coronavirus, students should explore whether it’s the best topic for them.

Writing About COVID-19 for a College Application

Much of daily life has been colored by the coronavirus. Virtual learning is the norm at many colleges and high schools, many extracurriculars have vanished and social lives have stalled for students complying with measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“For some young people, the pandemic took away what they envisioned as their senior year,” says Robert Alexander, dean of admissions, financial aid and enrollment management at the University of Rochester in New York. “Maybe that’s a spot on a varsity athletic team or the lead role in the fall play. And it’s OK for them to mourn what should have been and what they feel like they lost, but more important is how are they making the most of the opportunities they do have?”

That question, Alexander says, is what colleges want answered if students choose to address COVID-19 in their college essay.

But the question of whether a student should write about the coronavirus is tricky. The answer depends largely on the student.

“In general, I don’t think students should write about COVID-19 in their main personal statement for their application,” Robin Miller, master college admissions counselor at IvyWise, a college counseling company, wrote in an email.

“Certainly, there may be exceptions to this based on a student’s individual experience, but since the personal essay is the main place in the application where the student can really allow their voice to be heard and share insight into who they are as an individual, there are likely many other topics they can choose to write about that are more distinctive and unique than COVID-19,” Miller says.

[ Read: What Colleges Look for: 6 Ways to Stand Out. ]

Opinions among admissions experts vary on whether to write about the likely popular topic of the pandemic.

“If your essay communicates something positive, unique, and compelling about you in an interesting and eloquent way, go for it,” Carolyn Pippen, principal college admissions counselor at IvyWise, wrote in an email. She adds that students shouldn’t be dissuaded from writing about a topic merely because it’s common, noting that “topics are bound to repeat, no matter how hard we try to avoid it.”

Above all, she urges honesty.

“If your experience within the context of the pandemic has been truly unique, then write about that experience, and the standing out will take care of itself,” Pippen says. “If your experience has been generally the same as most other students in your context, then trying to find a unique angle can easily cross the line into exploiting a tragedy, or at least appearing as though you have.”

But focusing entirely on the pandemic can limit a student to a single story and narrow who they are in an application, Sawyer says. “There are so many wonderful possibilities for what you can say about yourself outside of your experience within the pandemic.”

He notes that passions, strengths, career interests and personal identity are among the multitude of essay topic options available to applicants and encourages them to probe their values to help determine the topic that matters most to them — and write about it.

That doesn’t mean the pandemic experience has to be ignored if applicants feel the need to write about it.

Writing About Coronavirus in Main and Supplemental Essays

Students can choose to write a full-length college essay on the coronavirus or summarize their experience in a shorter form.

To help students explain how the pandemic affected them, The Common App has added an optional section to address this topic. Applicants have 250 words to describe their pandemic experience and the personal and academic impact of COVID-19.

[ Read: The Common App: Everything You Need to Know. ]

“That’s not a trick question, and there’s no right or wrong answer,” Alexander says. Colleges want to know, he adds, how students navigated the pandemic, how they prioritized their time, what responsibilities they took on and what they learned along the way.

If students can distill all of the above information into 250 words, there’s likely no need to write about it in a full-length college essay, experts say. And applicants whose lives were not heavily altered by the pandemic may even choose to skip the optional COVID-19 question.

“This space is best used to discuss hardship and/or significant challenges that the student and/or the student’s family experienced as a result of COVID-19 and how they have responded to those difficulties,” Miller notes. Using the section to acknowledge a lack of impact, she adds, “could be perceived as trite and lacking insight, despite the good intentions of the applicant.”

To guard against this lack of awareness, Sawyer encourages students to tap someone they trust to review their writing , whether it’s the 250-word Common App response or the full-length essay.

Experts tend to agree that the short-form approach to this as an essay topic works better, but there are exceptions. And if a student does have a coronavirus story that he or she feels must be told, Alexander encourages the writer to be authentic in the essay.

“My advice for an essay about COVID-19 is the same as my advice about an essay for any topic — and that is, don’t write what you think we want to read or hear,” Alexander says. “Write what really changed you and that story that now is yours and yours alone to tell.”

Sawyer urges students to ask themselves, “What’s the sentence that only I can write?” He also encourages students to remember that the pandemic is only a chapter of their lives and not the whole book.

Miller, who cautions against writing a full-length essay on the coronavirus, says that if students choose to do so they should have a conversation with their high school counselor about whether that’s the right move. And if students choose to proceed with COVID-19 as a topic, she says they need to be clear, detailed and insightful about what they learned and how they adapted along the way.

“Approaching the essay in this manner will provide important balance while demonstrating personal growth and vulnerability,” Miller says.

Pippen encourages students to remember that they are in an unprecedented time for college admissions.

“It is important to keep in mind with all of these (admission) factors that no colleges have ever had to consider them this way in the selection process, if at all,” Pippen says. “They have had very little time to calibrate their evaluations of different application components within their offices, let alone across institutions. This means that colleges will all be handling the admissions process a little bit differently, and their approaches may even evolve over the course of the admissions cycle.”

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

More from U.S. News

College Admissions Process Mistakes Students Make

How Admissions Algorithms Could Affect Your College Acceptance

20 Top-Ranked Test-Flexible or Test-Optional Colleges

How to Write About the Impact of the Coronavirus in a College Essay originally appeared on usnews.com

Related News

Myanmar’s ousted leader Suu Kyi moved from prison to house arrest due to heat, military says

Myanmar’s ousted leader Suu Kyi moved from prison to house arrest due to heat, military says

Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth

Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth

In Modi’s India, opponents and journalists feel the squeeze ahead of election

In Modi’s India, opponents and journalists feel the squeeze ahead of election

Recommended.

Beltway in the dark: More than 300 streetlights out along the busy highway

Beltway in the dark: More than 300 streetlights out along the busy highway

Partly cloudy. Highs around 80

Partly cloudy. Highs around 80

DC and federal officials say this initiative is helping take violent offenders off the streets

DC and federal officials say this initiative is helping take violent offenders off the streets

Related categories:.

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

  • Our Mission

11 Meaningful Writing Assignments Connected to the Pandemic

Writing gives students an outlet to express their feelings and connect with others during this unsettling time in their lives.

Teenager writing at her kitchen table

With students currently at home because of the pandemic, it’s helpful to provide learning opportunities that get them talking about what’s happening in the world with trusted adults and peers.

These ideas for home assignments build connection and help our young people process this difficult experience while developing their writing skills.

11 Writing Assignments for the Current Moment

1. Interview senior members of the community: With our older community members at higher risk, hearing their stories has increasing significance. Generate interview questions with your students, and conduct a sample interview as a model.

Students can interview family members, senior members of the school staff, or others through handwritten letters, phone calls, or video chats. When students write up and share their interviews with the class, they will get a broader, more nuanced view of older generations’ experiences.

2. Folding stories: In the traditional version of this activity, one person writes a sentence or two on a piece of paper and then folds the paper so that only the last word or phrase can be seen. The next person continues the story for a few sentences before again hiding all but the last word or phrase and then passing the paper on.

To do this remotely, set up a randomized list of all of your students. The first student sends you their contribution, and you send the last phrase of that to the next name on the list. Compile all the contributions in order in a Google Doc to create a single story. Once everyone has contributed, share the whole story with the class.

The format may allow students an imaginative outlet for anxious thoughts and predictions about the future, and the result is almost guaranteed to be hilarious and inspiring to both eager and reluctant writers.

3. Dialogue journals: A journal in which a teacher and student write back and forth to each other is an ongoing communication that helps teachers build relationships with each student while they model writing and observe students’ progressing skills. Start this off by writing a first short entry for each of your students in separate Google Docs, choosing topics you already know they’re interested in and offering personal details about yourself.

You can ask each student to write something once a week—and you’ll respond to each entry, so this does entail a time commitment on your part. The benefit in relationship-building, so difficult to do in distance learning, makes this worth the work.

4. Student-to-student letters: Organize pen pals or small letter-writing groups. Ask students to write back and forth to one or more peers using provided prompts and sample questions. Teach students to consider their audience and to keep a written dialogue going over several letters as they write to different peers. Encourage students to include self-created activities in their letters to peers: They might make a crossword puzzle using the class vocabulary words, create a maze, or share a recipe or a silly joke.

5. Write to an author: A professional writer may be a great correspondent for a young fan, offering insight into key aspects of a favorite book. Follow #WriteToAnAuthor on Twitter for access to mailing addresses of authors who are standing by for letters from young readers. Provide your students with prompts, templates, samples, and feedback to support them in writing thoughtful letters.

6. Adapt a text to reflect current conditions: Lately any story we read or watch can be a painful reminder of how much is changing. Characters are dancing, hugging or shaking hands, and talking to each other in public places. Some students find it comforting to be immersed in that world, but others find these moments upsetting. Assign students the task of rewriting a scene from a story, show, or movie, considering what needs to change for it to be realistic in our current situation but still retain the original essential themes and meaning.

7. Letters to the editor: What do students think about our leaders, policies, and proposed solutions to this pandemic? Guide them through the art of writing a well-crafted letter to the editor, and post submissions on your district, school, or class website, if privacy policies permit that. Give your students guidelines that specify word count, style, and topics, just as official publications do.

8. Student-created blog: Begin by sharing strong examples of student journalism as mentor texts. Invite students to brainstorm ideas for articles and columns. Some students can assume the role of section editors—News, Features, Arts—and others can write articles, take photos, and work on the design and marketing of the website, which students can build using Edublogs .

9. “Slow looking” documentation: Shari Tishman describes “slow looking” as prolonged observation that occurs through all the senses. Students can use a variety of slow looking strategies to observe their setting and sketch or write about their observations. There are seasonal changes to observe, among other things. By practicing slow looking, students may learn to see things they never noticed before. When they share their observations with the class, everyone gains a broader perspective of how the larger environment is changing.

10. Covid-19 comics: The genre of  graphic medicine —which uses comics to explore the physical and emotional impacts of medical conditions—shows that comics can be a good way for students to explore troubling experiences. Share comics related to Covid-19  that engage with the wider implications of the pandemic, such as feeling increased isolation, processing conflicting news, and coping with social distancing or unemployment.

Invite students to explore their experiences through an intentional combination of words and pictures. Make it collaborative by having students write text for a peer’s drawings. Students can use Canva to make comics , or draw them on paper and then take photos to upload to the class learning management system.

11. Pandemic journals: A pandemic journal invites students to process their feelings and document their experience for future generations. To structure the assignment, provide prompts and templates. Suggest to students that they layer in artifacts such as news reports, a note received from a friend or neighbor, a copy of an online school schedule for a day, a snippet of an overheard conversation, or a sketch of a parent hunched over a laptop.

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • View all journals
  • My Account Login
  • Explore content
  • About the journal
  • Publish with us
  • Sign up for alerts
  • Open access
  • Published: 01 February 2022

Persuasive narrative during the COVID-19 pandemic: Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s posts on Facebook

  • Sanjana Arora   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0107-7061 1 ,
  • Jonas Debesay 2 &
  • Hande Eslen-Ziya   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7113-6771 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  9 , Article number:  35 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

7115 Accesses

4 Citations

5 Altmetric

Metrics details

  • Cultural and media studies
  • Politics and international relations

This article explores the Facebook posts of Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to highlight the key features of her crisis communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws on data from Solberg’s Facebook posts from February 27, 2020 to February 9, 2021 (i.e., starting from the day when the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Norway until the time of data collection for this study). Out of her 271 posts, 157 of them were about COVID-19 and were chosen for analysis. The analyses identified five major themes: (1) Promoting responsibility and togetherness (2) Coping (3) Being in control amidst uncertainty (4) Fostering hope and (5) Relating with the followers. Drawing inspiration from Boin, Stern and Sundelius’, work on persuasive narratives, this study shows the ways that Solberg’s posts about COVID-19 exhibit all five identified frame functions. In addition, the findings add contextual nuances to the frame functions through the theme of ‘Responsibilization and togetherness’, which are reflected through references to Norwegianness and the cultural concept and practice of dugnad . This study adds to our knowledge about how persuasive narratives are incorporated into the social media communication strategies of leaders and highlights the usefulness of this framework for studying ongoing and future crises.

Similar content being viewed by others

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Slovak MPs’ response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in light of conspiracy theories and the polarization of political discourse

Tomáš Lintner, Tomáš Diviák, … Michal Vašečka

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

The gendered dimensions of the anti-mask and anti-lockdown movement on social media

Ahmed Al-Rawi, Maliha Siddiqi, … Julia Smith

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Constructing collective identities and solidarity in premiers’ early speeches on COVID-19: a global perspective

Martina Berrocal, Michael Kranert, … Aleksandra Salamurović

Introduction

The economic and social disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is having major impacts on people’s livelihoods and their health. As of 18 April 2021, there have been 140,322,903 confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections and 3,003,794 deaths (WHO, 2021 ), making the COVID-19 pandemic an unprecedented global health crisis of the century. As countries across the world grapple with mitigating the risks associated with the pandemic, communication—an essential component of planning, response, and recovery during crisis (Houston et al., 2014 )—has been one of the integral parts of the crisis management (Reddy and Gupta, 2020 ). Crisis communication highlights legitimation strategies, but also indicates how government institutions themselves make sense of crises (Brandt and Wörlein, 2020 ). Moreover, crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic can disrupt the socio-political order of societies, leaving a cognitive void in the minds of the public that can be filled with fear and uncertainty (Boin et al., 2016 ). In Norway, COVID-19 has been called a fear-driven pandemic that is based on alarming information of long-term illness and disability that is out of politicians control (Vogt and Pahle, 2020 ). Having control over the dramaturgy of political communication is thus central to effective leadership and crisis management (Boin et al., 2016 ). Effective communication can help societies handle uncertainty and promote adherence to behaviour change while fostering hope among the citizens (Finset et al., 2020 ).

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve, and social media plays a pivotal role in meeting the communication needs of the public during such crisis (Van Dijck, 2013 ). As social media use increases during crises, leaders and public officials may utilise this platform to communicate, which in return helps reduce public panic and builds trust (Kavanaugh et al., 2012 ). As a result of the cultural and symbolic value of social media in contemporary times (Jenzen et al., 2021 ), the communication of public leaders in the midst of uncertainty and fear facilitates interpersonal and group interaction. Research has shown that, when compared to the traditional media platforms, social media platforms are used by leaders and elected officials to communicate, inform, and engage with their citizens (Golbeck et al., 2010 ). They use social media to spread messages farther and faster than it would be possible with traditional media (Sutton et al., 2013 ). What leaders post on social media can give insights into their communication and leadership strategies during crises. Understanding how leaders communicate with the public during crises will not only provide us with the knowledge about their governance styles but will also guide us to their meaning-making in times of uncertainty. Based on this assumption we will be studying the Facebook posts of Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, with the aim to highlight the key features of her communication. In doing so, we will take an exploratory rather than confirmatory perspective (Boudreau et al., 2001 ).

Solberg, member of the Conservative Party and in power since 2013, was defeated by the centre-left as this paper was being revised. Solberg has had a long career in politics, becoming a deputy representative to the Bergen City Council in 1979 when she was 18 years old. She was elected to the Parliament in 1989 where she was the youngest member of her party group (Notaker and Tvedt, 2021 ). Solberg’s tough stance on issues such as immigration earned her the nickname of ‘Jern-Erna’ [Iron Erna] (Reuters, 2013 ). However, upon her appointment as Prime Minister, Solberg displayed a ‘softer side’ by caring about voters’ jobs, health, and schools (Notaker and Tvedt, 2021 ).

The first Norwegian COVID-19 patient was diagnosed on February 26, 2020. While the initial spread of infection was relatively slow, cases increased quickly by March 12 th , after winter break for schools ended and many Norwegians returned from skiing holidays in Northern Italy (Dagsavisen, 2020 ). On March 12, the Norwegian Directorate of Health (NDH) adopted comprehensive measures to prevent the spread, which included closing day care centres, schools, and educational institutions. The measures also included a ban on cultural events, closed swimming gyms and pools, a halt to all service provisions that involved being less than one meter away from another person, and prohibiting visits to recreational cabins Footnote 1 , among others. Behavioural measures such as recommendations to keep physical distance, encourage handwashing, quarantine, stay home when ill, work from home, and avoid public transportation were also included. Following the lockdown, Norway became the first European country to announce that the situation was under control due to low levels of hospitalizations and mortalities (Christensen and Lægreid, 2020 ). In Norway, as of March 22, 2021, there have been over eighty thousand confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and more than six hundred deaths due to COVID-19. Norway has had far fewer COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations per capita than most other countries in Western Europe or the United States (Christensen and Lægreid, 2020 ). Compared to its Scandinavian neighbours Denmark and Sweden, the proportion of cases of infections and deaths have been much lower (WHO, 2021 ), despite the three countries sharing similar social welfare and healthcare systems. Recently, a report submitted by the Corona Committee in Norway also concluded that the overall handling of the crisis by the government has been good. Not only has the number of infections and deaths in Norway been much lower than most countries in Europe, but the healthcare services have also remained stable, and society has remained relatively open (Lund, 2021 ). It is probable that good governance and responsible leadership demonstrated by the Norwegian cabinet and Prime Minister Erna Solberg contributed to this success.

In Norway, there is considerably less focus on individualization of candidates in political parties as compared to for instance the US, since the electoral system in Norway is based on proportional representation (Karlsen and Enjolras, 2016 ). Despite this, with the presence of digital and social media, there has been increasing focus on the individual candidates, leading to ‘decentralising personalisation’ (Karlsen and Enjolras, 2016 ; Balmas et al., 2014 ). Given this context, Erna Solberg’s Facebook account during the COVID-19 pandemic serves as an intermediary platform between the government’s role and her own personal profile as the Prime Minister who has been handling the COVID-19 crisis. Solberg has used Facebook more actively than other outlets like Twitter and has more followers on Facebook than any other platform. The proportion of Facebook users in Norway vis-a-vis other social media platform is also the highest (for example, 84% of people use Facebook compared to 22% who use Twitter who use Twitter) (Werliin and Kokholm, 2016 ). Facebook thus serves as an important platform for public leaders in Norway during crises, and therefore, by analysing Solberg’s Facebook posts, we aim to demonstrate the key features of her communication strategy during the COVID-19 crisis.

Background on crisis and crisis communication

Crisis is defined as a rare, and significant public situation creating undesirable consequences (Coombs, 2015 ; Gruber et al., 2015 ). In most cases it is ‘an unpredictable event that threatens important expectancies of stakeholders and can seriously impact an organization’s performance and generate negative outcomes’ (Coombs, 2015 : p. 3). Crisis communication on the other hand is referred as the strategies used to lessen the uncertainties during crisis via the dissemination and exchange of information (Collins et al., 2016 ). Effective crisis communication establishes reliability and maintains public trust. It should be frequent, consistent and involve compassionate messages conveyed in an inspired and transformational communication style. It is essential that public officials and leaders when communicating crisis relevant information be efficient and informative. Past research has shown the importance of repetition of the consistent interaction to help the message reach the recipients clearly and increase compliance behaviour in cases of crisis (Stephens et al., 2013 ). Inconsistent messages on the other hand were found to cause misperception and confusion, leading to a non-compliant behaviour by the recipients. The content of the message as well as its tone is also an important indicator of whether the recipients will comply or not (Sutton et al., 2013 ). Sources of crisis communication, such as leaders and public health officials, are perceived to be reliable and trustworthy when they exhibit concern and care (Heath and O’ Hair, 2010 ). In addition, they can be more effective in building relationship with the public, if they consider the cultural factors that play a role in their communicating about risks (Aldoory, 2010 ).

Boin et al. ( 2016 ) argue that crisis communication is one of the key challenges, which leaders face during a crisis situation. During crisis communication, leaders are required to frame ‘meaning’ of the crisis in order to shape how public perceives the risks, consequences and how they respond to the measures being taken. Developing a persuasive narrative in communication is thus integral to succesful framing of the crisis and for a strategic leadership. The construction of a successful persuasive narrative requires five frame functions: namely that the narrative will offer a credible explanation of what happened, it will provide guidance, instil hope, show empathy, and suggest that leaders are in control (Boin et al., 2016 ). In doing so, leaders aid the public’s understanding of the facts associated with crisis while sumltaneously acknolwedging and appealing to collective emotions. In incorporating these frame functions, leaders are posed with various choices and decision-making such as how they choose to or not choose to dramatise the situation, the language that they use and how they appeal to the colleactive emotions and stress.

As digital media technologies became popular resources for getting and spreading information, public officials and leaders also increasingly started using them as domains during the crises. In fact, for some scholars the use of social media while enabling mutual interaction between the leaders and recipients has altered the field of crisis communication altogether. For instance, it was found that as social media enables constant and effective communication, it was used more regularly than traditional media outlets during crisis (Kim and Liu, 2012 ). Similarly, Utz et al. ( 2013 ) discussed how for effective crisis communication strategy, the use of media channels, social media—Twitter, and Facebook—versus traditional— newspapers—was more critical than the type of the crisis. Moreover, Schultz et al. ( 2011 ) concluded that when compared to traditional media networks, crisis communication received less negative response when social media was used. Hence, it is not to our surprise that public officials nowadays are turning to social media platforms for communicating with the masses during crisis. They not only use these tools to communicate about crisis but also request information from the public. This was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis where social media was employed by political leaders across the globe to mediate the communication of information about the pandemic as well as for reaching out to their citizens. This paper by focusing on the Norwegian case and more specifically on the Norwegian Prime Minister’s Facebook use during the time of COVID-19 pandemic aims to explore the use of social media platforms by political leaders during crisis. Our goal is to better understand how political leaders adapt social media technologies in their communication strategies during crises.

Our data that covers Erna Solberg’s Facebook posts between February 27, 2020, and February 10, 2021 (a total of 271 posts) were extracted from Footnote 2 into an Excel sheet. A total of 114 posts were removed as they were not related to COVID-19 leaving us 157 posts for further analysis. To aid the coding process, we noted the variables presented in Table 1 . These are: date, number of interactions, number, and type of reactions (e.g., angry, sad, like, etc.), URLs of links shared, and a description of the content of the posts that was later used in the qualitative analysis. We also noted if the posts were made during any particularly critical period (e.g., before, during or after new restrictive measures were introduced). The content of the posts and the number of likes and other reactions derived from this data should be considered a ‘snapshot’ of Solberg’s posts as they appeared at the time of data collection (Brügger, 2013 ), as it is possible that some posts have been subsequently removed, or that the numbers and types of reactions to the posts have changed by the publication date

The data was analysed through thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006 ): in the first step, we read all posts and generated the first set of codes. Next, we combined all the similar codes while labelling them in clusters and organised them into analytical themes/categories (see Fig. 1 ). The authors then discussed and reviewed these analytical themes and merged them into aggregate/conceptual themes. Lastly, we reviewed the aggregate themes through the lens of the five frame functions of persuasive narrative and identified commonalities and differences. We have included some posts under each theme to illustrate our analytical process and illuminate the themes (Sandelowski, 1994 ). All posts presented here were translated from Norwegian to English by the authors.

figure 1

Schematic formulation of a theme from the categories captured in posts.

Our analysis resulted in five themes: (1) Promoting responsibility and togetherness (2) Coping (3) Being in control amidst uncertainty (4) Fostering hope and (5) Relating with the followers. In reviewing our findings from the framework of Boin et al. ( 2016 ), we found that all five frame functions of persuasive narrative were embedded in Solberg’s posts and aligned with our themes. Below we discuss our themes with reference to frame functions of Boin et al. ( 2016 ) for a persuasive narrative and in doing so, add contextual nuances to each theme.

Promoting responsibility and togetherness: we are in this together

Analysis of Solberg’s posts revealed a strong message of responsibility and togetherness. In almost all shares, she not only emphasized solidarity but also called for courage and responsibility. This Facebook post, shared soon after comprehensive shut-down measures were introduced, shows how important, for Solberg, was Norwegian solidarity expressed as ‘we’ (March 12, 2020):

Dear everyone. In times of crisis, we understand how dependent we are on each other. What unites us is more important than what separates us. This is not the time for ‘I’. This is the time for ‘we’.

Lunn et al. ( 2020 ) note that citizens are isolated during government induced or self-imposed quarantines: appeals to collective action and a spirit of ‘we-are-in-it-together’ are important ways to ensure compliance with quarantine and hence curb the rate of infection. Leaders in countries such New Zealand, UK, Brazil have also been found to have used a similar narrative emphasizing patriotic duty, love of country, and coming together as one, to mobilise community action (Dada et al., 2021 ).

Her posts were also imbued with appreciation and expression of gratitude towards healthcare workers and those who follow rules. For example, after introduction of the ban to travel to cabins and after the government’s decision to extend regulations until after Easter, Solberg posted the following on April 4, 2020, receiving a high number of likes:

I feel proud when I see how we handle this together. Many thanks to everyone who follows the advice from the health authorities. Many thanks to everyone in the health service who works hard and perseveres. Many thanks to all Norwegians for the patience, love and solidarity we now show each other

The use of the word ‘I’ and how it was being used in reference to ‘feel[ing] proud’, we argue, highlights the ‘positioning of self’ by Solberg. Davies and Harré ( 1990 ) claim that development of the notion of ‘positioning’ is a contribution to the understanding of personhood, and how speakers choose to position their personal identity vis-a-vis their discontinuous personal diversity (such as being the Prime Minister, politician, Norwegian citizen, etc.). In such posts, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we also see the discursive practices through which Solberg allocates meaning to her position as a Prime Minister by emphasising that she feels proud upon seeing those who follow advice. At the same time, her emphasis on ‘we’, as in how ‘ we handle this together’, places her as a member of the Norwegian masses.

Moreover, such references to togetherness and solidarity also reflect attempts to utilise the existing nationalistic cultural repertoire of the Norwegian concept of dugnad . For example, on New Year’s Day following the Gjerdrum community disaster (a sudden and unexpected mudslide that destroyed several residential houses) and rise in the number of infections during the holiday period (2125 reported cases on December 29, 2020), Solberg posted the following post:

[…] During the year we have put behind us, Norway has lined up for the big dugnad . People have put their interests and dreams on hold to protect the elderly and the risk groups. It has saved lives. I am deeply grateful, proud and touched, for the way the Norwegian people have handled the biggest challenge for our society since World War II. We lined up for each other when it mattered most…

Dugnad in Norwegian is voluntary work that is performed as a collective effort (Moss and Sandbakken, 2021 ). Nilsen and Skarpenes ( 2020 ) discuss how the concept of dugnad is embedded in a moral repertoire of the socially responsible citizen that is indicative of a specifically Norwegian welfare mentality and conclude that dugnad is imperative for the sustainability and resilience of the Norwegian welfare model. Before the pandemic, Simon and Mobekk ( 2019 ) argued that the concept of dugnad is central to Norwegian culture, inculcating prosocial and cooperative behaviour, and thereby plays a role in Norway being one of the most egalitarian democracies and having high levels of equality and reciprocity. In the context of COVID-19, social anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen ( 2020 ) pointed out that one reason for the success of the Norwegian approach was the mobilisation of broader society to fight COVID-19, driven by the notion of dugnad . Similarly, Moss and Sandbakken ( 2021 ) analysed data from press conferences and interviews with members of the public and found that many participants mentioned liking how the government talked of ‘a spirit of dugnad ’ ( dugnadsånd ), appealing to shared voluntary work rather than strict rules. The authors posit that in a pandemic it is crucial to create and use meta-narratives that are a good fit with the context in order to aid meaning-making and increase compliance. The use of dugnad as a cultural repertoire has, however, met with criticism from some scholars, who argue that ‘a word associated with solidarity, unity, and voluntary work obscures the forced nature of the measures’ (Tjora, 2020 ) and shifts the onus for finding solutions onto individual citizens or groups (Nilsen and Skarpenes, 2020 ; Hungnes, 2016 ).

Despite the criticism of imbibing such cultural repertoire, the alignment of the key values of Norwegian society with the core message of encouraging collective action is essential for a crisis narrative to be politically effective (Boin et al., 2016 ). Furthermore, the theme of ‘Promoting responsibility and togetherness’ shows the context specific nature of crisis communication narrative in the case of COVID-19 in Norway and therefore adds to the components for a persuasive narrative.

Coping: everything will be fine

Solberg’s Footnote 3 posts also carried messages that address the consequences of coping with COVID-19, namely self-isolation, and loneliness. For instance, her posts guided followers in dealing with loneliness and maintaining general physical and mental health. The Norwegian government, like that of many other countries, had introduced measures such as mandatory quarantine and social distancing rules to manage the spread of the virus. Studies have shown that home confinement during COVID-19 has negatively affected the emotional state of individuals due to depression and anxiety and has led to or increased a sedentary lifestyle (Sang et al., 2020 ). Thus, emphasis on the well-being of the population during COVID-19 is important for effective crisis management (WHO, 2020a ) because increased well-being would reinforce its coping abilities during illness and hardships. As these are not the direct effects of the COVID-19 infection, but a result of the contagion containment measures imposed on citizens by the government, we observe Solberg taking responsibility and providing solutions to help. In doing so, she appears sensitive and caring towards the public.

Christensen and Lægreid ( 2020 ) attribute the ‘high-performing’ handling of the pandemic in Norway to the initial focus on suppression, followed by a control strategy. The authors further examine the ideas that having successful communication with the public, a collaborative and pragmatic decision-making style, the country’s resourcefulness, and high trust of government all contributed to the relative success in Norway. Adopting the correct and effective strategy indeed heavily influences the outcomes of crises. However, to fill the ‘cognitive void’ that the public might be experiencing, leaders need to manage the meaning-making process and ensure legitimacy of their actions (Boin et al., 2016 ). Solberg and the other ministers played an important role in communicating with citizens and the media through daily media briefings together with the NDH (Norwegian Directorate of Health) and NIPH (Norwegian Institute of Public Health) (Christensen and Lægreid, 2020 )

Solberg emphasized the impact of loneliness, for example, during one of the first holiday periods during the pandemic when comprehensive shut-down measures were introduced, she wrote:

Many people may feel lonely during holidays such as Easter, and the corona crisis exacerbates this. Therefore, I would like to encourage everyone to call someone you know is alone at Easter. The little things can mean a lot. Happy Easter!

A study by Blix et al. ( 2021 ) on the topic of mental health in the Norwegian population during the COVID-19 pandemic found that a substantial proportion of the population experienced significant psychological distress in the early phases. More than one out of four reported ongoing psychological distress over the threshold for clinically significant symptoms. Two other categories of individuals (those recently exposed to violence and those with pre-existing mental health problems) were found to be at special risk but worrying about the consequences of the pandemic was also found to contribute negatively to mental health. In this regard, Shah et al. ( 2020 ) argued that several nations have failed to address the mental health aspect among the public, as far more effort is being focused on understanding the epidemiology, clinical features, transmission patterns, and management of COVID-19. Solberg’s open discussion about mental health during the pandemic implies a situation-specific and data-driven strategy of managing the less visible effects of the pandemic and show insight in anticipating future needs (Han et al., 2020 ).

Moreover, Solberg’s posts also subtly utilised the Norwegian concept of friluftsliv , which translates as ‘free air life,’ a philosophy of outdoor living and connection with nature (Henderson and Vikander 2007 ). Friluftsliv is associated with grand narratives of Norwegian national identity depicting outdoor adventures, foraging, and a deep connection to nature (Jørgensen-Vittersø, 2021 ). For example, with the re-opening of DNT [Den Norske Turistforening] cabins in mid-2020, Solberg in her post on June 11 emphasized the importance of being outdoors in fresh air:

We need to use our bodies and get out into the light and fresh air. It is important for both physical and mental health! I hope many have a good and active Norwegian holiday this year!

In these posts, Solberg also shared pictures of herself being outdoors. In such ways, Solberg appeared to be offering not only guidance for coping with the challenges and consequences of living during the pandemic, but also emphasizing one characteristic of the Norwegian culture, which they are proud of—spending time in nature. Be it advice to spend time in nature, or to keep social distance or self-isolation, we consider that Solberg’s approach to coping aligns with the frame function of ‘offering guidance’. During a crisis, leaders have a window of opportunity during which they can communicate a frame to not only make sense of the crisis but also to provide guidance and to portray themselves as attentive and concerned about the challenging circumstances faced by the public (Boin et al., 2016 ). By depicting herself as attuned to the emotions experienced by her followers during the pandemic and by utilising the moment to suggest ways of coping, Solberg’s communication encapsulates the frame function of offering guidance for a persuasive narrative.

Being in control amidst uncertainty

In her posts, Solberg presented a narrative of being in control amidst uncertainty, which aligns with two of the frame functions of Boin et al. ( 2016 ), namely offering a credible explanation and suggesting that leaders are in control. In times of a crisis, it is important that leaders do not downplay the gravity of the situation or claim unrealistically optimistic scenarios (Boin et al., 2016 ). We see that Solberg maintained a balance by providing a detailed explanation of her actions and the reasons behind the restrictive measures taken. At the same time, she acknowledged the uncertainty inherent in the ever-changing crisis and demonstrated her concern. According to Lunn et al. ( 2020 ), in situations characterised by uncertainty and fear, responsible leaders need to signal that they are in control of the situation, which can be demonstrated by making decisions with confidence and honesty. Moreover, it is also essential that leaders do not make promises that are impossible or unrealistic, because doing that can impede the persuasiveness of their narrative by affecting their credibility later (Boin et al., 2016 ). In Solberg’s posts, we see that she displays confidence but also the reality of uncertainty and concern, which is a sign of effective leadership and shows ‘bounded optimism’ (Brassey and Kruyt, 2020 ). The following post where she writes about her worries and concerns followed by advice is a good example of credibility and control:

I am worried. Right now, we have ongoing outbreaks in Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim and Hammerfest… We know that vigorous work is being done intensively in these municipalities with infection detection and other measures. Although Norway has relatively low infection rates, we also register here at home that the number of hospital admissions and the number of infected have increased recently. We now have the highest number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 since May… We also see that the infection has begun to spread to older age groups. And there is a significant risk that the numbers will continue to rise as we see in Europe. That is why we have today announced new national austerity measures next week. We can still reverse the trend here at home…

A demonstration of concern from role models has been shown to have a role in persuading the public to adhere to recommendations (Simon and Mobekk, 2019 ). Tannenbaum et al. ( 2015 ) note that fear is easier to handle when it is acknowledged, which relates to the idea of ‘citizens being anxious enough to take the advice from the authorities to heart and optimistic enough as to feel that their actions make a difference’ (Petersen, 2020 ). Inculcating ‘optimistic anxiety’ (Tannenbaum et al., 2015 ) is therefore an important feature of crisis communication narratives.

Another important nuance that emerges from Solberg’s posts is her comparisons to other countries to draw attention to the seriousness of the situation. For example, on November 5, 2020, Solberg made the following post announcing new national measures, which received over 5000 likes:

My message to the Norwegian people is: Stay at home as much as possible. Have the least possible social contact with others. It is absolutely necessary to avoid a new shutdown. Norway is at the beginning of the second wave of infection… The virus is spreading rapidly and all counties now have outbreaks. The government is therefore introducing new national infection control measures… If the current rate of infection continues, the number of inpatients in intensive care units will increase sharply in the coming weeks. This will lead to less intensive capacity for other seriously ill people. We are now where the Netherlands was at the beginning of September. A very rapid increase in infection in the Netherlands quickly led to more patients in the intensive care unit… Other European countries have similar experiences. There is therefore a heavy seriousness about the situation. And we must take responsibility together

By giving detailed reasoning behind measures being taken amidst uncertainty, Solberg exhibits both confidence and honesty in her narratives (Lunn et al., 2020 ). Another key feature that emerges from the post above is the emphasis on the risks of an increase in infection, and the possibility of a new lockdown and overburdening of intensive care capacity, thereby reflecting a more strongly persuasive intent. Such emphasis on the risks is different from other posts where Solberg exhibits control and optimism much more strongly. This adaption from a communicative stance to a more persuasive one could result from not only the perceived severity of the situation, but also the perceived risks of pandemic fatigue. Pandemic fatigue has been defined by the WHO as a lack of motivation to adhere to recommended protective behaviours (WHO, 2020b ). According to surveys conducted in different countries, most people have been shown to possess adequate knowledge of COVID-19 and the precautions required to keep safe, yet factors like emotions and context have been found to have greater impact on behaviours than knowledge (Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, 2020 ). A study of different ways of communicating healthcare messages suggested that believability of the messages and the recipients’ reactions to them can be influenced by the persuasive intent (Wang and Shen, 2019 ). Koh et al. ( 2020 ) also discuss the importance of devising effective and successful communications for a sustained period without message fatigue setting in, which includes concern for the way the communication is framed. Overall, we see that Solberg’s posts provide a rationale with portrayal of the government being in control of managing the crisis.

Fostering hope and return to normalcy

Solberg’s posts also emphasized the hopeful aspects of the crisis by appealing to followers to look forward to a return to everyday life, and new educational and economic prospects, despite the difficult current circumstances. This theme aligns with the frame of ‘instilling hope’ as per frame functions for a persuasive narrative by Boin et al. ( 2016 ). During a crisis, more than ever, effective leaders embody the hopes and fears of the society under threat, and therefore they should strive to inculcate optimism of a better future (Boin et al., 2016 ). Previous research has documented that in times of turmoil, followers especially look up to leadership that serves as a beacon of hope for and faith in a positive future, more than they do in times of prosperity (Stam et al., 2018 ; Shamir et al., 1993 ). According to Boin et al., leadership during crisis always has a moral dimension. On January 10, 2021, by which time Norway had witnessed over 50000 cases of infection and over 400 deaths as well as the Gjerdrum disaster, Solberg made the following post:

Dear everyone. This year I hope we can take our dreams back. After a year of pandemic and fear. Then I look forward to seeing creativity unleashed…

Another post that emphasized the optimism for educational prospects was made on April 15, 2020, and drew over 5000 likes:

Today is the last deadline to apply to a vocational school, college or university. I understand that it can feel strange to apply for an education this autumn while the educational institutions keep their campuses closed. Maybe someone also thinks the idea of moving from home to a new city seems extra scary these days. To you I want to say that everyday life will return. Therefore, my appeal to you who want to study: do not put your life on hold, but apply for education this year!

Lessons from previous crises tell us that leaders need to pay attention to the fear of the ongoing threat, as well as sadness and grief, and to provide hope to mitigate social disruption (Maak et al., 2021 ). Here, we see that Solberg’s is attempting to convey hope while also acknowledging the challenges and impact of COVID-19. In doing so, the messages also emphasise self-efficacy and trust in the government. Hope and resilience are closely aligned constructs, as they both include a tendency towards maintaining an optimistic outlook in the face of adversity (Duggal et al., 2016 ). Thus, fostering hope during crisis can help the community cope with the consequences of the crisis. Moreover, by using emotional appeals, leaders can influence attitudes and behaviours as well as induce compassion (Ghio et al., 2020 ).

The theme of fostering hope in Solberg’s posts was found to be particularly emphasized during and before national holidays or important events. Her posts often utilised humour to foster positivity, particularly during critical periods such as during or after implementation of stricter COVID-19 measures. For example, a day after it was announced that infection-reduction measures would continue throughout Christmas, Solberg shared a snipped of her response to a question asked in a press conference and posted:

Can Santa actually come to visit this year?

Creating human moments and hope is a sign of compassionate leadership and helps to establish the relational foundation for widespread support for pandemic control measures (Maak et al., 2021 ). Also, by utilising humour, Solberg adapts the tone of her messages, a tactic that has been found to significantly affect audiences’ attitudes and behaviours, help people manage their emotions, and strengthen support for pandemic measures (Lee and Basnyat, 2013 )

Relating with followers

The last theme is about the posts in which Solberg relates to the public by providing personal information, acknowledging, and relating with the difficult circumstances, and using humour or a private tone in her posts. For example, the post below was made just before Easter and it received more than 13000 likes, making it to be the third-most liked post of Solberg related to COVID-19 during this period.

It will be a different Easter this year. Let’s make the best of it. We can play fun board games with our loved ones, read the book we never have time to read, listen to an audiobook or explore the local area. The last few weeks have been challenging for all of us, but we want to get through this… Sindre and I have recharged with board games and wish you all a very happy Easter!

Empathy is an important component of the persuasive narrative, especially during crises when the decisions made by authorities to mitigate, and control can also have consequences for people’s lives. For crisis communication to be effective, the information provided to the public should not be too factual or portray leaders as distant from the citizens (Shen, 2010 ; Lunn et al., 2020 ). By demonstrating concern and acknowledging the impact of crises, leaders can empathise with the public (Shen, 2010 ; Lunn et al., 2020 ). We see Solberg personifying the challenges of COVID-19 by referring to how the times have been challenging for ‘all of us’. According to Boin et al. ( 2016 ), a leader’s personification of suffering is instrumental in showing empathy because the public is then able to relate to them.

Further, previously in a study by Larsson ( 2015 ) about Norwegian party leaders on Facebook during the 2013 ‘short campaign’, it was found that personal content referencing private life is increasingly employed by Norwegian party leaders. Enli and Rosenberg ( 2018 ) investigated voters’ evaluations of politicians as authentic or ‘real,’ and Solberg was found to be one of the most perceived authentic politicians. Enli ( 2014 ) had earlier suggested that Erna Solberg’s public profile as predictable, anti-elitist and imperfect constructs her authenticity.

A similar example of relatability with followers during the pandemic was the instance when she forgot the rule of not shaking hands during public meetups and press conferences. After the event, she wrote:

It is important that we can have some humour in a difficult time Even a prime minister can forget, but now it is important that we all remember to follow the advice of the health authorities…

She also used an engaging communicative style when interacting with her followers:

Then the holiday is over… a different summer, a little cold, weekly meetings in the Government’s Corona Committee on video, beautiful nature experiences from Norway and a lot of rain. Let me share a wonderful little meeting with a lynx on the lawn on Varaldsøy… Have you had a nice summer?

Thus, Solberg embeds references to her private life, which also helps to personify the messages in her posts and thus relate with the public. In addition, by relating with the public on an everyday basis and through the acknowledgment of shared challenges during crisis, Solberg’s narrative also appears empathetic. Our theme of ‘Relating to the public’ thus encapsulates frame function of ‘showing empathy’ for developing a persuasive narrative, as per Boin et al. ( 2016 ).

Concluding remarks

This paper was an attempt to explore the Facebook posts of Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg to highlight the key features of her crisis communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. By drawing on data from Solberg’s Facebook posts during the pandemic our analyses identified five major themes, (1) Promoting responsibility and togetherness (2) Coping (3) Being in control amidst uncertainty (4) Fostering hope and (5) Relating with the followers, where we went in detail explanation by using frame functions of a persuasive narrative by Boin et al. ( 2016 ). We furthermore discussed the specific Norwegian contextual nuances to the frame functions. These were the theme ‘Responsibilization and togetherness’, presented via the references to Norwegianness and the cultural concept and practice of dugnad . Hence, our paper showed how during crisis persuasive narratives are incorporated into the social media communication strategies of political leaders.

The paper also showed how persuasive narratives are delivered through praising the public’s efforts, promoting togetherness, caring about the public’s well-being, displaying optimism and confidence in the government’s measures. It elaborated on how crisis management on social media was done via the use of humour and personal information. Humour was used as a tool to engage with the public and help them relate and comply to the COVID-19 restrictions. Hence, Solberg used Facebook to capitalise on a wide-reaching social medium (Hallahan, 2010 ). While the communication of leaders during crises helps to fill the cognitive void, the use of social media helps build societal resilience by improving awareness and encouraging preparedness (Boin et al., 2016 )

Even so, the success of a persuasive narrative is to a great extent dependant on the credibility of its proponents (Boin et al., 2016 ). The reputation of the leader and the organisation that they represent plays a key role in framing a successful persuasive narrative. In general, Norwegians have more trust in each other and their institutions than most other countries (Skirbekk and Grimen, 2012 ). A survey conducted by the Norwegian Citizen’s Panel [Norsk Medborgerpanel] in March 2020 found that trust in government, in the health authorities, in parliament, and in national and local politicians had increased, as did trust in the Prime Minister during the pandemic (Dahl, 2020 ). Clearly, Solberg seems to have benefitted from the trust capital in Norwegian society with her Facebook communications during a crisis. More recently, Erna Solberg has received heavy criticism for breach of COVID-19 restrictions during a family trip to Geilo for her 60th birthday (The Guardian, 2021a ). Following which, Erna Solberg, has been investigated by police and fined (The Guardian, 2021b ). Thus, while her Facebook posts exhibiting components of a persuasive narrative received popularity, her actions have nevertheless been subjected to scrutiny and criticisms in mainstream media (Larsen, 2021 ). According to Boin et al. ( 2016 : p. 72), the retainment of confidence of the public is essential for the communication strategies to be effective. Therefore, such media criticism might undermine the credibility of Solberg and her cabinet, leading to less credible and politically ineffective narratives. On the other hand, past performances, and reputation also play an important role in increasing leaders’ personal credibility in the face of crisis (Boin et al., 2016 ). Consequently, Solberg’s long career in politics and her reputation of caring about the citizens as previously discussed, could buffer the recent impact on her credibility. Moreover, communication during and after a crisis affects long-term impressions (Coombs, 2007 ). With the personification of politics in Norway or ‘decentralising personalization’ (Balmas et al., 2014 ), the criticisms paved at Erna, however, reflect more of a personal crisis than a national crisis. And while we do not analyse Solberg’s posts beyond 9 th Feb. 2021 i.e., after Solberg spoke about the Geilo trip incident on her Facebook account, we see that she follows similar strategy in handling this personal crisis as the national crisis of COVID-19, through use of a persuasive narrative. Future studies can therefore focus on how Solberg and other political leaders utilise the strategy of persuasive narrative in management of personal crisis in nexus with national crisis such as that of COVID-19.

Further, we concur with Christensen and Lægreid ( 2020 ) who write that the ‘political leadership has succeeded well in connecting governance capacity and legitimacy using the argument that Norway had sufficient resources to deal with the crisis. While the health resource capacity and preparedness of Norway inarguably contributes to the outcomes of the crisis, communicating a successful persuasive narrative with credibility is integral to gaining legitimacy and filling the cognitive void (Boin et al., 2016 ). Erna Solberg’s use of persuasive narrative in Facebook posts, seems therefore to have been effective in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, but her latest unfortunate incident goes to show how politicians’ management of crises is tenuous and highly dependent on public trust.

Our study adds to the significance and knowledge of how persuasive narratives are incorporated into the communication strategy of leaders on a social media platform and highlights the usefulness of this framework for studies about ongoing and future crises. By using data from social media, our findings also add to the understanding of the increased personification of politics and how leaders utilise this personification to communicate government measures and engage with the public during a crisis. Future research can further explore how public leaders and health authorities’ frame crises situations, actions, issues, and responsibility to dramatise and reinforce key ideas (Hallahan, 1999 ). Such insights can pave way for understanding public’s shaping of risk perceptions and compliance to behavioural measures during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data availability

The dataset analysed during the current study is available through the public profile of Erna Solberg on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ernasolberg/ . This dataset was derived from Crowd Tangle which can be accessed through request at https://www.crowdtangle.com/ .

Known as ‘hyttetur’, cabin trips are deeply rooted in Norwegian culture and way of life

Crowdtangle extracts both historical and current data of post contents and metadata such as the date the post was made, number of likes, other reactions and shares. Information about how to access raw material included in this study can be found in the data availability statement at the end of the article.

‘Everything will be fine’ [ Alt blir bra ] was one of the campaigns that spread because of the COVID-19 crisis in Norway depicting pictures of a rainbow.

Aldoory L (2010) The ecological perspective and other ways to (re)consider cultural factors in risk communication. In: Heath R, O’ Hair (eds) Handbook of risk and crisis communication. Routledge, New York, pp. 227–246

Google Scholar  

Balmas M, Rahat G, Sheafer T, Shenhav SR (2014) Two routes to personalized politics: Centralized and decentralized personalization. Party Polit 20(1):37–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068811436037

Article   Google Scholar  

Blix I, Birkeland MS, Thoresen S (2021) Worry and Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Vulnerability Factors in the General Norwegian Population. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-192098/v1 . Accessed 10 Jun 2021

Boin A, Stern E, Sundelius B (2016) The politics of crisis management: Public leadership under pressure. Cambridge University Press

Boudreau MC, Gefen D, Straub DW (2001) Validation in information systems research: a state-of-the-art assessment. MIS Quart 25(1):1. https://doi.org/10.2307/3250956

Brandt P, Wörlein J (2020) Government crisis communication during the pandemic. https://www.sciencespo.fr/en/news/news/government-crisis-communications-during-the-pandemic/4862 . Accessed 20 May 2021

Braun V, Clarke V (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol 3(2):77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brassey J, Kruyt M (2020) How to demonstrate calm and optimism in a crisis. McKinsey & Company, April. 2020. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/how-to-demonstrate-calm-and-optimism-in-a-crisis . Accessed 27 May 2021

Brügger N (2013) Historical network analysis of the web. Soc Sci Comput Review 31(3):306–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439312454267

Christensen T, Lægreid P (2020) Balancing governance capacity and legitimacy: how the Norwegian government handled the COVID‐19 crisis as a high performer. Public Admin Rev 80(5):774–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13241

Collins M, Neville K, Hynes W, Madden M (2016) Communication in a disaster-the development of a crisis communication tool within the S-HELP project. J Decis Syst 25(1):160–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/12460125.2016.1187392

Coombs WT (2007) Protecting organization reputations during a crisis: the development and application of situational crisis communication theory. Corp Reput Rev 10(3):163–176. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.crr.1550049

Coombs WT (2015) Ongoing crisis communication: planning, managing and responding. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA

CrowdTangle (2021) CrowdTangle Team. Facebook, Menlo Park, California, United States. List ID: 1504404 2021

Dada S, Ashworth HC, Bewa MJ, Dhatt R (2021) Words matter: political and gender analysis of speeches made by heads of government during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Global Health 6(1):e003910. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.10.20187427

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Dagsavisen (2020) FHI: Norge ble varslet om koronasmitte fra Østerrike allerede 4. mars 2020 (Norway was notified of corona infection from Austria as early as 4 March 2020). https://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/innenriks/2020/10/30/fhi-norge-ble-varslet-om-koronasmitte-fra-osterrike-allerede-4-mars/ . Accessed on 1 Apr 2021

Dahl T (2020) Stolar meir på Erna og mindre på naboen (Rely more on Erna and less on the neighbor). https://www.uib.no/aktuelt/135017/stolar-meir-p%C3%A5-erna-og-mindre-p%C3%A5-naboen . Accessed 3 Jul 2021

Davies B, Harré R (1990) Positioning: the discursive production of selves. J Theory Soc Behav 20(1):43–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5914.1990.tb00174.x

Duggal D, Sacks-Zimmerman A, Liberta T (2016) The impact of hope and resilience on multiple factors in neurosurgical patients. Cureus 8(10). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.849

Enli G (2014) Mediated authenticity. Peter Lang Incorporated, New York

Enli G, Rosenberg LT (2018) Trust in the age of social media: Populist politicians seem more authentic. Soc Media Soc 4(1):2056305118764430. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118764430

Eriksen TH (2020) Norway’s response to Covid-19 and the Janus face of Nordic trust. https://www.coronatimes.net/norway-covid-19-nordic-trust/ . Accessed on 15 May 2021

Finset A, Bosworth H, Butow P, Gulbrandsen P, Hulsman RL, Pieterse AH et al. (2020) Effective health communication–a key factor in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient Educ Couns 103(5):873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.03.027

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Gavi the Vaccine Alliance (2020) 10 reasons why pandemic fatigue could threaten global health in 2021. https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/10-reasons-why-pandemic-fatigue-could-threaten-global-health-2021 . Accessed 15 Jun 2021

Ghio D, Lawes-Wickwar S, Tang M, Epton T, Howlett N, Jenkinson E (2020) What influences people’s responses to public health messages for managing risks and preventing infectious diseases? A rapid systematic review of the evidence and recommendations. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/nz7tr . Accessed 28 May 2021

Golbeck J, Grimes JM, Rogers A (2010) Twitter use by the US Congress. J Am Soc Inform Sci Technol 61(8):1612–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.21344

Gruber DA, Smerek RE, Thomas-Hunt MC, James EH (2015) The real-time power of Twitter: Crisis management and leadership in an age of social media. Bus Horizon 58(2):163–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.10.006

Hallahan K (1999) Seven models of framing: implications for public relations. J Public Relat Res 11(3):205–242. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr1103_02

Hallahan K (2010) Crises and risk in cyberspace. In: Heath R, Hair O’ (ed) Handbook of risk and crisis communication. Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 412–445

Han RH, Schmidt MN, Waits WM, Bell AK, Miller TL (2020) Planning for mental health needs during COVID-19. Curr Psychiatry Rep 22(12):1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01189-6

Heath R, O’ Hair H (2010) The significance of crisis and risk communication. In: Heath R, Hair O’ (ed) Handbook of risk and crisis communication. Routledge, New York, pp. 5–30

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Henderson B, Vikander N (eds) (2007) Nature first: outdoor life the friluftsliv way. Dundurn

Houston JB et al. (2014) Social media and disasters: a functional framework for social media use in disaster planning, response, and research. Disasters 39(1):1–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12092

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Hungnes S (2016) Den norske dugnadskulturen (The Norwegian voluntary culture. https://agendamagasin.no/kommentarer/den-norske-dugnadskulturen/ . Accessed 25 May 2021

Jenzen O, Erhart I, Eslen-Ziya H, Korkut U, McGarry A (2021) The symbol of social media in contemporary protest: Twitter and the Gezi Park movement. Convergence 27(2):414–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856520933747

Jørgensen-Vittersø KA (2021) From fresh air and sunbathing to wildlife and snow caves: ‘Friluftsliv’in norwegian primary schools, 1939–1980. In: Roos M, Berge KL, Edgren H (eds) Exploring textbooks and cultural change in nordic education 1536–2020. Brill, pp 245–259

Karlsen R, Enjolras B (2016) Styles of social media campaigning and influence in a hybrid political communication system: linking candidate survey data with Twitter data. Inte J Press/Politics 21(3):338–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161216645335

Kavanaugh AL, Fox EA, Sheetz SD, Yang S, Li LT, Shoemaker DJ et al. (2012) Social media use by government: from the routine to the critical. Gov Inform Q 29(4):480–91. https://doi.org/10.1145/2037556.2037574

Kim S, Liu BF (2012) Are all crises opportunities? A comparison of how corporate and government organizations responded to the 2009 flu pandemic. J Public Relat Res 24(1):69–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726x.2012.626136

Koh PK-K, Chan LL, Tan E-K (2020) Messaging fatigue and desensitisation to information during pandemic. Arch Med Res 51(7):716–717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.06.014

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Larsen K (2021) Erna Solbergs popularitet stuper (Erna Solberg’s popularity plummets). https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/erna-solbergs-popularitet-stuper/73597485 . Accessed 15th Apr

Larsson AO (2015) Pandering, protesting, engaging. Norwegian party leaders on Facebook during the 2013 ‘Short campaign’. Inform Commun Soc 18(4):459–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118x.2014.967269

Lee ST, Basnyat I (2013) From press release to news: mapping the framing of the 2009 H1N1 A influenza pandemic. Health Commun 28(2):119–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2012.658550

Lund J (2021) Somling, rot og ulovligheter (Procrastination, clutter and illegalities). https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kommentar/i/BlPRjw/somling-rot-og-ulovligheter . Accessed on 25 May 2021

Lunn P, Belton C, Lavin C, McGowan F, Timmons S, Robertson D (2020) Using behavioural science to help fight the coronavirus. J Behav Public Administration, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.30636/jbpa.31.147

Maak T, Pless NM, Wohlgezogen F (2021) The fault lines of leadership: Lessons from the global Covid-19 crisis. J Change Manag 21(1):66–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1861724

Moss SM, Sandbakken EM (2021) “Everybody needs to do their part, so we can get this under control.” reactions to the norwegian government meta‐narratives on COVID‐19 measures. Polit Psychol 42(5):881–898. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12727

Notaker H, Tvedt KA (2021) Stor Norske Leksikon: Erna Solberg ( https://snl.no/Erna_Solberg . Accessed on 20 Apr 2021

Nilsen ACE, Skarpenes O (2020) Coping with COVID-19. Dugnad: a case of the moral premise of the Norwegian welfare state. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. (ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/ijssp-07-2020-0263

Petersen MB (2020) The unpleasant truth is the best protection against coronavirus. Politiken. https://pure.au.dk/portal/files/181464339/The_unpleasant_truth_is_the_best_protection_against_coronavirus_Michael_Bang_Petersen.pdf . Accessed 11 Jun 2021

Reddy BV, Gupta A (2020) Importance of effective communication during COVID-19 infodemic. J Fam Med Prim Care 9(8):3793. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_719_20

Reuters (2013) Iron Erna’s softer side wins through in Norway election 2013. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1307898/iron-ernas-softer-side-wins-through-norway-election . Accessed 27 Apr 2021

Sandelowski M (1994) Focus on qualitative methods. The use of quotes in qualitative research. Res Nurs Health 17(6):479–482. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.4770170611

Sang X, Menhas R, Saqib ZA, Mahmood S, Weng Y, Khurshid S, et al. (2020) The psychological impacts of CoViD-19 home confinement and physical activity: a structural equation model analysis. Front Psychol 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.614770

Schultz F, Utz S, Göritz A (2011) Is the medium the message? Perceptions of and reactions to crisis communication via twitter, blogs and traditional media. Public Relat Rev 37(1):20–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.12.001

Shah K, Kamrai D, Mekala H, Mann B, Desai K, Patel RS (2020) Focus on mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: applying learnings from the past outbreaks. Cureus 12(3). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.7405

Shamir B, House RJ, Arthur MB (1993) The motivational effects of charismatic leadership: a self-concept based theory. Organ Sci 4(4):577–94. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.4.4.577

Shen L (2010) Mitigating psychological reactance: the role of message-induced empathy in persuasion. Hum Commun Res 36(3):397–422. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2010.01381.x

Article   ADS   Google Scholar  

Simon C, Mobekk H (2019) Dugnad: a fact and a narrative of Norwegian prosocial behavior. Perspect Behav Sci 42(4):815–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-019-00227-w

Skirbekk H, Grimen H (2012) Tillit i Norge (Trust in Norway). Res Publica, Oslo

Stam D, van Knippenberg D, Wisse B, Nederveen Pieterse A (2018) Motivation in words: promotion-and prevention-oriented leader communication in times of crisis. J Manag 44(7):2859–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316654543

Stephens KK, Barrett AK, Mahometa MJ (2013) Organizational communication in emergencies: Using multiple channels and sources to combat noise and capture attention. Hum Commun Res 39(2):230–251. https://doi.org/10.1111/hcre.12002

Sutton J, Spiro E, Butts C, Fitzhugh S, Johnson B, Greczek M (2013) Tweeting the spill: Online informal communications, social networks, and conversational microstructures during the Deepwater Horizon oilspill. Int J Inform Syst Crisis Resp Manag 5(1):58–76. https://doi.org/10.4018/jiscrm.2013010104

Tannenbaum MB, Hepler J, Zimmerman RS, Saul L, Jacobs S, Wilson K et al. (2015) Appealing to fear: a meta-analysis of fear appeal effectiveness and theories. Psychol Bull 141(6):1178. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039729

The Guardian (2021a) Norwegian PM Erna Solberg investigated for Covid rules breach. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/19/norwegian-pm-erna-solberg-investigated-for-covid-rules-breach . Accessed 25th Mar 2021

The Guardian (2021b) Norwegian PM fined after breaking Covid rules with birthday party. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/09/norway-prime-minister-erna-solberg-fined-breaking-covid-rules-birthday . Accessed 15th Mar 2021

Tjora A (2020) Tillitsfull dugnad eller instruert solidaritet (Trusting voluntary work or instructed solidarity) https://www.universitetsavisa.no/koronavirus-ytring/tillitsfull-dugnad-eller-instruert-solidaritet/111642 . Accessed on 21 May 2021

Utz S, Schultz F, Glocka S (2013) Crisis communication online: How medium, crisis type and emotions affected public reactions in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Public Relat Rev 39(1):40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.09.010

Van Dijck J (2013) Facebook and the engineering of connectivity: A multi-layered approach to social media platforms. Convergence 19(2):141–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856512457548

Vogt H, Pahle A (2020) En fryktdrevet pandemi av varige helseproblemer (A fear-driven pandemic of lasting health problems) https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikk/i/opdB6a/en-fryktdrevet-pandemi-av-varige-helseproblemer . Accessed 20 May 2021

Wang W, Shen F (2019) The effects of health narratives: Examining the moderating role of persuasive intent. Health Market Q 36(2):120–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2019.1575061

Article   MathSciNet   Google Scholar  

Werliin R, Kokholm M (2016) Device study: Social media across the Nordics. https://www.audienceproject.com/wp-content/uploads/study_social_media_across_the_nordics.pdf . Accessed 18 Jun 2021

World Health Organization (2020a) Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak, 18 March 2020. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf . Accessed 10 Jun 2021

World Health Organization (2020b) Pandemic fatigue: reinvigorating the public to prevent COVID-19: policy framework for supporting pandemic prevention and management: revised version November 2020. World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/337574 . Accessed 17 Jun 2021

World Health Organization (2021) WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard 2021 https://covid19.who.int/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9_mDBhCGARIsAN3PaFNVuA3kABELXjY66cXUIVcTNNBkPrX57w1OtZL1GYBomSnvTRflQTcaAoxkEALw_wcB . Accessed 18 Apr 2021

Download references

Acknowledgements

This article is published as part of the research project ‘Fighting Pandemics with Enhanced Risk Communication: Messages, Compliance and Vulnerability During the COVID-19 Outbreak (PAN-FIGHT)’, which is financed by the Norwegian Research Council (Project number: 312767).

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway

Sanjana Arora & Hande Eslen-Ziya

Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

Jonas Debesay

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sanjana Arora .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Additional information.

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Arora, S., Debesay, J. & Eslen-Ziya, H. Persuasive narrative during the COVID-19 pandemic: Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s posts on Facebook. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 9 , 35 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01051-5

Download citation

Received : 12 October 2021

Accepted : 17 January 2022

Published : 01 February 2022

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01051-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

This article is cited by

Norwegian “dugnad” as a rhetorical device in public health communication during the covid-19 pandemic. a qualitative study from immigrant’s perspectives.

  • Raquel Herrero-Arias
  • Irina Vladimirovna Halbostad
  • Esperanza Diaz

Archives of Public Health (2024)

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

Writing about COVID-19 in a college admission essay

by: Venkates Swaminathan | Updated: September 14, 2020

Print article

Writing about COVID-19 in your college admission essay

For students applying to college using the CommonApp, there are several different places where students and counselors can address the pandemic’s impact. The different sections have differing goals. You must understand how to use each section for its appropriate use.

The CommonApp COVID-19 question

First, the CommonApp this year has an additional question specifically about COVID-19 :

Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.

This question seeks to understand the adversity that students may have had to face due to the pandemic, the move to online education, or the shelter-in-place rules. You don’t have to answer this question if the impact on you wasn’t particularly severe. Some examples of things students should discuss include:

  • The student or a family member had COVID-19 or suffered other illnesses due to confinement during the pandemic.
  • The candidate had to deal with personal or family issues, such as abusive living situations or other safety concerns
  • The student suffered from a lack of internet access and other online learning challenges.
  • Students who dealt with problems registering for or taking standardized tests and AP exams.

Jeff Schiffman of the Tulane University admissions office has a blog about this section. He recommends students ask themselves several questions as they go about answering this section:

  • Are my experiences different from others’?
  • Are there noticeable changes on my transcript?
  • Am I aware of my privilege?
  • Am I specific? Am I explaining rather than complaining?
  • Is this information being included elsewhere on my application?

If you do answer this section, be brief and to-the-point.

Counselor recommendations and school profiles

Second, counselors will, in their counselor forms and school profiles on the CommonApp, address how the school handled the pandemic and how it might have affected students, specifically as it relates to:

  • Grading scales and policies
  • Graduation requirements
  • Instructional methods
  • Schedules and course offerings
  • Testing requirements
  • Your academic calendar
  • Other extenuating circumstances

Students don’t have to mention these matters in their application unless something unusual happened.

Writing about COVID-19 in your main essay

Write about your experiences during the pandemic in your main college essay if your experience is personal, relevant, and the most important thing to discuss in your college admission essay. That you had to stay home and study online isn’t sufficient, as millions of other students faced the same situation. But sometimes, it can be appropriate and helpful to write about something related to the pandemic in your essay. For example:

  • One student developed a website for a local comic book store. The store might not have survived without the ability for people to order comic books online. The student had a long-standing relationship with the store, and it was an institution that created a community for students who otherwise felt left out.
  • One student started a YouTube channel to help other students with academic subjects he was very familiar with and began tutoring others.
  • Some students used their extra time that was the result of the stay-at-home orders to take online courses pursuing topics they are genuinely interested in or developing new interests, like a foreign language or music.

Experiences like this can be good topics for the CommonApp essay as long as they reflect something genuinely important about the student. For many students whose lives have been shaped by this pandemic, it can be a critical part of their college application.

Want more? Read 6 ways to improve a college essay , What the &%$! should I write about in my college essay , and Just how important is a college admissions essay? .

Homes Nearby

Homes for rent and sale near schools

Why the worry about Critical Race Theory in schools?

How our schools are (and aren't) addressing race

Homework-in-America

The truth about homework in America

College essay

What should I write my college essay about?

What the #%@!& should I write about in my college essay?

GreatSchools Logo

Yes! Sign me up for updates relevant to my child's grade.

Please enter a valid email address

Thank you for signing up!

Server Issue: Please try again later. Sorry for the inconvenience

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

  • Publications
  • Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

  • Advanced Search
  • Journal List
  • Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection

Logo of pheelsevier

Examining persuasive message type to encourage staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and social lockdown: A randomized controlled study in Japan

  • • We examined persuasive message types in terms of a narrator encouraging self-restraint.
  • • Messages from a governor, an expert, a physician, a patient, and a resident were compared.
  • • The message from a physician increased intention to stay at home the most.
  • • The physician’s message conveyed the crisis of collapse of the medical system.

Behavioral change is the only prevention against the COVID-19 pandemic until vaccines become available. This is the first study to examine the most persuasive message type in terms of narrator difference in encouraging people to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and social lockdown.

Participants (n = 1,980) were randomly assigned to five intervention messages (from a governor, a public health expert, a physician, a patient, and a resident of an outbreak area) and a control message. Intention to stay at home before and after reading messages was assessed. A one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s or Games–Howell test was conducted.

Compared with other messages, the message from a physician significantly increased participants’ intention to stay at home in areas with high numbers of people infected (versus a governor, p  = .002; an expert, p  = .023; a resident, p  = .004).

The message from a physician―which conveyed the crisis of overwhelmed hospitals and consequent risk of people being unable to receive treatment―increased the intent to stay at home the most.

Practice implications

Health professionals and media operatives may be able to encourage people to stay at home by disseminating the physicians’ messages through media and the internet.

1. Introduction

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as the largest global pandemic ever experienced [ 1 ]. Experts have proposed that social lockdown will lead to improvements such as controlling the increase in the number of infected individuals and preventing a huge burden on the healthcare system [ [2] , [3] , [4] ]. Governments of many countries across the world have declared local and national social lockdown [ 4 , 5 ]. In April 2020, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency, which allows prefectural governors to request residents to refrain from unnecessary and nonurgent outings from home [ 6 ]. However, despite such governor declarations, people in various countries have resisted and disregarded calls to stay at home [ [7] , [8] , [9] ]. Because social lockdown is the only existing weapon for prevention of the pandemic until vaccines becomes available to treat COVID-19, behavioral change in individuals regarding staying at home is crucial [ 3 , 4 ]. Many news articles about COVID-19 are published daily by the mass media and over the internet. Such articles convey messages from governors, public health experts, physicians, COVID-19 patients, and residents of outbreak areas, encouraging people to stay at home. This is the first study to examine which narrator’s message is most persuasive in encouraging people to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic and social lockdown.

2.1. Participants and design

Participants were recruited from people registered in a survey company database in Japan. The eligibility criterion was men and women aged 18–69 years. Exclusion criteria were individuals who answered screening questions by stating: that they cannot go out because of illness or disability; that they have been diagnosed with a mental illness; or/and that they or their family members have been infected with COVID-19. A total of 1,980 participants completed the survey from May 9–11, 2020, when the state of emergency covered all prefectures in Japan. Participants were included according to the population composition ratio in Japan nationwide by gender, age, and residential area. Participants were randomly assigned either to a group that received an intervention message (i.e., from a governor, a public health expert, a physician, a patient, and a resident of the outbreak area) or to one that received a control message. The study was registered as a University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (number: UMIN000040286) on May 1, 2020. The methods of the present study adhered to CONSORT guidelines. The protocol was approved by the ethical review committee at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo (number: 2020032NI). All participants gave written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

2.2. Intervention and control messages

We searched news articles about COVID-19 using Yahoo! JAPAN News ( https://news.yahoo.co.jp ), the largest Japanese news portal site. We also searched videos posted by residents of outbreak areas such as New York using YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/user/YouTubeJapan ). By referring to these articles and videos, we created five intervention messages from a governor, a public health expert, a physician, a patient, and a resident of an outbreak area. The content of each message encouraged readers to stay at home. We included threat and coping messages in each intervention message based on protection motivation theory (PMT) [ 10 , 11 ]. Appendix A shows the five intervention messages used in this study, translated into English for this report. For a control message we obtained textual information about bruxism from the website of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ( https://www.e-healthnet.mhlw.go.jp/ ).

2.3. Measures

The primary outcome was intention to stay at home. The secondary outcomes were PMT constructs (i.e., perceived severity, vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy). Participants responded to two or three questions for each measure (see Appendix B ). These measures were adapted and modified from previous studies [ [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] ]. All primary and secondary outcomes were measured before and after the participants read intervention or control messages, and mean scores were calculated. Higher scores indicated greater intention and perception. All participants were asked for their sociodemographic information before they read intervention or control messages.

2.4. Sample size

Based on the effect size in a previous randomized controlled study [ 16 ], we estimated a small effect size (Cohen’s d  = .20) in the current study. We conducted a power analysis at an alpha error rate of .05 (two-tailed) and a beta error rate of .20. The power analysis indicated that 330 participants were required in each of the intervention and control groups.

2.5. Statistical analysis

A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted with the absolute change in mean values for each measure before and after intervention as the dependent variable and the group assignment as the independent variable. For multiple comparisons, Tukey’s test was conducted on significant main effects where appropriate. The Games–Howell test was performed when the assumption of homogeneity of variances was not satisfied. Additionally, we conducted subgroup analyses including only participants who lived in 13 “specified warning prefectures,” where the number of infected individuals showed a marked increase [ 17 ]. A p value of <.05 was considered significant in all statistical tests. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA).

Table 1 shows the participants’ characteristics. Table 2 , Table 3 present a comparison among the five intervention groups using one-way ANOVA and multiple comparisons when including all prefectures and only participants who lived in the specified warning prefectures, respectively. More significant differences between intervention messages were found in the specified warning prefectures compared with all prefectures. In Table 3 , the Games–Howell test indicates that the message from a physician increased participants’ intention to stay at home significantly more than other narrators’ messages (versus a governor, p  = .002; an expert, p  = .023; a resident, p  = .004). Multiple comparisons demonstrated that the message from a physician increased participants’ perceived severity (versus a governor, p  = .015), response efficacy (versus a resident, p  = .014), and self-efficacy (versus a governor, p  = .022; a patient, p  = .009) significantly more than other narrators’ messages.

Participants’ sociodemographic information.

Comparison of amount of change before and after intervention among groups when including all prefectures (N = 1,980).

Comparison of amount of change before and after intervention among groups when including only the “specified warning prefectures” (N = 1,274).

4. Discussion and conclusion

4.1. discussion.

As Appendix A shows, the message from a physician specifically communicated the critical situation of hospitals being overwhelmed and the consequent risk of people being unable to receive treatment. Depiction of the crisis of overwhelmed hospitals may have evoked heightened sensation that elicited sensory, affective, and arousal responses in recipients. Social lockdown presumably evoked psychological reactance in many individuals [ 18 ]. Psychological reactance is considered one of the factors that impedes individuals’ staying at home during a pandemic [ 18 ]. Studies of psychological reactance have indicated that heightened sensation is the feature of a message that reduces psychological reactance [ 19 , 20 ]. Additionally, in Japan recommendations by physicians have a strong influence on individuals’ decision making owing to the remnants of paternalism in the patient–physician relationship [ 21 ]. These may constitute the reasons for the message from a physician generating the greatest impact on recipients’ protection motivation.

Public health professionals, governors, media professionals, and other influencers should use messages from physicians and disseminate relevant articles through the media and social networking services to encourage people to stay at home. It is important that health professionals and media have a network and collaborate with one another [ 22 ]. To build relationships and provide reliable resources, health professionals are expected to hold press conferences and study meetings with journalists. Through such networking, journalists can acquire accurate information in dealing with the pandemic, such as using messages from physicians to encourage people to stay at home. Consequently, journalists should disseminate such messages. It is also important that governments, municipalities, medical associations, and other public institutions convey messages from physicians and that the media effectively spread those messages. Owing to the advances of Web 2.0 [ 23 ], health professionals’ grassroots communication with journalists and citizens via social media may provide opportunities for many people to access persuasive messages from physicians.

4.1.1. Limitations

First, the content of the intervention messages in this study may not represent voices of all governors, public health experts, physicians, patients, and residents of outbreak areas. Second, it is not clear from this study which sentences in the intervention message made the most impact on recipients and why. Third, this study assessed intention rather than actual behavior. Finally, it is unclear as to what extent the present findings are generalizable to populations other than the Japanese participants in this study.

4.2. Conclusion

In areas with high numbers of infected people, the message from a physician, which conveyed the crisis of hospitals being overwhelmed and the consequent risk of people being unable to receive treatment, increased the intention to stay at home to a greater extent than other messages from a governor, a public health expert, a patient with COVID-19, and a resident of an outbreak area.

4.3. Practice implications

Governors, health professionals, and media professionals may be able to encourage people to stay at home by disseminating the physicians’ messages through media such as television and newspapers as well as social networking services on the internet.

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (grant number 19K10615).

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Tsuyoshi Okuhara: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing - original draft, Funding acquisition. Hiroko Okada: Methodology, Investigation, Writing - review & editing. Takahiro Kiuchi: Supervision, Writing - review & editing.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement

We thank Hugh McGonigle, from Edanz Group ( https://en-author-services.edanzgroup.com/ac ), for editing a draft of the manuscript.

Appendix A. 

Intervention: the message from a governor.

The following is a message from the governor of your local area.

Please avoid leaving your house as much as possible.

Staying at home can save lives and prevent the spread of infection.

Intervention: The message from an expert

The following is a message from an infectious disease control expert.

Intervention: The message from a physician

The following is a message from an emergency medical care doctor.

Intervention: The message from a patient

The following is a message from a patient who is infected with the novel coronavirus.

Intervention: The message from a resident

The following is a message from an individual who lives in an area where an outbreak of novel coronavirus has occurred.

A control message

According to the traditional definition, grinding one’s teeth is when somebody makes a sound by strongly grinding the teeth together, usually unconsciously or while asleep. Nowadays, it is often referred to as ‘teeth grinding,’ a term which also covers various actions that we do while awake.

Whether you are sleeping or awake, the non-functional biting habit of grinding one’s teeth dynamically or statically, or clenching one’s teeth, can also be referred to as bruxism (sleep bruxism if it occurs at night). Bruxism can be categorized into the movements of: sliding the upper and lower teeth together like mortar and pestle (grinding); firmly and statically engaging the upper and lower teeth (clenching); and dynamically bringing the upper and lower teeth together with a tap (tapping).

Bruxism is difficult to diagnose, as it often has no noticeable symptoms. Stress and dentition are thought to be causes of bruxism, but it is currently unclear and future research is anticipated.

Splint therapy, which involves the use of a mouthpiece as an artificial plastic covering on one’s teeth, and cognitive behavioral therapy are being researched as treatments for bruxism.

Appendix B. 

All questions above were on a scale of 1–6, ranging from “extremely unlikely” to “unlikely,” “a little unlikely,” “a little likely,” “likely,” and “extremely likely.”

  • Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing

Recent Student Opinion and Picture Prompts, categorized by topic, to help students discover the issues that matter to them.

argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

By The Learning Network

Update: This list is available as a PDF .

If you’ve taught argument writing with our resources in the past, you already know we ask a fresh question every day as part of our long-running Student Opinion series . Teenagers around the world are invited to visit and post their thoughts on topics including politics, medical ethics, fashion, sports and entertainment.

We’ve rounded up lists of these prompts in the past, but this year we’re doing something new: Below you can find a categorized collection of all our recent, relevant Student Opinion questions, but alongside them we’re also including related Picture Prompts. These short, image-based forums are accessible to learners of all ages, but still provide engaging jumping-off points to help students make and support claims.

For instance, let’s say your class is interested in meme culture. A Student Opinion question asks, “ Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? ” and invites students to read and weigh in on a New York Times article that examines the role of memes in how teenagers process world events. Over 700 students have already submitted their thoughts .

But if you scan the “Technology and Social Media” category below, you’ll see we also have a Picture Prompt that asks a more direct, concrete question: “ What are your favorite memes? ” For many, that may be a fun, comfortable place to start.

So give your students both “voice and choice” by inviting them to find the questions and format that speak to them. All the prompts below are still open for comment. We look forward to seeing which ones inspire the most passionate arguments, and we invite your class to submit the results to our Eighth Annual Editorial Contest .

Argumentative Prompt Topics

Technology & social media, coronavirus, college & career, mental & physical health, race & gender, parenting & childhood, ethics & morality, government & politics, other questions.

Article-Based Prompts

1. How Worried Should We Be About Screen Time During the Pandemic? 2. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 3. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 4. Does Online Public Shaming Prevent Us From Being Able to Grow and Change? 5. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 6. Where Should We Draw the Line Between Community Health and Safety and Individual Liberty and Privacy? 7. Do You Think Online Conspiracy Theories Can Be Dangerous? 8. What Do You Think of the Decision by Tech Companies to Block President Trump? 9. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? 10. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 11. Do You Trust Facebook? 12. Do You Think Recreational Drones Are Safe? 13. Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers? 14. Does Grammar Still Matter in the Age of Twitter? 15. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 16. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating?

Image-Based Prompts

17. Online Video Games : Does more need to be done to make online gaming communities safer? 18. A Computer in Everything : Do “smart” devices worry you? 19. Snail Mail : Do you think handwritten cards and letters still have value in the digital age? 20. Cyberbullying : Should social media companies do more to prevent online harassment? 21. Phone Manners : Are there times when you think using your phone while you’re with other people is rude? 22. Alarm Clocks : Are there any “dumb” devices that you think are better than “smart” devices? 23. Phone Warnings : Should tech devices come with addiction advisories? 24. Phones in Church : Are there some places where phones just don’t belong? 25. Driverless Cars : What do you think about driverless cars? 26. Texting While Walking : Should looking at your phone while crossing the street be illegal? 27. Device Addiction? : As a society, are we too addicted to our devices? 28. ‘A Man Needs His Nuggs’ : What do you think of Carter Wilkerson’s quest, and its results? 29. Soothing Video Games : Can video games intended to calm the mind be fun? Worthwhile? 30. Our Lives on Social Media : How much do you think we can judge our collective happiness by what is posted on social media? 31. ‘Bracelet of Silence’ : Would you wear privacy armor? 32. Baby Yoda : What are your favorite memes? 33. Tesla’s ‘Cybertruck’ : What do you think of this “pickup of the future”? 34. The ‘Bird Box’ Challenge : What do you think of social media challenges like this one?

35. Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 36. Should Schools Be Able to Discipline Students for What They Say on Social Media? 37. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 38. Should Schools Provide Free Pads and Tampons? 39. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 40. When the Pandemic Ends, Will School Change Forever? 41. Should Schools Change How They Grade Students During the Pandemic? 42. Should Students Be Monitored When Taking Online Tests? 43. Should There Still Be Snow Days? 44. How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom? 45. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 46. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 47. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 48. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 49. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 50. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 51. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 52. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 53. Should Your School Day Start Later? 54. Should Yearbooks Include Political News? 55. How Should Senior Year in High School Be Spent? 56. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns? 57. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 58. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money? 59. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea? 60. Should Gifted and Talented Education Be Eliminated? 61. What Are the Most Important Things Students Should Learn in School? 62. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers? 63. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 64. Should Teachers and Professors Ban Student Use of Laptops in Class? 65. Should Schools Teach About Climate Change? 66. Should All Schools Offer Music Programs? 67. Does Your School Need More Money? 68. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 69. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 70. Do Kids Need Recess? 71. Should Public Preschool Be a Right for All Children?

72. Graduation in a Pandemic : Is your school doing enough to honor seniors? 73. Most Challenged Books : Are there books that don’t belong in schools or public libraries? 74. Mascot : If you could choose one mascot to represent your school, what would it be? 75. Math : How do you feel about math? 76. Sleep Deprivation : Do you think school should start later for teenagers? 77. Standardized Tests : Is there too much testing at your school? Why or why not? 78. Teacher Walkouts : Do you think teachers should be paid more? Why or why not? 79. Mermaid School : If there could be a special school that would teach you something you really want to learn, what would that school be?

Article-Based Prompts 80. What Weaknesses and Strengths About Our World Are Being Exposed by This Pandemic? 81. As Coronavirus Cases Surge, How Should Leaders Decide What Stays Open and What Closes? 82. How Should We Balance Safety and Urgency in Developing a Covid-19 Vaccine? 83. Do You Want Your Parents and Grandparents to Get the New Coronavirus Vaccine? 84. Do You Think People Have Gotten Too Relaxed About Covid? 85. How Do You Feel About Mask-Slipping?

86. Surge : How should the United States keep the coronavirus pandemic at bay? 87. Masks : What “civic rules” do you think we should all follow now? 88. Paid to Laugh : Would you attend a live TV show taping — if you got money for it? 89. Dolly’s Donation : How do you feel about celebrity philanthropy? 90. Crowds and Covid : How do you feel about crowds during the pandemic? 91. Going Nowhere Fast : Would you take a flight to nowhere?

92. Should Students Be Required to Take the SAT and ACT to Apply to College? 93. Should National Service Be Required for All Young Americans? 94. What Is Your Reaction to the College Admissions Cheating Scandal? 95. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 96. Should Everyone Go to College? 97. Should College Be Free? 98. Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous? 99. Should ‘Despised Dissenters’ Be Allowed to Speak on College Campuses? 100. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed? 101. Should Fraternities Be Abolished? 102. Is Student Debt Worth It? 103. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 104. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market?

105. Jack-of-All-Trades : Is it better to focus on one thing early in life and get really good at it?

106. Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School? 107. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 108. Does Every Country Need a ‘Loneliness Minister’? 109. Should Schools Teach Mindfulness? 110. Should All Children Be Vaccinated? 111. What Do You Think About Vegetarianism? 112. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs? 113. What Advice Should Parents and Counselors Give Teenagers About Sexting? 114. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam? 115. Do You Believe in Manifesting?

116. Optimism : Is your glass half-empty or half-full? 117. Cursing : Is it ever OK, useful or even healthy to curse? Or is it always inappropriate? 118. Anger Rooms : Do you think places like this are a good idea?

119. What Is Your Reaction to the Days of Protest That Followed the Death of George Floyd? 120. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 121. Is America ‘Backsliding’ on Race? 122. Should All Americans Receive Anti-Bias Education? 123. Should All Companies Require Anti-Bias Training for Employees? 124. Should Columbus Day Be Replaced With Indigenous Peoples Day? 125. Is Fear of ‘The Other’ Poisoning Public Life? 126. Justice Ginsburg Fought for Gender Equality. How Close Are We to Achieving That Goal? 127. What Should #MeToo Mean for Teenage Boys? 128. Should There Be More Boy Dolls? 129. Should the Boy Scouts Be Coed? 130. What Is Hard About Being a Boy?

131. Fashion-Show Diversity : What other industries or aspects of life need more diversity? 132. A Town’s New Seal : Why do you think Whitesboro, N.Y., decided to change its seal? 133. Gender Expectations : Do you ever find gender expectations or norms confining? 134. Women’s History Month : What does this holiday mean to you? 135. Boys and Men : What does it mean to “be a man”? 136. Women in Movies : Should some movies dominated by male actors be remade with largely female casts? 137. Unisex Clothing : Should clothing labeling be unisex? 138. Feminism : Do you consider yourself a feminist? 139. Gender and ‘Genderless’ : Do you think that gender is binary?

140. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 141. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 142. How Do You Feel About Censored Music? 143. What Role Should Celebrities Have During the Coronavirus Crisis? 144. Can You Separate Art From the Artist? 145. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular? 146. Should Art Come With Trigger Warnings? 147. Should Graffiti Be Protected? 148. Is the Digital Era Improving or Ruining the Experience of Art? 149. Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age? 150. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 151. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse? 152. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 153. Do We Need More Female Superheroes? 154. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 155. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 156. Is Listening to a Book Just as Good as Reading It? 157. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate?

158. Hologram Musicians : Which departed artists would you like to see perform live? 159. Movie Theaters : In the age of digital streaming, are movie theaters still relevant? 160. ‘The Image of the Revolution’ : What is it about this photograph that makes it so powerful? 161. Book Covers : What are your favorite book covers? Why? 162. Fashion Trends : What are your favorite fashion trends? What trends do you hate? 163. Fashion Comebacks : What trends from the past would you like to see revived? 164. Murals : Can art be an act of resistance? 165. An 18-Karat Throne : Is this art? 166. A Hug Seen Around the World : Why do you think this image became so popular so quickly? 167. The Role of Public Broadcasting : Do you think programs like “Sesame Street” make the U.S. smarter, stronger and safer? 168. Best Books? : What have you read and loved this year?

169. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League? 170. Should College Athletes Be Paid? 171. Are Youth Sports Too Competitive? 172. Is It Selfish to Pursue Risky Sports Like Extreme Mountain Climbing? 173. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 174. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited? 175. Should Blowouts Be Allowed in Youth Sports? 176. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense? 177. Does Better Sports Equipment Unfairly Improve Athletic Ability? 178. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures?

179. Brady’s Big Move : How do you feel about Tom Brady leaving the Patriots? 180. Tiger Woods Wins : What are the greatest comebacks in history? 181. Referees : Do sports officials deserve more respect? 182. $430 Million Deal : Is any athlete worth that amount of money? 183. Super Bowl Commercials : Was it smart for advertisers to steer clear of controversy in 2019? 184. Champions : What team in any sport would you like to see win a championship? 185. The Outspoken N.B.A. : Should all sports leagues treat political speech as a right for their players? 186. Gymnastics on Horseback : What is the world’s most difficult sport? 187. Tackle Football : Should children under the age of 12 play tackle football, in your opinion? 188. Breakdancing : Should dance be an Olympic event? 189. Coed Sports : Do you think women and men should compete against each other in sports? 190. Super Bowl Halftime Performer : Whom would you choose to perform at the Super Bowl, and why? 191. Colin Kaepernick’s Protest : What do you think of this protest?

192. Should Parents Track Their Children? 193. Who Should Decide Whether a Teenager Can Get a Tattoo or Piercing? 194. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 195. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 196. How Should Parents Talk to Their Children About Drugs? 197. What Should We Call Your Generation? 198. Do Parents Ever Cross a Line by Helping Too Much With Schoolwork? 199. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 200. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Snowplow Parents’? 201. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 202. When Do You Become an Adult?

203. Household Chores : Do you think children should help out around the house? 204. Spy Cams : Should parents use smart devices to keep tabs on their children when they’re home alone? 205. Adults With Rainbow Hair : Are there some trends adults just should not try? 206. Parenting Skills : Should parents say “no” more often when their children ask for new things?

207. Should Students Be Monitored When Taking Online Tests? 208. What Makes a Great Leader? 209. Is It OK to Laugh During Dark Times? 210. Is It Immoral to Increase the Price of Goods During a Crisis? 211. Would You Allow an Ex-Prisoner to Live With You? 212. Would You Return a Lost Wallet? (What if It Had Lots of Money in It?) 213. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering? 214. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 215. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets? 216. Is This Exhibit Animal Cruelty or Art? 217. Should Extinct Animals Be Resurrected? If So, Which Ones? 218. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 219. Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans? 220. Should Reporters Ever Help the People They Are Covering? 221. Is It OK to Use Family Connections to Get a Job? 222. Is $1 Billion Too Much Money for Any One Person to Have? 223. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News? 224. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities? 225. Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Use DNA Data From Genealogy Websites for Criminal Investigations? 226. Should We Treat Robots Like People?

227. World’s Big Sleep Out : What lengths would you go to in support of a worthy cause? 228. Tipping : Do you leave a tip whenever you’re asked to? 229. Cash Reward : Should you accept a cash reward for doing the right thing? 230. Cheating : Would you tell if you caught your classmates cheating? 231. Do Not Resuscitate : Should doctors have tried to revive this man? 232. Hitler and History : Should the bunker where Hitler killed himself be a tourist attraction? 233. Solving Global Problems : As the head of a global foundation, what problem would you solve?

234. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 235. If You Were a Member of Congress, Would You Vote to Impeach President Trump? 236. Who Do You Think Should Be Person of the Year for 2020? 237. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 238. What Would You Do First if You Were the New President? 239. Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote? 240. How Should We Remember the Problematic Actions of the Nation’s Founders? 241. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 242. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 243. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped? 244. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 245. Should We All Be Able to Vote by Mail? 246. What Issues in the 2020 Presidential Race Are Most Important to You? 247. Do You Think the American Dream Is Real? 248. Should Plastic Bags Be Banned Everywhere? 249. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 250. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism? 251. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 252. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence? 253. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place? 254. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment? 255. Should National Monuments Be Protected by the Government? 256. Should Free Speech Protections Include Self Expression That Discriminates? 257. How Important Is Freedom of the Press? 258. Should Ex-Felons Have the Right to Vote? 259. Should Marijuana Be Legal? 260. Should the United States Abolish Daylight Saving Time? 261. Should the U.S. Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Weapons? 262. Should the U.S. Get Rid of the Electoral College? 263. What Do You Think of President Trump’s Use of Twitter? 264. Should Celebrities Weigh In on Politics? 265. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other? 266. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues?

267. Government Buildings : Should they all look like the Lincoln Memorial? 268. Oprah for President : Would you vote for her if you could? 269. Peaceful Protesting : In what ways can you demonstrate peacefully to express your views? 270. Student Climate Strikes : What issues do you think deserve more attention? 271. Pennies : Should the United States get rid of the penny? 272. Mandatory Voting? : Should citizens who are 18 or older be required to vote? 273. Dabbing in Congress : Should this teenager have dabbed in his father’s official swearing-in photo? 274. Baby Bonds : Should the government give money to babies?

275. We Document Life’s Milestones. How Should We Document Death? 276. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 277. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 278. Should We Rethink Thanksgiving? 279. How Do You Decide What News to Believe, What to Question and What to Dismiss? 280. Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five? 281. Should Public Transit Be Free? 282. How Important Is Knowing a Foreign Language? 283. Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist? 284. Should Your Significant Other Be Your Best Friend? 285. What Do You Think of the #WalkUpNotOut Movement?

286. Teenage Drivers : What do you think of Georgia’s decision to issue driver’s licenses without road tests? 287. Snow Days : How do you feel about winter weather? 288. Fortune Tellers : Do you believe in psychics? 289. Big City, Small Town : Which would you rather live in? Why? 290. Game Show Winner : Would you ever want to be a contestant on a game show? 291. Fast-Food Buffet : Is this the feast of your dreams or your nightmares? 292. Public Libraries : Are libraries still relevant and important today? 293. Trans Fats : Should trans fats be banned around the world? 294. Dolls : If you could have your favorite toy company make a doll of someone, who would it be and why? 295. Creepy Clowns : How do you feel about clowns? 296. Tattoos : How do you feel about tattooing in general? 297. Brushing Beagle : What are the best dog breeds, in your opinion? 298. U.F.O.s : Do you believe that U.F.O.s are signs of alien life? 299. Small Talk : Do you have the gift of gab? 300. Lottery Winnings : Would you want to win the lottery? Why or why not?

  • Homework Help
  • Essay Examples
  • Citation Generator
  • Writing Guides
  • Essay Title Generator
  • Essay Topic Generator
  • Essay Outline Generator
  • Flashcard Generator
  • Plagiarism Checker
  • Paraphrasing Tool
  • Conclusion Generator
  • Thesis Statement Generator
  • Introduction Generator
  • Literature Review Generator
  • Hypothesis Generator
  • Pandemic Essays

Pandemic Essays (Examples)

356+ documents containing “pandemic” .

grid

Filter by Keywords:(add comma between each)

Pandemic flu.

Pandemic Flu Apart from the seasonal influenza epidemics caused by antigenic drifts, a significant change in the virus's virulence through antigenic shifts has been a major source of concern for healthcare professionals. These new strains may reach pandemic proportions. Predicting the next outbreak is an impossible task but historically, the longest period between two outbreaks has been forty one years and it usually occurs every 30-40 years. An outbreak can reach pandemic proportions in as little as 6-month's time, or even lesser. This fast spread can be attributed to globalization and urbanization. Countries, such as Bangladesh or Indonesia, where overcrowding is common, can prove to be a haven for the emergence of new strains, but it may still be irrational to predict where the next pandemic may originate from. Two out of the last four strains originated from Southeast Asia and the most recent outbreak of 2009 was from Mexico. (Tam….

REFERENCES:

Addressing ethical issues in pandemic influenza planning. (2008). World Health Orginazation.

Retrieved from www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/cds_flu_ethics_5...

Balkhy, H., Abolfotouh, M., Hathlool, R., & Jumah, M. (2010). Awareness, attitudes, and practices related to the swine influenza pandemic among the saudi public. Infectious Diseases, 10(42).

Damery, S., Wilson, S., Draper, H., Gratus, C., Greenfield, S., Ives, J., & Parry, J. (2009). Will the nhs continue to function in an influenza pandemic? A survey of healthcare workers in the west midlands, uk. BMC Public Health, 9(142), doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-9-142

Pandemic Flu Impact on Ethics in Nursing Practice

Pandemic Flu Impact on Ethics in Nursing Practice Pandemic flu: A literature review The dire scenario of a pandemic flu is likely to strike fear in the heart of many healthcare workers, regardless of the level of their experience and knowledge. The 2009-2010 flu season brought additional attention to the issue. 208 countries "had confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 and [stated] that over 13,000 people had died as a direct result" (Stroschein 2010). Although the death toll was not as great as feared, issues regarding how to cope with a pandemic and the need for immunization were brought to the forefront of the public consciousness and the concerns of healthcare workers. Fears of a pandemic are not limited to the general public at large. In fact, "one of the ethical issues identified in response to a possible pandemic is healthcare workers' duty to provide care during a communicable disease outbreak. Healthcare….

Goldenberg, S. (2009). The swine flu pandemic. Journal of Continuing Education Topics & Issues, 11(3), 108-111

Manos, J. (2009). Lessons learned from the first wave of the swine flu pandemic. Occupational Health, 61(11), 30-30.

Santibanez, S., Fiore, Anthony E., Merlin, T.L., & Redd, S. (2009). A

primer on strategies for prevention and control of seasonal and pandemic influenza. American Journal of Public Health, 99, S216-24.

Pandemic and Preparedness Act of

In other words, the PAHPA should protect volunteers (that rush to the scene of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina) from lawsuits for their "non-criminal actions" in humanitarian efforts (Hodge, p. 3). Also, Hodge writes that PAHPA does not "…ensure adequate economic incentives to stimulate maximum private sector participation"; in other words, pharmaceutical companies asked to produce vaccines for potential bio-terror attacks, are not guaranteed a return on their investment to produce the vaccines (Hodge, p. 4). hen the U.S. House of Representatives reauthorized PAHPA in 2011, the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) -- a nonprofit advocacy group -- praised the legislation but cautioned that "…the bill freezes public health preparedness funding at the fiscal-year 2011 levels" which, the TFAH asserts, "will not provide sufficient resources to…ensure we are prepared in the event of an emergency" (Roos, 2011). In fact, Jeffrey Levi, the executive director of TFAH, mentioned that cuts in local,….

Works Cited

Hamburg, M. (2008). Penny-wise, pound-foolish? State gaps threaten disaster readiness. State Health Watch / the Newsletter on State Health Care Reform, 15(3), 1-5.

Hodge, James G., Gostin, Lawrence O., and Vernick, Jon S. (2007). The Pandemic and All-

Hazards Preparedness Act. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 297(15),

Pandemic Fears and Contemporary Quarantine

To meet substantive due process, a public health intervention must be based on a public health necessity, an effective intervention, have a demonstrable means-end connection, be proportionate to the threat involved, and be the least restrictive means of accomplishing the goal. In addition, Daubert explains the parameters of the procedural due process. Due process in a quarantine situation does not always involve a judicial hearing, but it must contain the following elements: notice to the affected individual, an opportunity to contest the government's action, access to legal counsel, and a final decision that is subject to review by a court of law. She includes with a discussion of how due process came to be applied in situations of quarantine, by viewing due process as a continuum, with infected individual on one end of the spectrum and the exposed individual on another. She thinks that due process should increase as….

CDC. (2005). Fact sheet on legal authorities for isolation/quarantine. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web site:  http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/factsheetlegal.htm 

Daubert, M. (2007). Comment: Pandemic fears and contemporary quarantine: Protecting liberty through a continuum of due process rights. 54 Buffalo L. Rev 1299.

Healthcare Pandemic and All Hazards

PAHPA gives federal officials important judgment to gather and share personal health information without sufficient privacy safeguards. PAHPA does not substantively address privacy worries. The HIPAA Privacy ule prohibits public health data collections from its protections. Other privacy laws supply a patchwork of protections for national public health data (Hodge, 2007). National organization of interstate volunteer health professionals throughout emergencies assumes that the legal environment supports their deployment. Competent, registered health care professionals who volunteer to assist for humanitarian purposes deserve protection from liability. "During Hurricane Katrina, thousands of interstate and intrastate volunteer health personnel faced potential legal liability or other risks for their actions depending on the nature of their deployment, their existing employment, and varying laws. Whether real or perceived, the specter of liability hindered the deployment or minimized the utility of skilled volunteers" (Hodge, Gostin & Vernick, 2007). PAHPA promises new initiatives for the rapid development of biological….

Hodge, J.G. (2007). Legal Forces in Public Health Surveillance. Retrieved from  http://www.law.asu.edu/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Q9DhovDU3uE%3D&tabid=1497 

Hodge, J.G., Gostin, L.O. & Vernick, J.S. (2007). The Pandemic and All-Hazards

Preparedness Act: Improving Public Health Emergency Response. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 297(15), p. 1708-1711.

HIV AIDS Pandemic Outbreak and Discussion

HIV/AIDS Pandemic: A Look Back in Time In modern times, one could easily argue that the HIV/AIDS pandemic was the single most destructive widespread illness to sweep the globe. In summary, the death toll from HIV/AIDS has reached a total of 36 million people. At this time there are around 31-35 million individuals who have been diagnosed with HIV: the bulk of these people reside in Sub-Saharan Africa, a place where around 5% of the total number of people are infected (mphonline.org). While an HIV diagnosis is not the death sentence that it was decades ago, there is still a need for more research and developments in preventing and treating the condition. Looking backwards to the past can be tremendously beneficial in understanding the journey the disease has taken, starting with the first outbreak. The disease was very pinpointed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. The outbreak as it….

Potential Bird Flu Pandemic

Marketing Protection from a Potential Bird Flu Pandemic A popular saying is that it 'is an ill wind that blows nobody good.' This means that even something as dire as the looking threat of a bird flu pandemic has the ability to increase demand for manufactures of a vaccine -- or in this case, a facemask that when used in combination with duct tape provides limited protection against catching the dreaded bird flu. The threat if a bird flue pandemic cannot be minimized. It is not simply paranoid individuals who fear the flu -- news sources such as CNN and the BBC warn of an outbreak. "Bird flu has swept through poultry and wild birds in Asia since 2003. It has killed huge numbers of birds and led to more than 60 human deaths," reported the BBC. ("Bird Flu Could Kill 150 Million People," 2005) The flu is very easily spread where….

"Avian influenza in humans." (2005) Center for Disease Control (CDC) CDC Website. Retrieved 27 Oct 2005 at  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/avian-flu-humans.htm 

"Bird Flu Could Kill 150 Million People." (30 Sept 2005) BBC. Retrieved 27 Oct 2005 at  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4292426.stm  'Bird flu pandemic risk 'very high' (14 Oct 2005) CNN.com. Health. Retrieved 27 Oct 2005

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/10/10/birdflu.warning.ap/

"Romanian Villages Tackle Bird Flu." (16 Oct 2005) BBC. Retrieved 27 Oct 2005 at  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4347860.stm  'Stage May be set for Bird Flu Pandemic, Says Infectious Diseases Expert." (4 Feb 2004) University of Buffalo." Newswise. Retrieved 27 Oct 2005 at  http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/503078/

Preventing an Influenza Pandemic

Introduction While public health emergencies crop up from time to time, it is critical that public health stakeholders be prepared to address emergency situations whenever they occur. The spread of influenza is one such public health emergency that stakeholders should be ready to address. Addressing these situations requires a number of steps to be taken: communication must be instrumental in conveying the urgency of the situation among medical personnel, researchers, governmental authorities, and so on, so that everyone is abreast of the situation and on the same page. An agreed upon method of response should also be established, so that the necessary actions can be implemented without hesitation or time lost because of unpreparedness. Preventing the spread of disease is the top concern in a public health emergency. Prevention requires using all the means at one’s disposal—from the media (through which alerts can be given and calm, orderly instructions can be passed….

sociological understanding of covid 19 pandemic

COVID-The covid-19 pandemic is an effective frame for understanding persuasion at the societal level. In a pandemic, health officials need to persuade people to adopt certain behaviors, and when they fail to do so, the pandemic becomes impossible to contain. Nations that have been successful at containing the pandemic successfully persuaded their people to adopt specific behaviors Dr. Fauci recently cited European nations, but the same can be said for Canada, Australia and many Asian states as well. The belief stage is where this appears to be falling apart in the United States lack of belief leads to a lack of action, and part of the problem is the communicator, being that there are many, each with different and conflicting messages and many parts of American society have been conditioned to mistrust credible communicators.Group influence plays a significant role in the persuasion stage, and the US populace is….

How the Covid 19 Pandemic has Adversely Affected Low Income Workers

A Review of a Study of Health Disparities in the United StatesArticle AbstractStudy objective:Background: This study analyzed the disproportionate impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on economically disadvantaged populations in the U.S. who were essential workers but unable to remain at home due to income needs [1].Main ideas explored: This main focus of this study was the relationship between income and employment conditions with respect to the use of protective behaviors during the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic.Study design and method: A self-administered survey advertised through a social media campaign collected data from 2,845 employed American adults in April 2020. The authors used a hierarchical generalized linear model approach to identify differences in the use of recommended protective practices based on income and employment status, controlling for the perceived threat of Covid-19 and worker knowledge.Principal conclusions/results: Significantly higher percentages of essential workers experienced income loss and challenges using protective….

[1] Capasso A, Kim S, Ali SH, Jones AM, DiClemente RJ, Tozan Y. Employment conditions as barriers to the adoption of COVID-19 mitigation measures: how the COVID-19 pandemic may be deepening health disparities among low-income earners and essential workers in the United States. BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1):1-13.

[2] Obinna DN. “Essential and undervalued: health disparities of African American women in the COVID-19 era.” Ethnicity & Health. 2021;26(1):68-79.

Nurses to Face the Pandemic

The authors point out that there is a lack of previous studies focussed on health promotion and the effect on preventing DM. The conclusion of the authors is very logical and convincing from the statistics they show. It is important to note that type 2 diabetes (insulin independent diabetes), which is also widely prevalent, is a preventable condition. The authors argue that nursing focus must shift from a sickness service to a health promotion service among the healthy people. Nurses have a strategic role in care delivery and also in increasing the awareness of the disease among the masses. The authors suggest that a patient centred health care delivery system should be established. This approach is appropriate and endorsed by recent studies that show that nurses can improve care delivery for diabetics by promoting a problem-based learning model. [Gale Group] in this approach, patients are encouraged to actively interact….

Bibliography

Katarina Hjelm et.al, 'Preparing Nurses to Face the Pandemic of Diabetes Mellitus; a Literature review', Journal of Advanced Nursing Mar 2003, Vol 41 Issue

Gale Group, 'FEND Conference: Munich 2004; Problem-Based Learning Promotes Self-Care in People with Diabetes', Journal of Diabetes Nursing, Sep 2004

Pandemic Lessons Learnt COVID 19

PAPE 8Paper 3IntroductionTo a large extent, the COVID-19 pandemic could be described as one of the worst pandemics the world has experienced in modern times. In addition to occasioning the death of millions of people, this particular pandemic was especially taxing for healthcare systems across the world. For instance, in the U.S., hospitals had to continue routine medical care roles while at the same time attending to the needs of those diagnosed with COVID-19. What lessons, if any, have we learnt from this complex situation? What steps should we take to ensure that we are better prepared to respond to a future pandemic? These are some of the key issues that will be highlighted in this text.DiscussionFrom the onset, it would be prudent to note that so far, close to 6 million deaths have been directly or indirectly associated with COVID-19. In addition to the said fatalities, the disease has….

ReferencesGriffith, J.R. & White, K.R. (2019). The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization. American College of Health Care. Keeley, C., Jimenez, J., Jackson, H., Boudourakis, L., Salway, R.J., Cineas, N., Villanueva, Y., ...Long, T.G. (2020). Staffing up for the surge: expanding the New York City public hospital workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. ?Health Aff (Millwood), 39(8), 1426-1430.Kluger, D.M., Aizenbud, Y., Jaffe, A., Parisi, F., Aizenbud, L., Minsky-Fenick, E., Kluger, J.M., ... Kluger, Y. (2020). Impact of healthcare worker shift scheduling on workforce preservation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infect Control Hosp. Epidemiol., 20, 113-119. Lim, J., Broughan, J., Crowley, D., O’Kelly, B., Fawsitt, R., Burke, M.C., McCombe, G., ...Cullen, W. (2021). COVID-19’s impact on primary care and related mitigation strategies: A scoping review. EurJ Gen Pract., 27(1), 166-175. Muli, E., Waithanji, R., Kamita, M., Gitau, T., Obonyo, I., Mweni, S., Mutisya, F., ...Makokha, F. (2021). Leveraging technology for health services continuity in times of COVID-19 pandemic: Patient follow-up, and mitigation of worse patient outcomes. J Glob Health, 11, 40-48. Wei, E.K., Long, T. & Katz, M.H. (2021). Nine Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic for Improving Hospital Care and Health Care Delivery. JAMA Intern Med., 181(9), 1161-1163.

American History Influenza Pandemic That

eferences Brownlee, C. "The Bad Fight: Immune Systems Harmed 1918 Flu Patients." Science News, 30 September 2006, 211+. Grist, N.. Pandemic Influenza 1918. 2009. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town. Online. Available from the Internet: http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/mmi/jmoodie/influen2.html, accessed 17 April 2009. Imperato, Pascal James. "America's Forgotten Pandemic. The Influenza of 1918." Journal of Community Health 29, no. 1 (2004): 100+. Irwin, Julia F. "An Epidemic without Enmity: Explaining the Missing Ethnic Tensions in New Haven's 1918 Influenza Epidemic." Urban History eview 36, no. 2 (2008): 5+. Phillips, Howard and David Killingray, eds. The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19: New Perspectives. New York: outledge, 2003. 1. Howard Phillips and David Killingray, eds., The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19: New Perspectives. New York: outledge, 2003, 2. Ibid, 4. Ibid, 5. Ibid, 7. Ibid, 8. C. Brownlee, "The Bad Fight: Immune Systems Harmed 1918 Flu Patients," Science News, 30 September 2006. N.. Grist. Pandemic Influenza 1918. 2009. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape….

Brownlee, C. "The Bad Fight: Immune Systems Harmed 1918 Flu Patients." Science News, 30 September 2006, 211+.

Grist, N.R. Pandemic Influenza 1918. 2009. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town. Online. Available from the Internet: http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/mmi/jmoodie/influen2.html, accessed 17 April 2009.

Imperato, Pascal James. "America's Forgotten Pandemic. The Influenza of 1918." Journal of Community Health 29, no. 1 (2004): 100+.

Irwin, Julia F. "An Epidemic without Enmity: Explaining the Missing Ethnic Tensions in New Haven's 1918 Influenza Epidemic." Urban History Review 36, no. 2 (2008): 5+.

Government Stimulus Response to Pandemic

The Financial Markets and the CoronavirusIntroductionThe Coronavirus is a pandemic that has swept the globe, causing widespread panic and financial instability. The virus originated in China and quickly spread to other countries, resulting in a significant death toll. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients and governments have implemented strict measures to contain the virus. The pandemic has also caused severe damage to the global economy, with stock markets plunging and businesses shutting down. Markets recovered and soared to new highs, however, as central banks around the world intervened with trillions in new liquidity. Now, interest rates are rising to combat soaring inflation, and the situation is still very much evolving. It remains to be seen how the world and financial markets will recover from this crisis.Impact on the Economy & Stock MarketThe Coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on the economy and stock market. The S&P 500 index, which….

ReferencesBLS. (2022). Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. Retrieved from  https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 Baer, J. (2020). The Day Coronavirus Nearly Broke the Financial Markets. Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-day-coronavirus-nearly-broke-the-financial-markets-11589982288?mod=hp_lead_pos5 Davidson, K. & Timiraos, N. (2020). Small business lending program? Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-preparing-to-purchase-new-small-business-payroll-loans-11586194588?mod=hp_lead_pos4 Deloitte. (2020). CARES Act Still Scattering Seeds of Recovery. Retrieved from  https://deloitte.wsj.com/articles/cares-act-still-scattering-seeds-of-recovery-01588705325 Dougherty, D. & Morath, E. (2020). Pandemic Reshapes U.S. Employment, Speeding Changes Across Industries. Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/pandemic-reshapes-u-s-employment-speeding-changes-across-industries-11609243204 Hoffman, L. (2020). Diary of a crazy week in the markets. Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/diary-of-a-crazy-week-in-the-markets-11584143715?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1 Langley, K. et al. (2020). Stocks Rise Sharply in Volatile Trading. Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-futures-rise-as-asia-markets-gyrate-11584413763 Osipovich, A. et al. (2020). Dow Soars More Than 11% In Biggest One-Day Jump Since 1933. Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stock-markets-dow-update-3-24-2020-11585012632?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=3 Sider, A. & Davidson, K. (2020). Airlines and Treasury Agree on Coronavirus Aid? Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/treasury-airlines-reach-agreement-on-aid-11586898079?mod=hp_lead_pos4 St. Louis Federal Reserve. (2022). GDP. Retrieved from  https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDP Torry, H. (2020a). U.S. Economy Shrank at 4.8% Pace in First Quarter. Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/first-quarter-gdp-us-growth-coronavirus-11588123665?mod=article_inline Torry, H. (2020b). U.S. Economy Contracted at Record Rate Last Quarter; Jobless Claims Rise to 1.43 Million. Retrieved from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-economy-gdp-report-second-quarter-coronavirus-11596061406 Yahoo! Finance. (2022). S&P 500. Retrieved from  https://finance.yahoo.com/chart/%5EGSPC

Anti-Asian American Sentiment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

From the onset, it would be prudent to point out that Asians, as Croucher, Nguyen, and Rahmani point out, happen to be America’s fastest growing population. However, the said population also happens to be one of the populations most susceptible to discrimination. This is a fact that has clearly revealed itself during the COVID-19 pandemic where there have been reports of increased discrimination against Asian Americans. This text will largely concern itself with anti-Asian American sentiment during the present pandemic. In so doing, it will not only track the nature of the said discrimination, but also chart its consequences. It will also highlight some of the solutions that have been suggested in an attempt to reign in the said discrimination. The present discussion also demonstrates that the pandemic appears to be just but an excuse to continue a well-established trend of discrimination against Asian Americans. As Strochlic points out, from the….

Can you help with a five paragraph essay outline on online education?

There are many different topics to select when writing about online education .  You can approach the essay from the point-of-view of an educator or of a student, and you can also look at it by grade level for K-12 students, for classes for undergraduate and graduate students. You can focus on the challenges that people face as remote learners or the benefits of remote learning.  Many people who are looking at online education today also look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote learning/ online education and how different school districts and educational institutions have....

Can you help me with my stress concept analysis?

While stress is a commonly used term, it is a poorly defined term that can refer to a wide scope of things, depending on the context.  Generally speaking, stress refers to the person’s response to some sort of aversive stimuli or stressor, though stress can also be used to refer to the stimuli that causes the stress.  The perception of stress appears to be related to whether a person finds a particular stimulus to be overwhelming. Therefore, a stress concept analysis can have different meanings and is personalized for each person experiencing a particular stressor.  Generally, we....

Can you help me with essay topics related to public health and physical activity?

Physical activity plays such an important role in public health . It is especially important when a society has become sedentary, which applies to many of the industrialized societies around the globe.  It is not surprise, then, that public health efforts often focus on increasing daily movement as a way to help improve community health .

Possible research topics include:

  • The relationship between green spaces like parks and walking trails with community levels of physical activity.
  • The relationship between afterschool sports programs and physical activity for youth, and whether that relationship remains as people transition from youth into adulthood.

I need help with essay topics on infection control

Infection control specifically refers to stopping the spread of disease in healthcare settings and during health care procedures, such as surgeries .  It is a catchall phrase that refers to a wide variety of behaviors or practices that can result in the elimination or reduction of disease transmission in these settings.  We are happy to provide you with some suggested topics and titles for an essay about infection control.

Essay Topics

Best hygiene practices for pre-surgical prep of skin to prevent surgical-site infections

Does the routine use of masks in non-surgical medical examinations and routines reduce infectious disease transmission....

image

Research Paper

Pandemic Flu Apart from the seasonal influenza epidemics caused by antigenic drifts, a significant change in the virus's virulence through antigenic shifts has been a major source of concern for…

Literature Review Chapter

Pandemic Flu Impact on Ethics in Nursing Practice Pandemic flu: A literature review The dire scenario of a pandemic flu is likely to strike fear in the heart of many healthcare…

In other words, the PAHPA should protect volunteers (that rush to the scene of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina) from lawsuits for their "non-criminal actions" in humanitarian efforts…

Research Proposal

To meet substantive due process, a public health intervention must be based on a public health necessity, an effective intervention, have a demonstrable means-end connection, be proportionate to…

PAHPA gives federal officials important judgment to gather and share personal health information without sufficient privacy safeguards. PAHPA does not substantively address privacy worries. The HIPAA Privacy ule…

HIV/AIDS Pandemic: A Look Back in Time In modern times, one could easily argue that the HIV/AIDS pandemic was the single most destructive widespread illness to sweep the globe. In…

Marketing Protection from a Potential Bird Flu Pandemic A popular saying is that it 'is an ill wind that blows nobody good.' This means that even something as dire as…

Introduction While public health emergencies crop up from time to time, it is critical that public health stakeholders be prepared to address emergency situations whenever they occur. The spread of…

COVID-The covid-19 pandemic is an effective frame for understanding persuasion at the societal level. In a pandemic, health officials need to persuade people to adopt certain behaviors, and when…

Article Review

Health - Public Health Issues

A Review of a Study of Health Disparities in the United StatesArticle AbstractStudy objective:Background: This study analyzed the disproportionate impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on economically disadvantaged populations…

The authors point out that there is a lack of previous studies focussed on health promotion and the effect on preventing DM. The conclusion of the authors is…

PAPE 8Paper 3IntroductionTo a large extent, the COVID-19 pandemic could be described as one of the worst pandemics the world has experienced in modern times. In addition to occasioning…

eferences Brownlee, C. "The Bad Fight: Immune Systems Harmed 1918 Flu Patients." Science News, 30 September 2006, 211+. Grist, N.. Pandemic Influenza 1918. 2009. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape…

The Financial Markets and the CoronavirusIntroductionThe Coronavirus is a pandemic that has swept the globe, causing widespread panic and financial instability. The virus originated in China and quickly spread…

Anthropology

From the onset, it would be prudent to point out that Asians, as Croucher, Nguyen, and Rahmani point out, happen to be America’s fastest growing population. However, the said…

IMAGES

  1. 20 Thesis ideas concerning Pandemics_Epidemics

    argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

  2. UN/DESA Policy Brief #67: Protecting and mobilizing youth in COVID-19

    argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

  3. Interdisciplinary Course Explores Broad Impact of Covid-19

    argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

  4. Fourth Grader Pens Essay About Coronavirus Anger and Fears

    argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

  5. A Global Pandemic: Comparing Responses to COVID-19

    argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

  6. PHM SEAP papers on Covid-19 epidemic

    argumentative essay topics about the pandemic

VIDEO

  1. One answer and 3 reasons

  2. 5 lines on Corona Virus-covid 19 in English/Coronavirus(Covid 19)5 lines Essay Writing

  3. Argumentative essays I Cheap online essays

  4. How can a Covid-19 pandemic end?

  5. What Has The Pandemic Taught Us?

  6. Top 5 Ai tools for academic research

COMMENTS

  1. 317 COVID-19 & Pandemic Essay Topics for Students

    This essay will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the sustainability sector of the tourism industry. The public is involved in the prevention of HIV through the enhancement of public awareness. Advertisements that show prevention measures should be made for the public.

  2. Persuasive Essay About Covid19

    Common Topics for a Persuasive Essay on COVID-19 . Here are some persuasive essay topics on COVID-19: The Importance of Vaccination Mandates for COVID-19 Control; Balancing Public Health and Personal Freedom During a Pandemic; The Economic Impact of Lockdowns vs. Public Health Benefits; The Role of Misinformation in Fueling Vaccine Hesitancy

  3. Covid 19 Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines

    The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on individuals, societies, and economies worldwide. Its multifaceted nature presents a wealth of topics suitable for academic exploration. This essay provides guidance on developing engaging and insightful essay topics related to COVID-19, offering a comprehensive range of perspectives to choose from.

  4. Arguments in the debate over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19

    The main areas of disagreement about school closures during the coronavirus pandemic are: In favor of school closures. School closures are necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. Evidence from past pandemics supports the efficacy of school closures. Reopening Universities will increase COVID-19 spread.

  5. How to Write About Coronavirus in a College Essay

    Students can choose to write a full-length college essay on the coronavirus or summarize their experience in a shorter form. To help students explain how the pandemic affected them, The Common App ...

  6. 12 Ideas for Writing Through the Pandemic With The New York Times

    Publishing Opportunity: Submit your final essay to our Student Editorial Contest, open to middle school and high school students ages 10-19, until April 21. Please be sure to read all the rules ...

  7. 12 moving essays about life during coronavirus

    The days dragged on in my apartment, in black and white, like my photos. Sometimes we tried to smile, imagining that I was asymptomatic, because I was the virus. Our smiles seemed to bring good ...

  8. How to Write About the Impact of the Coronavirus in a College Essay

    To help students explain how the pandemic affected them, The Common App has added an optional section to address this topic. Applicants have 250 words to describe their pandemic experience and the ...

  9. 11 Meaningful Writing Assignments Connected to the Pandemic

    4. Student-to-student letters: Organize pen pals or small letter-writing groups.Ask students to write back and forth to one or more peers using provided prompts and sample questions. Teach students to consider their audience and to keep a written dialogue going over several letters as they write to different peers.

  10. Persuasive narrative during the COVID-19 pandemic: Norwegian ...

    A study by Blix et al. on the topic of mental health in the Norwegian population during the COVID-19 pandemic found that a substantial proportion of the population experienced significant ...

  11. Coronavirus Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines

    Abstract. First appearing in China in late 2019, the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 has become the most significant global pandemic event in a century. As of October 28, 2020 the total number of cases worldwide was 44 million with 1.17 million deaths. The United States has had an extremely politicized response to the virus, and despite having less ...

  12. A Guide To Writing The Covid-19 Essay For The Common App

    Having recognized this, the Common App added a new optional 250-word essay that will give universities a chance to understand the atypical high school experience students have had. The prompt will ...

  13. Writing about COVID-19 in a college admission essay

    The student or a family member had COVID-19 or suffered other illnesses due to confinement during the pandemic. The candidate had to deal with personal or family issues, such as abusive living situations or other safety concerns. The student suffered from a lack of internet access and other online learning challenges.

  14. Examining persuasive message type to encourage staying at home during

    Such articles convey messages from governors, public health experts, physicians, COVID-19 patients, and residents of outbreak areas, encouraging people to stay at home. This is the first study to examine which narrator's message is most persuasive in encouraging people to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic and social lockdown.

  15. Argumentative Essay about Covid 19

    Argumentative Essay about Covid 19. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. COVID-19 is an emerging public health problem, which started in China at the end of 2019 and gradually affected the majority of countries including India (1).

  16. Nurses Deserve Better. So Do Their Patients.

    Guest Essay. Nurses Deserve Better. So Do Their Patients. Aug. 12, 2021 ... The Covid-19 pandemic exposed strengths in the nation's health care system — one of the greatest being our awesome ...

  17. 100+ Topics for Argumentative Essays and Debates

    ProCon.org has over 100 topics complete with pro and con arguments, quotes and statistics from experts, historical information, and other pertinent research. Abortion - Should abortion be legal? Alternative Energy - Can alternative energy effectively replace fossil fuels? American Socialism - Should the U.S. become socialist?

  18. 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing

    19. Snail Mail: Do you think handwritten cards and letters still have value in the digital age? 20. Cyberbullying: Should social media companies do more to prevent online harassment? 21. Phone ...

  19. Pandemic Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines

    Pandemic Flu Impact on Ethics in Nursing Practice Pandemic flu: A literature review The dire scenario of a pandemic flu is likely to strike fear in the heart of many healthcare workers, regardless of the level of their experience and knowledge. The 2009-2010 flu season brought additional attention to the issue. 208 countries "had confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 and [stated ...

  20. 125 Strong Argumentative Essay Topics For Your Next Paper

    The format of an argumentative essay typically consists of three basic elements: An introductory paragraph, stating topic and thesis. Supporting paragraphs, presenting arguments and unique facts. The final paragraph, restating supporting evidence and thesis. The length and complexity of the essay will vary depending on the level of the student ...

  21. Benefits of Covid-19 Vaccine: Argumentative Essay

    The subsequent paragraphs are going to provide detailed explanations of the reasons why it is necessary for the COVID-19 vaccine to be taken. Firstly, the COVID-19 vaccine is necessary because it helps build protection against the virus. COVID-19 is a terrifying and dangerous communicable disease. The virus affects the respiratory organ of the ...

  22. Covid-19 Vaccine Argumentative Essay

    The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Australian Economy Disadvantages of Covid-19 Vaccine Essay Analysis of Media in Response to the Global COVID-19 Pandemic Pros and Cons of Vaccinations: Argumentative Essay Death by Shot: Argumentative Essay on Vaccines Essay on Vaccines: Outline Why You Should Get Vaccinated Persuasive Essay Parental ...

  23. 45+ Coronavirus Debate Topics for Students

    School lockdowns are a good tool to use when fighting pandemics. Discuss. Biology is the most important subject taught in schools. Discuss. This article lists over 45 interesting debate topics about coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic at large. The topics are suitable for middle school, high school, or college students.