Officials responded with extraordinary speed when the pandemic struck in 2020. Schools shut down. Businesses closed. Church services were banned.
The goal was to reduce viral transmission and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. People were dying, especially older ones.
Now studies show many of the measures designed to limit virus spread had serious negative outcomes for health, education and the economy.
In the years since 2020, much public framing has followed a familiar path: “We didn’t know what to do.” At the time, professional voices who advocated for less radical reactions were censored or defamed.
It’s also true that our nation spent billions across earlier decades on pandemic preparedness. Federal agencies, academic institutions and public health departments ran pandemic simulations and drafted procedures.
We weren’t wholly unprepared. Yet when the moment arrived, many protocols weren’t implemented. Some were ignored.
This disconnect is worth discussing now that we’re learning what those decisions cost.
Many governmental agencies have reviewed their pandemic responses. Yet there’s been no comprehensive public commission on the federal level. Generally, reviews agree pandemic plans existed but weren’t implemented. No one is explaining why!
Health Affairs Scholar, an open access journal of global health policy, recently examined 132 peer-reviewed studies that looked at outcomes associated with U.S. lockdowns.
Across 454 measured outcomes, most effects were negative. More than 90% of the outcomes related to mental health, obesity and social stability worsened. Vulnerable communities suffered most.
In Sacramento, children bore the brunt of school closures. While teachers, families and school staff worked valiantly, distance learning was never an adequate substitute for in-person instruction. Teacher unions should have prioritized returning to the classroom instead of dragging out closures.
Schools are more than classrooms. They provide therapy, behavioral support, meals, physical education and structure. In neighborhoods such as Oak Park, Del Paso Heights and Meadowview, those functions are lifelines.
Local clinicians say rates of childhood anxiety and depression rose sharply. Pediatric clinics and counseling practices in Midtown and East Sac developed waitlists months long. Sacramento City Unified School District continues to struggle with absenteeism and academic recovery.
The digital divide grew. Some families squeezed multiple students and adults around a single kitchen table and shared laptops. The belief that “school could simply move online” overlooked the reality of countless households.
The review showed increased obesity-related outcomes and decreased physical activity. The reasons were self-evident. Playgrounds were closed.
Medical and dental appointments were postponed. Food insecurity surged. Organizations, including Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, were pushed to capacity.
The review found detrimental outcomes were significantly more likely among people with disabilities, low-income families and communities of color. Sacramento saw this firsthand.
Children with autism, ADHD and developmental delays lost access to in-person therapy. Some children regressed after years of progress. Parents were left to navigate complex care alone.
“We did the best we could with what we knew” overlooks an uncomfortable truth: pandemic preparedness plans existed to prevent blunt, one-size-fits-all policies that disproportionately harmed the vulnerable.
What can Sacramento learn moving forward? Keep schools open whenever possible, especially for young children and students with disabilities. Protect access to mental health services and social supports.
Ensure emergency planning includes educational and economic continuity, not just disease control. Strengthen partnerships with neighborhood organizations and local nonprofits that proved critical in crisis response.
My grandson started at a local preschool in a mask, along with his mother who was his teacher. Mask mandates were lifted last on the youngest children who missed key speech developments at a crucial age. This was especially ridiculous given that children were among the lowest risk for COVID transmission.
Today we need to tell the truth about what worked, what did not and who suffered most.
Sacramento is defined by its communities. We care for one another. If we apply that spirit to preparedness, we can ensure our response to the next crisis protects all of us, not just some.
The question is: Are we willing to learn from the mistakes of 2020? If yes, then the price our children paid will not entirely have been in vain.
Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
