Published March 11, 2021 •
Updated on March 11, 2021 at 3:13 pm
Noam Galai | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. By the following week, schools went remote, businesses shuttered and states enacted stay-at-home orders across the U.S.
Americans struggled to make sense of this new reality. Grocery store shelves stood bare as people snapped up toilet paper and pasta. The economy fell into recession as millions lost jobs and state unemployment departments scrambled to keep up with applications. Small business owners struggled to pay rent and make payroll, parents juggled work and home school, and essential workers braved exposure. Remarkably, the stock market climbed to record highs.