Fear and Isolation: Understanding the Psychological Effects of the Global Pandemic

Here we are one year into this pandemic and finally, we are beginning to see the effect of mass vaccinations knocking back the numbers of new infections here in the US. A weary public is just beginning to believe that it may be possible to return to some semblance of normalcy by sometime this fall. As the numbers of the vaccinated increases, there is a palpable sense of relief and hope that has returned to everyday conversations.

Dr. Paul Perrin is the director of monitoring and evaluation at the Pulte Institute for Global Development within the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. In this episode, Dr. Perrin discusses the psychological effects of global pandemics both short-term and long-term, and the hope he has found as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.