We did not know what we were going into four years ago.

On 7 March, 2020, Malta registered its first Covid-19 cases, adding its name to the growing list of countries that at the time were coming to grips with the pandemic that was to cause do much disruption and chaos, and deaths too.

News that had been reaching our shores at the time spoke of a wild disease that spread fast, was highly contagious, and for which there was no known vaccination.

Steps were immediately taken to as much as possible contain the virus. Schools were closed, social activities were banned, the wearing of masks became compulsory, those who could started to work from home – in a nutshell, our normal lives were upended.

Governments around the world scrambled to fight to virus, but certain images from those early stages of the pandemic remain imprinted in our collective minds. The worst part of it was that it was not known when we could have emerged from the crisis, if at all.

Here in Malta, we watched as every day we were given updates of how many had contracted the disease. We remember that when the number mentioned was more than 20, our fears rose. Little did we know that, in the months that were to follow, there would have been days when the number of daily cases registered first topped 100, then 200 and at times climbed more than 300 too. There were days when the number of active cases was more than 3,000.

The virus put great stress on the health services, who struggled to cope with the huge influx of patients. It put great pressure on the economy too, largely as a result of the restrictions that were put in place, including the fact that all travel was suspended.

There were times when we thought it was over, only for the next wave to hit, often bigger than the previous one. Restrictions were first eased and later re-imposed. Governments around the world learnt from each other’s mistakes.

Then the vaccine was made available. It took less than a year for it to be produced, and it was only from then onwards that, little by little, the world started to recover. The pressure on the health sector started to ease, and economies were opened up again.

They were difficult moments, collectively and individually. Many of the people who died with the virus were considered to be among the most vulnerable of our population, but then there were others who died in their prime. Many families lost members without being able to say goodbye properly. Many died with no-one near them.

Others survived after being close to death. They may be physically healed, but some are still to overcome the trauma. They’re still afraid to be in crowds. They still shudder when someone in the same room sneezes. Studies being published also show that we still do not know enough about the long-term effects of the virus on the body.

Today, we have returned to our normal lives or, as some put it, to the new normal. We do not hear much about Covid anymore; perhaps we try not to think about it too. But it remains part of our collective past. What’s important is that the lessons that it taught us are never forgotten.