Covalgia

A retronym describes a new word created from an existing word that is similar to the original form but has a slightly different meaning. In this case, Covalgia is a retronym of nostalgia which is an affection for some parts of the pandemic such as empty roads (if you had to commute), remote working (if you didn’t have to go back to the office) and not having to be around your coworkers.

Chris Rodgers quotes Jay Martel’s definition of Covalgia in this tweet:

Covalgia – nostalgia for certain aspects of the pandemic – e.g., reduced traffic, more birds, fewer mass shootings, no office birthday parties.

Jay Martel, The New Yorker

— Chris Rodgers 🦚 🇺🇸 (@rodgeau) June 27, 2021

For more on Covalgia, watch this video at time index 3:37.

Social Media Trends as of May 12, 2022

Facebook #covalgia: people are posting about this

Sources:

САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ. “Lax Vaxxer with no covalgia | New Forward.” YouTube. June 21, 2021. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKXN6GoRZlk.

Martel, Jay. “A Lexicon for the Late Pandemic.” The New Yorker. June 14, 2021. URL: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/06/21/a-lexicon-for-the-late-pandemic.