This chart shows the VIX index spiked to an all-time high in March 2020, then came back down but remained at elevated levels through the first year of the pandemic. In the second year of the pandemic, it seemed to stabilize at levels that are just slightly higher than pre-pandemic trends.
Note: Pandemic start marked Jan. 20, 2020, the day of the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the U.S.