Post-COVID 19: What the World Will Look Like Now That a Vaccine is Forthcoming
By: Bernadine Racoma
Tags: Travel, Health, Tourism, Coronavirus, Covid 19

Post-COVID 19: What the World Will Look Like Now That a Vaccine is Forthcoming

The year is about the close, and people around the world are wishing that the pandemic would end as the year ends. With the availability of vaccines for the virus, it is time to look at what the world will look like after the pandemic is curbed.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

The novel coronavirus that is still affecting the world causes most people to be confined to their homes for several months. It is reorienting people’s relation to the outside world, to each other, and government. Now that several vaccines will be available for COVID-19, the world can start to get back on track. However, according to scientists, there will be changes, as the virus is not likely to be eradicated.

The changes that will happen in the coming months, or probably several years, will be unsettling or unfamiliar. Will touching other persons going to be taboo? Will some countries remain closed to travelers?

But the pandemic also created many opportunities, including the flexible and sophisticated use of technology. People renewed their appreciation of the outdoors and enjoyed simple pleasures. There is less polarization. But the most crucial thing is that people worldwide will have to accept the changes — in lifestyles, the economy, healthcare, government, and a lot more.

Current situation

Everywhere you look, there is a massive loss of lives, and people are coping with lost incomes and employment, disruption in children’s education, and loss of social contact with family and friends. People now do things differently at home and at work. People have to deal with other illnesses, such as depression and other mental health issues.

People will have to maintain basic health protocols, and wearing a mask and face shield, social distancing, and regular hand washing will be part of people’s daily routine.

Companies are adjusting their work policies to include flexible work hours and allowing more staff to work remotely.

Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash

What the future holds

Experts believe that COVID-19 will be endemic and become part of the growing number of infectious diseases that the global population continues to deal with. NFID Director Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH of the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Center for Vaccine Development believes that handshake will be forgotten, airplanes will be roomier, and a person’s routine immunization program will include a COVID-19 vaccination.

The CEO and Executive Director of NFID, Marla Dalton, PE, CAE, thinks that the pandemic will end the open-office concept and in-person meetings. She sees the expansion of distance learning, online concerts, better delivery of food and drinks, and people will routinely wear facemasks and wash their hands frequently.

People will have to accept that absence is better, with an increase in online communication. However, those without broadband access will be disadvantaged.

In the United States, patriotism will take another form. The frontliners will be the new patriots — the doctors, nurses, caregivers, pharmacists, store clerks, teachers, small business owners, employees and utility workers. They should be given benefits similar to those accorded to military veterans.

Americans learned to accept that science and expertise matter due to the pandemic. They became complacent before because they enjoyed the luxury given by affluence, peace and efficient consumer technology. Now they want to hear what medical professionals have to say.

Sociology professor Eric Klinenberg, who’s also the director of New York University’s Institute for Public Knowledge, posits that people will make significant new investments in public and health services. There will be less individualism as people realize that they are dependent on others and value their help/support.

Regulatory restrictions on online tools will fall. Many agencies will have to make reforms to enable people to use online tools. For example, HIPAA needs to allow medical providers to use communication tools such as email, Facetime or Skype. Employers will have to permit their employees to download specific apps to work from home more efficiently.

The pandemic exposed many irregularities and holes in many types of services, especially healthcare. Post-COVID-19 is foreseen to focus on telemedicine, family healthcare programs, and programs for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

The global economy went into recession in 2020. Some experts predict that multinational companies will shift part of their production facilities from China to other developing countries with logistic advantages, high human capital levels and a wider range of production facilities. Some developed countries will bring back their factories to their countries.

After experiencing remote working, many companies, especially those in the services sector, will use the remote working systems more, while some departments in large companies will look into purchasing additional services from outside suppliers.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) looks at the situation in a different light, predicting widespread unemployment, reduced income, and increased household debt levels.

While many see a downward trend in the economy, other people see the post-pandemic environment as a dynamic ground for new opportunities and innovations. It is undeniable that the coronavirus will leave positive and negative effects, so it is up to the governments, private and public institutions, and individuals to use the various experiences they learned during the pandemic to turn things around.

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