Ever since the coronavirus showed up, the urge between people to be outdoors is understandable. Traveling or even going out for work/school/college has been put on hold. People can’t even see a doctor unless it is very urgent. The worst casualty of this pandemic is the loss of human contact/ bans on mass gatherings. We all know that engaging in any sort of celebrations such as weddings, functions, concerts, etc. can be too risky. Coronavirus has also caused a hug and handshake hiatus. The world shut down for COVID-19. It all comes down to some undetermined questions- Will we able to shake hands with other people without any hesitation? Will we ever be able to celebrate the occasions without any fear of coronavirus in our head? Will skin-to-skin contact ever be considered normal again? Will LIFE ever go back to normal again? And many more….
How the virus has affected the education system?
About 72% of the world’s student population has been affected because of the closure of schools, universities, institutes, etc. because of the virus. Many universities and schools decided to cancel their exams and promote the students to the next grade/semester. This has many disadvantages too. Students who have been promoted without taking any exams will suffer because of this in the future. They will have to complete the pending course in the next semester/grade, which will lead to stress/anxiety and time management would be very difficult. And students who are completing their pending syllabus through online classes are having trouble in concentrating. How much can a student learn when there is- Buffering in the internet, poor connection, voice not audible, chaotic classes and many more factors that can interrupt the learning in online classes.
Educational Institutions
When we talk about the future, there will be an enormous number of young people who will be unemployed. People are already working from home and we do not know how long that is going to work. So many companies, factories shut down because of the pandemic. Teenagers or youngsters who are in school or college will have problems finding jobs after they graduate. There is a very high possibility that corona is here for a long time. Students might have to complete their education through online classes. If schools/colleges do open up, they will have to have a very systematic way to protect students from Corona. They will have to do check-ups on a regular basis and whatnot. And this will probably be going to cost so much to the institutions.
Hygiene Habits
Wearing facemasks outdoors, washing hands for 20 seconds, maintaining social distancing, sanitizing hands regularly might be with us long after the virus diminishes. We may never go back to casual hugs, handshakes, etc.
The tradition of wearing face masks in Japan is a common custom predating COVID-19 and can be traced back to the flu pandemic of 1919. Ever since the Spanish flu outbreak, wearing a mask was the first thing that was prescribed to avoid the flu, but the tradition of wearing them continued until the end of the pandemic, albeit not to the same degree as today.
Food Supplies
Factories around the world shut down for a while so the supply got short. Then the US stopped exporting meat, but the factories kept making more. And now the US has a lot of meat. But factories, where there were Corona patients, shut down and pigs after a certain age can’t be made into meat. So, now they will all go to waste. Then all export-import from China has stopped in all countries, not only to boycott China but because everyone feels that China is responsible for this ongoing Pandemic. Also, COVID-19 is a rich man’s disease so farmers don’t get it. Due to this, there is no stoppage of wheat. But as areas get locked down, the food doesn’t reach everyone. People who are traveling on foot i.e. Migrant Workers can’t get anything to eat for days because all shops are closed. Food supplies for farmers may not vary so much but for restaurants and hotels, it means a great deal. People are selling their shops and stuff just to have money to survive and big companies are making use of this. They are buying as many areas as they can. As these restaurants’ owners get bankrupt, the big companies are getting richer off of them.
Vaccines
What we know about the virus is maybe not everything. Knowing everything about is going to take some time. Even if we have vaccines, it will take several more months to produce as well as to distribute and administer sufficient supplies, and longer if more than one dose is required. Also, it could be months before treatments are available that can treat the virus. Currently, Russia is experimenting on a vaccine against the coronavirus, it hasn’t published any results for it yet but it has begun the next stage of testing. Once again, vaccines will take some time to be available. As of now, there is a new level of consciousness between people and it will be there with us for a long period of time.
Conclusion
For now, we have to work with the environment we have right now. There might be no going back to the pre-corona world. As they say, Radical acceptance is the path to change. All we can do for now is take as many precautions as we can. It is not just the government’s responsibility but that of the citizens also. We will have to pull this off in a very subtle manner. We are not even near the end; we are just starting.
This pandemic may give rise to all the introverts and cleanliness freak who like to wear gloves and sanitize their hands-on regular basis. And this will help us for a better future. Many people will take up these habits to protect themselves from the virus. And this behavior will help us to prevent any upcoming pandemic/epidemic in the future. This might be the starting of a complete online phase. All innovations will be done from home and garages. All transactions, relationships, etc. will be online. The biggest threat is capitalism where one company will hold all reserves and capital and new or small businesses will have a difficult time growing. But we think about it, we have alternate futures waiting for us.
