The coronavirus is going to permanently change the world. It already has, and will continue to do so until the pandemic ends. We are right in the middle of it right now, but once it is all over I believe the impact it will have will significantly change the 2020’s and potentially even beyond. Think of what we are encouraged to do right now. Recommendations for social distancing and constant hand washing have made us more perceptive to where the virus could be and who has it. Who is to say those habits will not carry over to the post-pandemic world? The virus will change the economy, government, our lifestyles, and even the way we think. This change will last.
Everywhere you look there seems to be some warning to social distance, to not touch your face, etc. I fully support these, as the constant reinforcement will help people follow them and end the pandemic quicker. The sheer amount of warnings, though, may make people more fearful in the future of coming in contact with someone. A lingering sense of danger from being in the presence of someone could carry over. We may all be extremely aware of our actions and who we come into contact with. Deborah Tannen, in a Politico survey, says, “How quickly that awareness recedes will be different for different people, but it can never vanish completely for anyone who lived through this year. It could become second nature to recoil from shaking hands or touching our faces.” The way our community and society as a whole assembles will change in a way where distance is valued more.
Another massive change the world will see and has been seeing already is the economy. Lockdowns and orders to stay home across the globe has brought the world market to a screeching halt. No one can buy anything if businesses are shut down, and they are suffering because of it. Normally the government can spend more as a stimulus, but this situation is abnormal. People cannot go out and spend money. To save it, we may need to change how it operates. A BBC article states, “At its core, the economy is the way we take our resources and turn them into the things we need to live. Looked at this way, we can start to see more opportunities for living differently that allow us to produce less stuff without increasing misery.” Those that cannot work from home may see a change where the economy produces less because very little is being consumed. None of these changes would be easy, but the coronavirus has created a new world.
The Corona virus did permanently change the world, but I do not think that it will last much longer. People’s reactions to the regulations and virus were originally in fear, but it turned from a fear into more of a nuisance, which could potentially be dangerous for people. I think Matthew is right when describing the corona virus and how it made people feel in the beginning, but after almost a year of it I do not think the mentality he speaks of exists.
This is an interesting article to reflect on now that we are over one year into covid-19 globally. It is crazy to reminisce on how we thought it would be over so quickly and how it wouldn’t affect our lives too much. Mathew says that fear will stay with us constantly but see, this is already not the case and we are still amidst the pandemic. As the number of deaths and cases increased the fear decreased. This is dangerous. People became bored and did not believe it to be as terrifying since they had already lost so much. It is important to wear masks and keep apart but this has also been fading for some time as well. People are tired and they miss interaction too.
It was strange how quickly our world change in a matter of a few months. I think this article is important, because it predicts that we will always hesitancy about shaking hands or unnecessary contact with objects and people. We would change forever because of this pandemic. In some ways Matthew was right, and in others he was wrong. All of the warning signs about not touching your face and staying 6 feet apart have been worn down and not bothered to be put back up. At the local Wal-Mart, workers are counting are making sure you have a mask at the front, but then there is a whole variety of ways the mask are worn improperly by the time you reach the milk. I think the overall fear that Matthew suggested would linger for years has already begun to fade. As schools are at there half-way point and hopes for a vaccine is coming, our awareness is receding quickly. I think the start of the new year has made people even more desperate to leave 2020 and Covid-19 in the past, even if we are not finished yet.