Life after COVID-19
I’m continuing Henry’s theme from last week and presenting my vision – as food for thought – of a post-COVID-19 world.
The most 'Brave New World' possibility first. Transparency regarding health; nationally, regionally and personally, will be a given. Presently we have individually worn digital tools that can measure heart rates, temperatures, and other vital signs. It is not a huge leap in application for this information to be nationally or even internationally monitored for, say, an alarming rise in temperature of a population in a particular area. This would allow for immediate investigation and early containment of viruses and the likes. A post-COVID-19 necessity as crucial as monitoring for earthquakes and hurricanes?
Environment
Our skies will be bluer due the extended periods of fewer planes in the sky and cars on the road, and this trend will continue. Office workers globally have negotiated working from home and many employers and organisations will see rent of office space as an unnecessary expense. Zoom, Skype and the like will keep staff of connected.
Office workers
The ability to work from home will motivate young families to head to the regions for quality of life and larger, affordable homes. In cities, offices may be repurposed for residential, cultural, educational and recreational use.
Technology
Residential and commercial access to the internet will be of the same quality as home offices become the norm. The world’s population will be far more sophisticated in its use of technology.
Domestic life
Our diets will return to eating more seasonal and local produce. The incentive to reintroduce onshore manufacturing will also motivate our population to buy domestically manufactured products.
Income
Universal Basic Income (UBI) may become a reality as many non-essential industries don't revive and the loss of jobs to AI ever increases.
The Arts
Already, our major art institutions and hunkered down populations have become more digitally creative. Fancy a tour of the Hermitage? Maybe of our own Art Gallery of New South Wales? And don’t you just love this Couch Choir’s rendition of ‘Close to You’
Sport
International sporting events (and associated celebrity teams) will create user-pay online gaming options with their ‘avatar’ sports stars – play with them, learn with them, ‘be’ them ... to ensure ongoing revenue, both in and out of season.
World Power
America/China? China/America? Not a lot of contenders … Multi-Nationals may replace nations as the true wielders of political influence, if they haven’t already. Civil activism may just put power back into the hands of people, the world's populations having learnt from the mistakes of previous, unsuccessful uprisings.
Population
A younger population with a massive increase in babies due to stay-at-home restrictions – think 'blackout babies' .
In General
Everyone one will be sadder, wiser and more respectful of each other, life and our world; having together experienced a global tragedy.