How Is the Coronavirus Pandemic Changing Our World?

Global confirmed deaths hit 1 million as major developed and emerging economies are struggling to contain the coronavirus almost 10 months after it first emerged. Dr. Stefan Hajkowicz, Senior principal scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) explains how the coronavirus pandemic changing our world.

He says, “This is a great reset, which means there's also a chance to start doing things better.” Here are five things the pandemic changing, according to Dr. Hajkowicz.

1. The way we work

“A lot of people around the world are now totally dependent on some sort of digital technology to generate their livelihoods and to keep their livelihoods going. We are seeing some pretty large corporations put their entire workforce into work-from-home mode, which they will depend on digital. Digital industries, the tech sector is booming.”

Dr. Hajkowicz adds, “The ones who fail to accept something has changed in the world and just go back to business as usual just won't operate. They'll go out of business.”

2. How we live

“Much more simpler living is happening. We've stayed a lot closer to home. We've done a lot more walking, hiking, riding, family stuff. And those sorts of more simple lifestyles might come back. Bike sales have just exploded during Covid-19. It's way safer than sitting in a confined bus or train with a hundred people is pretty, pretty likely to be the case.”

Dr. Hajkowicz thinks there will be a social adjustment.

“I think a social adjustment in terms of social distancing and wearing protective clothing, like the main thing is a mask is part of it. Hand washing and hygiene becomes very important.”

3. Where we live

“I think the city center will be resilient. But at the same time, there is a bit of a shift going on. People are rethinking. This is a longer term shift to a different lifestyle.”

4. How we interact

“What we’re doing now, the way we're talking and interacting, we have seen 10 year’s worth of digital transformation in the space of a few months. Handshakes probably are a thing of the past. The elbow bump or just a non-handshake form of greeting is pretty much gonna have to happen.”

Importantly, Dr. Hajkowicz says the pandemic shows that we have to work collectively as a team.

“The Covid-19 threat shows that you just can't be an individual without concern for your society. It won't work if everyone behaves that way. It spreads like wildfire. We have to work together as a team.”

5. What we do for fun

“We might sort of drift back to the way we were doing it previously. The alternative is digital plays a much bigger role in how we watch, view and engage with sport, with theater, with all forms of online entertainment. Online entertainment has absolutely boomed during Covid-19.”

As for travel, Dr. Hajkowicz says, “Tourism, I think there is ways that a really clever collective action across the entire tourism industry could create the concept of the most Covid-safe, the most disease-safe destination you can go to. Tourists will not fly to countries where they think there is risk of disease.”

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