Now that the tests on three vaccines have come back positive, there is widespread relief that within a few months we’ll be ‘back to normal’. While welcoming the vaccines and the many lives they’ll save, let’s stop and think about returning to the way we were. Do we really want to live exactly as we did before? In some ways we’ve learned from the coronavirus crisis that we could do better.
Blending online learning with face to face
In the old days classes for nearly all university courses had to be attended in person. COVID-19 prompted a big switch to online learning, and this has been controversial among students. But who wants to go back to a system where, if you couldn’t travel to campus for any reason, you could only be marked ‘absent’? When we return to ‘normal’, students should still have the option to attend online or in person, allowing them to manage study time alongside their various other commitments.
Staying at home instead of spreading disease
People who used to ‘work through’ minor illnesses such as coughs or colds will have brought their ailments into the workplace/study space, where they may have turned into major illnesses for others who became infected as a result. Now we’ve got used to staying away if we have a cough or a raised temperature, I think it should stay that way. This will lead to a general reduction in the spread of seasonal illness, and all our colleagues/classmates will benefit.
Wearing a mask when sick
In countries such as Japan people were wearing face masks in public long before the coronavirus pandemic. One of the reasons is to prevent contagion whenever an individual is sick and this is something that other countries should adopt as a matter of course – even after the pandemic.
Hygiene standards in pubic places
From shopping malls and restaurants to campuses and government offices, COVID-19 prompted the publication of strict hygiene rules. Some of these were only stating the obvious. For example the guidance for food businesses points out that staff should wash their hands regularly, including “after blowing your nose.” You’d think that would be a given, but it took a pandemic to reinforce hygiene basics and we shouldn’t let these standards slip when we go back to ‘normal’.
Online consultations
Although they were introduced primarily to reduce the spread of the virus, online medical consultations are a long overdue development. As a result, you no longer have to take time off work or school in order to speak to a doctor or therapist. Meanwhile, clinicians can fit in more appointments so you don’t have to wait so long to see them. This is a win-win which must be allowed to continue after the return to normality.
Unnecessary travel
How many hours have we wasted travelling to meetings which could have been conducted online? For decades the ‘death of distance’ was widely reported, but there were millions of journeys we never thought twice about until the pandemic. For our own sake, and for the environment, let’s keep asking whether we need to travel in person of if we could Zoom there instead.
Keeping in touch with family and friends
During lockdown, many of us organised video calls and fun online activities to keep each other company and (try to) have a good time. While we did this partly in order to retain our sanity, we also learned how important it is to set aside some time solely to talk with loved ones. Feeling connected during these hard times has been essential, and it’s something that we shouldn’t forget to do regularly once we’re back out and living our busy lives.
