Prepare for a new POST-COVID-19 daily life

Humans have overcome past pandemics even with a much lower degree of medical awareness compared to that of our time. Armed with modern knowledge and communication technologies we can do much better in handling and succeeding in the crisis.

Medical science today is at its best in human history and it gives confidence that the Covid-19 pandemic caused by Covid-19 will be soon a thing of the past.

There have been some studies conducted by epidemiologists that prove coronavirus could survive longer and is more potent in closed spaces. As a consequence, everybody would be advised to wear a mask while going out.

The government has already made it mandatory to wear a mask for anybody leaving home. The government has said anybody found without a mask in public places would be prosecuted and charged with a fine.

Some of the health experts elsewhere in the world have suggested that masks should now become an essential part of the human dress code.

In the post-pandemic world, physical distancing should be practiced by everyone in public places, and authorities are making sure that the practice is not going out of habit. The novel coronavirus is now a human virus.

It is here to stay, possibly for decades if not forever, much like HIV, dengue, and influenza viruses. There is a danger that it may keep coming back periodically.

During the lockdown, we also learned to live simple lives and focus on what mattered. With no maids to help us run our homes, we learned to keep our homes clean and cook healthy meals for our families.

With restrictions to visit supermarkets, we learned to manage with the essential products available in the local Kirana shop. We should keep showing respect to these small local businesses by buying some of our essentials and support their livelihoods.

The lockdown may have made us confined to our homes, but it also brought the world closer. We adapted to our forced new life in lockdown fairly quickly.

We went digital and took to technology, reaching out to the community outside our insular life. Young working couples adopted ‘Work from Home’ (WFH), home-schooled their children, and used video-conferencing apps for work and family meetings.

This trend would be followed by some companies and professionals after the lockdown ends. 

On the same note, online streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hotstar, Mazon Prime, etc., supplied us with a steady stream of entertainment programs by providing us with multiple options to keep ourselves sane and sound during the lockdown.

The preference for online streaming platforms is set to continue even after the lifting of restrictions. Many movie producers are planning to release their upcoming films on these platforms directly without having a theatrical release at all.

Thus, the practices adopted during the lockdown may need to be continued for some time to come after the lifting of restrictions. But, to continue practicing social distancing when the lockdown gets lifted is going to be a challenge particularly during traveling by public transport.

Delhi Metro, Mumbai Local, or Hyderabad Metro doesn’t offer much space to maintain the required physical distance. Public transport buses and local trains are only worse in this context.

Due to these shortcomings in public transport, there may be a rush for buying personal vehicles – scooters, bikes, and cars. This would bring some cheers for the struggling auto sector but may raise air pollution levels by several levels.

If this happens, it would lead to a different set of problems altogether for some time in the future. Also, it is important to note that lockdowns may be kept in place every time if there is an outbreak of coronavirus.

Stress and other psychological problems would come as byproducts which everybody would have to deal with, for which experts are suggesting to seek professional help without holding any prejudices.

Doctors and experts are of the opinion that the government must strengthen public healthcare infrastructure, particularly in smaller towns and villages. According to the ministry of health figures, India has around 25,780 government hospitals.

The number of all-equipped laboratories should be increased and their penetration should be wide enough to include all 716 districts.

Basic hygiene rules learned during the times of the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown must not be done away with after the lifting of restrictions.

It would be wise for everybody to carry essential self-care items all the time including a sanitizer, some face masks, and a pair of hand gloves. These would be some significant changes in our post-pandemic life.