Living with COVID-19: Humanity Will Evolve Again

Humankind will go through an unprecedented evolution again as we start living with COVID-19. The severity of this virus, which has caught the world by surprise, sorrow, and fear, can be understood how doctors, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies across the globe could not reach anywhere close to finding an effective vaccine yet. This is the reason we need to understand that the measures taken to counter this pandemic differ from what was adopted to counter the previous crisis. We never saw people across the globe working so closely leaving everything behind to fight against this invisible enemy.

It is undoubtedly the biggest global crisis since World War II and the biggest challenge of our lifetimes. The impact is so immense that it has started affecting human behavior to a great extent be it socially, politically, and financially. People are experiencing different changes in the way they work, behave, spend, travel, and think. However, out of all this chaos, the best beneficiary of this crisis is our mother nature as one could see clear sky, clean water, animals roaming freely, etc. Overall a fresh temporary life to our environment.

Words like COVID19, Noval Corona, Social Distancing, Fomite, Epidemic, Pandemic, Outbreak, Quarantine, Isolation will keep haunting us for a very long time. People will understand the importance of each other and every basic thing which was never taken seriously earlier including toilet rolls.

Families will come first. EVERY DAY

Family and their health will be the priority for each one of us. It was always, but it is just that we will mean it more now. The time which people have spent with their families has brought everyone very close to each other. People have lived some of the best moments with their kids, spouses, elders, etc. which they could not in their normal day-to-day life earlier.

People have started taking their health seriously whether to boost their immunity, eating the right nutrients, or exercising while staying at their homes. The situation has given people the motivation to re-think and re-shape their lifestyle. Keeping all near and dear ones safe and healthy will be the priority for everyone and this will continue going forward.

Future of work will change completely

The unprecedented spread of COVID-19 has taken the world by surprise. Everyone felt its effects, regardless of their position on the economic, political, or sociological stature. Amidst the chaos, there is a particular way in which our work style has been affected. The situation has taught us to be agile and work without impacting our commitments, a much as possible. We have seen many companies taking the digital route for their businesses to minimize the loss. From education to fitness, healthcare to events management many of these industries have been quite successful in transitioning the ways they do business and support their customers. However, at the same time, there are industries like manufacturing, aviation, hospitality, retail, automotive, rest estate, etc. that have been hit hard.

With the fear of pay cuts and losing jobs, people are disturbed but at the same time, they are under pressure to perform well to help the organizations stabilize their operations and minimize losses. The world was already struggling with an economic slow down even before the COVID-19 but now it is struggling for the economic existence. The unemployment rate has reached new heights and according to International Labour Organizations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has already far exceeded that of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Workers and businesses are facing catastrophe without urgent, coordinated and positive measures by governments.

To remain relevant in these testing times, people will need to improve their existing skills, learn new skills, and be agile in their work approach. Without a doubt, the struggle to save the job and find new opportunities will exist for a minimum of one year but even after that the salary and increments will never be the same for another year or so.

Communities will come closer and stronger

As most countries are slowing lifting lockdown, people are looking forward to meet and spend time with their friends and families. Everyone is full of emotions and looking forward to see their loved ones. But this has taught us a lesson that how much we matter to each other and we can't live in isolation for a long. This has made us realize the value of families, friends, and neighbors. Moreover, the way people are coming together to help each other in this crisis is truly commendable. Every day we see people helping the needy ones in meeting their ends meet with complete dedication and warmth. This has brought a true meaning of living in a community and helping each other. This has also helped us in fighting this pandemic to a great extent.

People saw a different side of doctors, police, bureaucrats, and politicians. The way people from all of these professions worked together have changed the perspective about them. People saw a humane side which is the need of the hour.

Businesses will see many transformations

Technology-driven efficient processes and the ability to adapt to the existing situations will be the key to run successful businesses.

In current situation businesses have changed the ways they are run and transformed many traditional management practices. If history is any guide, the Great Depression did just that. Businesses will need to bounce back and not just for survival but to win. They will need leaders that are not only agile but also work from a very positive and open mindset. Every business owner will need to work as a true leader. S/he will need to ensure that their people have the minimal effect of the situation.

The way business operates will change forever as work from home will be the “new normal” for most of the companies. Companies will need to be more agile and technology-driven to be able to work unaffected by any situation in the future. Travel for work will be restricted to only urgent and unavoidable events. For instance, we have recently seen musical to corporate events going completely online and this will continue further. This type of adaptation of the situation will be key for a business to survive and grow further.

Humanity will evolve with a lot of learning

The post-epidemic stage will see the emergence of a new human being within all of us, whose daily behavior and thinking will differ from what it was before the COVID-19 outbreak. Everyone will need to come together to help this new human to survive, evolve, and win. Despite the importance of the safety measures being put into action around the globe, there is a great need for these to be integrated into a comprehensive post-pandemic thinking to be prepared for any such situation in the future.

Like any other crisis in the past, the COVID-19 storm shall also pass and mankind will survive, despite the loss of many lives for sure. We will soon live in a world that is very different from the one before the COVID-19 pandemic. Humanity will surely evolve, may not be in its true sense but to quite an extent. We will need to unlearn, learn, and relearn things from the past and think of a new future. But definitely, what a learning this is for all of us!