Coronavirus. The lessons

Horrendous though as it is, many experts think that the current COVID-19 crisis will actually help people change their behaviours and the world around them in the long run.

Lesson #1 Ecology

During the lockdown, smog clouds in China have been significantly reduced for the first time in 30 years. In Venice, fish has returned to the canals otherwise polluted by the tourists. Thing will probably go back to the way they were once the quarantine is lifted, yet this serves as a reminder to the mankind that our ecosystem can yet be saved. Maybe this situation will prompt the authorities to introduce new technologies or to reduce the amount of tourists in places such as Venice.

Lesson #2 Humanity

It’s quite refreshing seeing the humanity rallying together in the face of threat. Famous museums create online guided tours, internet cinemas and lecture halls provide free access to their collections, and some publishing houses are granting access to many of their books. People, despite being forced to keep physical distance, are getting closer in spirit. While many were expecting complete desolation and an apocalypse after finding themselves faced with a deadly virus, yet most people didn't get angry, on the contrary, they are trying their best to support each other.

Lesson #3 Hygiene

Unfortunately, a lot of people haven't been washing their hands after coming home from the street. Not to mention, they didn't use disposable masks during flu epidemics, they didn't use disinfectant hand fluids and sneezed without covering their mouths. During the COVID-19 pandemic all of those became normal behaviour. Keeping an eye on hygiene is becoming normal, which in the future will lead to a reduced number of people suffering from seasonal flu and other infectious diseases.

Lesson #4 Healthcare

The danger of coronavirus infection has forced many people all over the world to pay attention to the healthcare industry. Suddenly it turned out that many hospitals were poorly prepared to fight mass infectious diseases. There were very few suits, masks, gloves and lung ventilators and there are no drugs capable of fighting the virus at all.

In addition, the highly bureaucratic system of licensing and approval of drugs, clinics and laboratories noticeably reduces the opportunities for prevention and detection of coronavirus infections in many countries. Now that the citizens and the governments started paying attention to the healthcare systems, experts predict that they will be drastically improving in those countries, which turned out to be unprepared for the battle against the coronavirus.

Lesson #5 Economy

With the introduction of quarantine practically all over the world, a real internet trading boom began. People who can't leave their homes simply order various goods to be delivered to their doorstep. Couriers, of course, now look like astronauts in their glasses, gloves and huge respirators, but the number of people in contact with each other has decreased significantly. Many sellers discovered that selling their goods via online stores is profitable, because they don't need to pay as many rent and wages as usual. It also should be noted that the amount of contactless payments grew significantly because people realised how beneficial it is in avoiding infection risks.

Lesson #6 Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that you it's quite possible to study without leaving home. Whereas previously remote education was seen as unnecessary and was only provided by very few universities, now even schools have switched to remote education. As of this day, even state exams at universities are already quite successfully done remotely.

Lesson #7 Work

To the surprise of many staunch opponents of the home office system, productivity did not drop, but increased by a large margin. Office workers who were spared the need to be stuck in traffic jams on the way to and from work, displayed an increased productivity. People who have slept enough and spent more time with their families work with greater enthusiasm. The governments of various countries are now thinking about implementing the possibility of a home office system even after the quarantine has ended.