If you think the effects of Coronavirus will be gone with time, you are wrong! Although somethings go away for good, others are here to stay for longer periods.
What has COVID-19 changed about this world exactly? Everything! Not a single part of our lives has remained unaffected by the global pandemic, and the changes in our ecology are already showing.
elvinstar/depositphotos: Things won’t entirely go back to normal after the pandemic
From wearing face masks in public to working from home, life has become a never-ending struggle for most of us.
And to think that as humans, we are the only ones affected by it would be wrong— our cities are equally suffering from the aftermath. Whether it’s London’s Piccadilly circus or New York’s Times Square, all the places are experiencing the effects of the unwelcomed change.
As much as we’d like the streets to be bustling with crowds throughout the day like the pre-pandemic times, we can’t get our wish because the cities will look a lot different after it ends.
Things That Won’t Change After the Pandemic
pressmaster/depositphotos: Offices will follow social distancing protocols
The first few places that closed, soon after the pandemic warning, were theatres and public gathering venues. These will remain shut for a long period of time, or until social distancing becomes less important.
Face masks aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Most cities have now made it a fashion statement, and brands are also indulging in the making of fashionable masks to wear. If we want to enjoy a fun get-together, we’ll have to wear masks and protect ourselves.
Bars will be less crowded as well, and drinks will come to you. Coffee shops, restaurants, and stores will mostly remain deserted because people worry more about their health now than making an ‘instagrammable’ post for their followers.
The future of fitness gyms and studios does not look very bright either. If they can incorporate social distancing and effective disease-avoiding measures, then there is a chance that a few people might visit once in a while.
Office life will mostly be about staying at a distance and working on and off-site. Since office work is unavoidable, it would be wise to keep taking precautionary measures in the wake of the pandemic.
Major Changes in the Post-Pandemic World
galitskaya/depositphotos: Hygiene and sanitization will improve in the post-pandemic world
If history is any indication, life after Coronavirus will have some major changes, including the infrastructure of our cities.
When the Black Plague hit Italy, it added pesthouses to separate the sick from the healthy. Similarly, London changed old wooden structures to brick in order to avoid pestilence. Paris widened their streets to improve health and sanitization.
The latter one is most probably the one that will be followed after the COVID-19 risk is over. We have to agree that streets are indeed too narrow for walking, and while social distancing is of great importance, it’s impossible to walk around the block without bumping into someone. So, broadening the streets is a good option to avoid the risk of disease.
The use of public transportation might become less frequent, and people would prefer driving their own cars; this will also increase traffic problems extensively.
At the curve of every century, our living ways changed consistently. The only thing we can hope for is that these trying times teach us more about our shortcomings as a society with regards to sanitization and healthy living.
