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How does it coexist with a virus?
How does life, work and play unfold when a highly infectious and life-threatening disease still exists?
Covid-19 disease is unlikely to be wiped off the face of the Earth, as was smallpox.
There is unlikely to be a tipping point, a certain date after which the virus will not pose a threat to humanity.
And finally, even when a vaccine is discovered, it will be some time before everyone in the world has been inoculated against the virus (and knowing how flu viruses work, anyone who wants to be safe may have to be vaccinated every year) .
However, life and work (even the game) cannot wait. This is not a passing tornado or a storm where one can duck and wait for the crisis to pass. There is not going to be a safe time to get out now in this case.
Which brings us back to the original question.
How does it coexist with a virus?
Much of that depends on who you are. If you are a person over 65, or 70, or 75, different countries will define their senior citizens differently, be prepared to face significant restrictions on what you can and cannot do, and where you can and cannot go. This could last until a vaccine is discovered and becomes widely available, or until we achieve herd immunity (60-65% of the population is infected, which means they are immune).
Schools and offices will continue to operate, but again, with significant restrictions and very strict sanitation and social distancing protocols. Many people will be encouraged to work from home, and much learning and assessment will move online.
Travel, especially international travel, will be restricted, cumbersome, and expensive. The UK has already said it will apply a 14-day quarantine for air passengers; many other countries will insist on similar quarantines; And that will end business travel. No one will want to take a four-day business trip to another country if it is canceled with 14-day quarantines. There will undoubtedly be ecological travel channels, even between countries, but these will emerge over time, as more people, companies, and countries become accustomed to living with the virus. Domestic travel will be easier, but not entirely without curbs. And national and international travel may require detection of coronavirus disease, perhaps even rapid tests.
Big recreational events are out for now. If a vaccine is not in place and widely available by the beginning of next year, the Olympics are unlikely to take place. In fact, the giant multilateral sports games will likely be the last on the list of what’s safe for anyone. Theatrical and musical performances will move online, and we will likely see significant innovations in space, thanks to virtual reality and augmented reality. Gyms, health clubs, and pools may not be open for long, and while restaurants will, dining out will be a very different experience and also a costly affair.
Fear of coronavirus disease will restrict our movements and interactions, and while few of us are willing to risk it all, families, societies, organizations, service providers, even governments will try and insist that people follow the rules. Basic security protocols in everything you do. And all this will happen. This is how individuals, companies and governments are thinking right now.
This, then, is the new normal.
Early next year, if there is no vaccine (or even if there is), we will all know how to be safe and how to get on with life and work in a new world.
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