Did the 2020 Pandemic Change Everything? Part 2 of 2

This is the second part of a blog posted January 17th, 2021. Part one covered changes due to COVID-19 in Science, Medical Research, Technology, Business, Work Places, World Trade and Government.

Health Care

New technologies for creating vaccines have been developed at record speed. Doctors adopted remote consultation and digital monitoring of patients. Availability of venture capital for medical innovation doubled. Telemedicine experienced a huge surge in adoption and holds promise for serving rural areas suffering from hospital closures. Fatigued health care professionals will have to deal with a backlog of postponed surgeries and patients who have allowed existing medical problems to worsen, or who have missed well-patient visits. As of mid-November, more than 2,900 health care workers had died of COVID-19, exacerbating a shortage that already existed.

Equality

Progress towards reducing inequality was reversed by the pandemic. The trend toward remote working reduced demand for the jobs of workers in low-pay positions such as urban transportation, building maintenance and restaurants. Those whom we designate “essential workers” – delivery drivers, care providers, supermarket workers – saved society from collapse, yet they are among the lowest paid workers. Remote schooling has been less effective for children in low-income families who lack the technology and other resources, and children have fallen behind in their lessons. The pandemic inflicted more suffering and death upon Hispanic and Black households. Jobs in high-paying positions are much more adaptable to working from home than those with low pay. Workers unable to work from home were forced to leave their jobs for lack of child care or elder care. Stimulus One payments did not go only to those most in need. Stimulus Two lowered the income limit for those receiving payments, but still left many middle-income households eligible.

Education

The United Nations reported the COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries. It exacerbated pre-existing education disparities by reducing the opportunities for many of the most vulnerable. The crisis has stimulated innovation within the education sector. The practicality of on-line learning and home schooling has been established out of necessity. For coursework at secondary level or higher education, bringing in expertise from around the world required only a few clicks. Increased funding for universal broadband will be necessary to provide access to distance learning.

Hobbies and Home-bound Activities

Stuck at home, people discovered, or rediscovered puzzles and board games, some online, and sales skyrocketed. Peloton, a maker of interactive fitness equipment, saw revenue more than double for the first nine months of the year over 2019. You Tube D-I-Y videos found new audiences. Pet adoptions surged during the pandemic, and breeders reported long waiting lists. Home businesses opened, from tutoring to candle making to sewing face masks. Breadmaking and home cooking boomed. Reading and exercising filled more hours.

Entertainment

When social distancing guidelines took effect, movie theaters went dark. The loss was quickly backfilled by the growing number of video streaming services for entertainment. In the second quarter of the year Americans had increased their time streaming by 75% as people moved away from cable TV. Netflix added 28 million subscribers in nine months and Disney+ signed 86 million subscribers in its first year. To make matters worse for theaters, Warner Brothers announced that its feature films will be available for streaming on the day they are released in cinemas. Some musicians replaced cancelled tours with tailgate concerts in huge parking lots, or with paid live stream performances and video concerts. Streaming services also offered live sports events played in empty stadiums.

 Community

Lockdowns imposed by local governments were sometimes accepted, other times opposed loudly. An appeals court in New York struck down the state’s capacity limits on houses of worship. The overlap with U.S. elections generated interest in mail-in balloting that may increase future voter participation. Pandemic reminded us of the costs of loneliness and isolation and the fragility of life. Rising statistics on violence, domestic abuse, suicide and mental health reflect the pain and hopelessness felt by many. The rise in shoplifting for food revealed the holes in the social safety net, filled to some extent by formal charities and groups dedicated to mutual aid. COVID-19 both highlighted and exacerbated long-standing homelessness, poverty and racial discrimination.

Climate Change

Reduced international shipping and personal travel resulted in significant decreases in carbon emissions and improved air quality. Global CO2 emissions in 2020 are estimated to have fallen by 8% from 2019 levels. Virtual meetings enabled participation without travel. Cities closed off streets for pedestrians and bike lanes to help residents avoid public transportation. Experience with COVID-19 has helped people realize the importance of science. The pandemic and climate change have in common the necessity for multilateral diplomacy and cooperation in dealing with global problems.

More than an inventory of 2020 events, this is a menu for how to prepare for the next pandemic. It would be a mistake to refer to COVID-19 as a once-in-a-century pandemic.

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