Post-Pandemic Life

Will we really go back to normal?

Pictured: Normal prior to the pandemic. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Today, as I sat on a train on my way to work, I thought about life beyond the pandemic. Looking around, I was greeted by the mostly masked faces of my fellow commuters — masks are still required on public transport where I live — and my mind drifted to how the pandemic has changed the world we live in.

There’s no two ways about it — the COVID-19 pandemic is nearing its end. While there is still an ongoing and terrible burden from the disease, with thousands dying a day globally, the worldwide pandemic phase of the disease is slowly ebbing. While there will certainly be outbreaks of COVID-19 well into the future, these are likely to be more akin to other seasonal respiratory diseases than the terrible nightmare that we’ve all experienced over the last two years.

Which brings up a very interesting question. Once the pandemic is well and truly gone, do we want to go back to normal?

Pictured: Should we listen to the stock photo search algorithm? Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

There are many facets to think about when we discuss what “normal” looks like, from vaccination to public transport, and everything in between. Maybe what we really crave is for everything to be exactly like it was before, which is a…