How we should rebuild Post-Pandemic using the tools it taught us
Ever since the first COVID case was reported a year ago, we have witnessed deaths, lockdowns, depression and more. For many, it feels that there is no good to have come out of this pandemic, but that is not the case. From facing a massive endangering of our society, we have learned to come together, battle through the mud, and be productive. Pharmaceutical companies have been hard at work producing, testing, and distributing vaccines. Healthcare workers have been putting their lives on the line time and time again on the frontline. And we, as a society, have been resilient in the face of rapid changes . Here is my take on how we should rebuild post-pandemic using the tools it taught us.
One of the massive changes that people have been forced to be accustomed to was the shift out of a working comfort zone. When the first lockdown was induced by most countries back in March, people working in offices and boardrooms were left with only one option: calls and meetings held at their own home using technology. Obviously, this daily routine was extremely hard to get used to and lots of people had complaints. To an extent, humans need social and emotional contact with people for a sense of fulfilment and happiness and remaining at home for days on end staring at a screen is unhealthy for the mind and the body. However, there were also many positives to this way of work. For example, inefficient and costly business travel and private club memberships were ditched for Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and now partners, colleagues and investors were just a call away. Students were faced with the same obstacle in remote learning. There was very limited engagement in the remote learning setup from the get-go for various reasons such as lack of connection, no access to a device, lack of availability and background disturbance. Also, as I previously mentioned, children also missed the social aspects of the face-to-face learning experience. Not seeing other students or staff in person can result in anxiety or depression due to the absence of emotional connection. Although, students also did see a much brighter side of remote learning. For example, many children have access to the most reputable and high-quality learning institutions regardless of how far away they reside, and children from poorer backgrounds with access to technology have countless opportunities for top class education. Our working and student population stayed strong and persistent and slowly but surely familiarised with the new set-up, teaching us a valuable lesson of adaptability and grit for future hardships we may face.
The outbreak of coronavirus has also exposed a dry patch in our primary healthcare systems, especially in developing countries already suffering the wrath of infectious diseases. Nitesh Jangir, Co-founder and director of Coeo Labs, believes that technology should be utilised in delivering primary healthcare. Cross-border collaboration is key in developing effective healthcare worldwide, and first-world countries should be willing to contribute to the development of infrastructure in poorer countries instead of single-mindedly focussing on their own economy. Technological additions and changes to our healthcare systems are long overdue. Technology can be frightening, however the extremely successful development of the first generation COVID vaccines are a great example of how helpful and efficient technology can be, therefore we must embrace it for a better future.
COVID-19 has also exposed how dramatic wealth gaps are in business. There is a common trend that has been happening for a long time now when it comes to business: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. COVID shone a light on this trend, as during lockdown tech giants like Amazon and Netflix flourished, while your local barista or plumbing service were struggling massively. It is not a case of working harder, as some people would say, because plumbers could be the ones out for 12 hours a day working on your sewage, however they earn very little. It is a case of education, and that magic word is key to narrowing the wealth gap post pandemic. If people who have grown up in poorer backgrounds receive a decent amount of education regardless of age, they are able to unlock endless job opportunities, with better pay and conditions. If this plan were set in motion and a future pandemic were to come, more and more people would have the sufficient financial facilities to be able to stay on two feet until a vaccine comes or cases decrease.
Environmentally, we are failing to keep our planet intact. Climate change, loss of biodiversity and destruction of the wilderness are things that first-world countries have been contributing to for decades, and which escalated dramatically in the recent decades. Fossil fuels being overused, animals being killed along with their habitats, livestock being held and forests being wiped out for agriculture are all giant factors in the dying of our planet. And one major thing that many people are not paying attention to is how much this effects the likelihood of future pandemics. Animal transmitted diseases, such as COVID, start with human contact with wildlife. Climate change is endangering the habitats for species around the world, and as temperatures and precipitation changes rapidly, animals are forced to seek new places with conditions more suited to their survival. Species are generally seeking cooler temperatures by migrating to the Earth’s poles. Due to other factors like changing availability of food, it is difficult to tell where exactly animal species are to move. Prof Birgitta Evengard states that, “When land-based animals move, they bring with them their [viruses] – and they will spread them.” This increases the risk of more global animal-transmitted pandemics. Therefore, we must do our part for the environment. Joe Biden, President-elect of the United States, has pledged to return to the Paris Climate Agreement, and many countries are introducing laws to help contain climate change, however we must increase our contribution even more, and put a hold on the constant obsession with economic growth. As Greta Thunberg said a year ago, people are dying. We must take action.
On the topic of future pandemics, now that we have had this global health scare, world leaders and their administrations should be on the ball and ready with plans. This pandemic was never expected, and it was all a shock to us, which is one of the main reasons why global administrations were slow to react and slightly incompetent. However, now that we have had this pandemic and are at risk of more, world leaders must know exactly what to carry out and what safety restrictions to put in place for future pandemics.
Our community, especially young people, have possibly been most flexible when on lockdown. Not being able to meet with friends and family can cause severe mental problems, especially for teenagers, and being stuck indoors everyday can be very harmful as you are not getting the sense of fulfilment you get from going outside, getting fresh air and meeting friends. Technology plays a huge part in mental issues for teenagers in lockdown, especially social media and streaming services. Suicide rates in teenagers skyrocketed ever since the first lockdown. However, many of us were patient, following restrictions and staying indoors, and held on until lockdown was lifted, teaching us a great lesson on mental toughness. However, suicide rates should never have skyrocketed in countries like the UK and the US. World leaders were very slow to react to growing cases of coronavirus, and were very ambiguous with their restrictions and instructions to the nation. Therefore, in future pandemics, world leaders should be very clear and concise with their instructions, efficient with their testing, and quicker with their reactions in order to prevent the need for a lockdown in the first place.
Our world administrations must take these topics into account for a better future. I believe that after the economy is restored, we must put a hold on this constant obsession with economic growth, and start focussing on what’s good for the people and the planet. And, if ever we encounter future pandemics, world leaders must have clear plans and restrictions set in place to reduce cases. We will get through this.
