It’s difficult to say when exactly the global COVID-19 pandemic will end. With vaccines rolling around the world, it looks like the end might finally be within reach. Yet, there probably won’t ever be a true return to life before the pandemic. When it comes to what to expect post-COVID-19, there will likely be a mix of new and old habits. COVID-19 has affected everyone’s daily life to some degree, and some changes are here to stay.
While we cannot truly be sure of what a world on the other side of the pandemic will look like, here are some things we can reasonably expect to see.
Digital shift
It’s been a long-time trend, but more businesses have shifted online recently. Retail and in-person shopping has been on the decline for a while now. There are some exceptions like major retailers such as Wal-Mart, or Target, but even those companies have had to compete with major e-commerce retailers like Amazon.
Online shopping surged in 2020 compared to the previous year, and it’s not surprising given that people were limited in how they could shop in person. Not only that, many businesses were forced to shift operations online. Even traditional in-person businesses like museums and live theater performances had to get creative in generating business online to stay afloat.
Of course, there will still be things you’ll want to experience in-person, like concerts, amusement parks, and the aforementioned museums and live theater. But, many businesses realize they can operate online without having a dedicated office space.
More business closures in the post-COVID-19 world
As sad as it is, we can expect to see more businesses close.
It’s been tough for many in-person establishments like restaurants or hotels that have had to operate at a limited capacity. For some businesses, they’ve been barely scraping by, and they may not be able to continue to operate even after the pandemic ends.
Even big businesses like Macy’s, GNC, and Pier 1 Imports took a hit and had to close many stores. Others have gone bankrupt. Granted, some of these companies had been on the decline for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic worsened their situation.
There might also be a lack of demand for certain businesses post-COVID-19 pandemic. For example, gyms have had to operate at limited capacities in some parts of the United States, and people have had to find alternate solutions to exercise.
Some people have instead created home gyms to feel more safe and comfortable while working out. If a significant portion of the population no longer pays for a gym membership, more sports facilities may close.
Travel will still be tricky
Restrictions on worldwide travel and trips within one’s own country exist, and for good reason, during the pandemic. Helping fight the spread of the virus is paramount for everyone’s health and safety.
Thus, there have been flight cancelations and other shifts that have put companies in the travel and tourism sector under mounting pressure. With so many restrictions, it has also been tough for those who have to go long distances for business to keep up with the constantly changing travel restrictions.
Moving forward, as these rules and regulations lift, there’s likely to still be a reluctance to travel. There will still be precautions for people to take, including showing proof of vaccination and testing. This process could result in much longer boarding times than before.
There will probably still be some form of social distancing in effect. It probably won’t be to the extremes it has been, but some things like standing 6-feet apart may still be in effect.
On the positive side, travel restrictions will most likely loosen, and you probably won’t have to quarantine for as long, if at all. Flights might also allow for more people to board.
Until then, many airlines continue to require negative COVID-19 tests from passengers before they are allowed to fly. It’s also a good idea to get tested after you return from your trip to make sure that you haven’t picked up the virus in transit. At-home COVID tests for Miami region, among other regions in the US, make getting tested easy. A service such as Drip Hydration can help you meet travel requirements before you fly and protect those around you after your travels.
Post-COVID-19 work habits
The way we work will change quite a bit. Since many have had to adapt to working from home, the odds are good that there will still be a demand from people who have been able to do remote work during the pandemic.
Would every person shift to remote work? It isn’t very likely, but some businesses might adopt is a hybrid model. This means that on certain days people will work from home and other days will be in the office.
In order to ensure a home-office balance, shared spaces are considered to be an ideal fit for businesses adopting a hybrid work style. Recently, in the post-COVID period, these spaces keep growing in popularity due to the many benefits they offer in terms of employee comfort and productivity. With the most shared spaces, the United States leads the world, and major cities such as Atlanta, New York, Chicago are reckoned to be the best coworking locations in the country and all over the world. Thus, if you are a business owner with a hybrid work model, then considering a Workspace in Chicago or each of these cities can be a profitable investment.
Working from home will require reliance on modern technologies to keep remote teams in close communication. Zoom and other video conferencing tools will continue to be in use.
These changes aren’t necessarily bad either. If you’re raising kids or taking care of a loved one, there are plenty of benefits to working from home. Some folks have been asking for this type of work environment for years.
Working remotely also allows people to move out of high-cost areas like San Francisco and New York into more affordable ones. It’s possible that you might never meet some of your coworkers in person moving forward.
A few last words
A post-COVID-19 world will feel strange in comparison to what life was like before the pandemic. But it will probably not be as stressful or weird as things have been. With that said, it will still take some time to get used to the new requirements for travel and more. At the very least, it will feel hopeful and nice to have some sense of normality return.
About today’s writer
Trevor McDonald is a freelance content writer who has a passion for writing. He’s written a variety of education, travel, health, and lifestyle articles for many different companies. In his free time, you can find him running with his dog, playing his guitar, or outside enjoying any type of fitness activity imaginable.
I feel there will a surge in business ventures as well as tourism will expand by the end of this year.
It will be interesting to see what follows!
It will be indeed. And I am going to be optimistic about it and would suggest you the same. 🙂
Businesses that have been saving money by having their employees working remotely from home are likely to want to keep doing some of that. It will be interesting to see what happens in a post pandemic world.
Great summation on our evolving world. It’s definitely will never again be the world we left the behind. :)
This is a very insightful post. Businesses will indeed keep many of the changes with remote work, and maybe that will also have a positive environmental impact if there is less commuting. I think we’ll all be a lot more careful during cold and flu season, and I for one am not planning on getting rid of my masks.
Human nature involves resistance to change, but in the end most people adapt. I saw it many times over the years as a teacher as we adapted to changes in an everchanging world. Children are amazingly resilient when they’re offered support.
Schools in our city fully reopened today for the first time in many months. As I walked by an elementary school today it was so great to see children playing on the playground, enjoying each other’s company. They were happy as were the educators I spoke to as well. All of the second guessing and criticism doesn’t serve us well. These are unprecedented times. I don’t fault teachers or parents who aren’t ready to be back in school. We’re still figuring things out. As always, we should let science drive the decisions. Wacky conspiracy theories about the government injecting us with substances in the vaccines so that they can control us are ludicrous. Yet, I’ve heard otherwise rational people espousing this nonsense.
I agree with your observations. It will be interesting to see what happens.
The company I work for has always had a lot of people working from home, at least part of the time. I would be fine to continue to work remotely with the odd trip into the office but I have co-workers who hate working from home and can’t wait to get back.
Something else I keep hearing is that hugging and shaking hands will be a thing of the past. I sure hope not.
The virus changed cultures globally, indeed!
How nice to see Trevor featured here, Christy. I think he is quite spot on with his comments here. I for one won’t be going back to working in an office every day. Even before the pandemic I was working a couple of days a week from home. I am sure our office will be downsized significantly and people will only be able to go into the office on odd days. They will have to hot desk too.
Great post. I have discussed this at length with friends.
Simple things like handshakes may become a thing of the past.
Same with hugs.
More and more jobs will become remote via the internet.
It will be a whole new world.
Have a great week.
Lots of points here I’d agree with, Trevor. Things are going digital even more so than prior to Covid, and sadly many businesses have been lost, which I imagine will get worse by the time Covid is ‘over’. x
Yup, great insight, much especially the part on closure after the covid.