Prominent individuals take a look at the post-Covid scenario in this continuing series. —EDITOR
We all have been living in the deep shadow of Covid-19 for the past few weeks and it’s going to prolong a bit more because the disease is seeing no decline while the number is increasing on a daily basis. In a way, we are all learning to cope with it, sitting at home and doing whatever we can manage as work from home (WFH) is the new norm.
We have already seen major changes within ourselves during this lockdown period. Probably, we are becoming more responsible at home, because we have started to do many household chores as a true partner with the spouse. Life will not be the same normal as it was pre-Covid, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself stated at his fifth video conference with chief ministers this week. Here I shall enumerate certain points for the benefit of the readers.
One, we will hopefully be careful with hygiene from now on. This was one area where we used to lack a lot. We are a nation where people eat paan (betel nut) and gutkha and the residual of these is simply spit on the road, on walls and other public places with no concern for cleanliness at all. This pandemic has taught us that cleanliness is as important as life itself; more so, from now on.
Two, our interaction patterns with individuals will undergo a major change because social distancing norms have probably made us more conscious and alert about dealing with fellow human beings. The near future will throw up many challenges for the society at large when it comes to moving in groups so social gatherings like marriages, birthdays etc will be simple affairs with negligible presence.
Three, this lockdown has taught us to be more respectful towards the foot-soldiers like doctors, nurses, police personnel etc. Generally, their work was considered a thankless job, but now we have started valuing their contributions to the society.
Four, the health care system around the world will be in for a shake-up. It was caught napping hence even the large and developed nations could not control the dance of death – demise of very many citizens on planet earth. A corollary to this will be that there will be more funds going to build the health infrastructure at the global as also country level.
Five, we have already realised that the digital era has suddenly come to exert larger controls on our lives, be it work-from-home, or watching movies on OTT platforms like Netflix/Amazon prime, etc. And, even the scenario of education is set for a major change. Schools and colleges have started having online classes. The complete eco system is reverberating with the digital, all the way. This will remain so for a long time now.
Finally, the realization has dawned on one and all that while human beings had made life so complex, nature has again taught us that simplicity is the way for safe existence. We have not gone to malls, multiplexes, shopping arcades, even markets, for so long. Do we feel the urge? I think No, because we have got used to simple food and a life of no frills.
What Covid-19 has taught us is that simple living and high thinking can still be the mantra.
The writer is a corporate professional based out of Delhi NCR.