The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to reshape society in lasting ways. The way we buy houses and invest money, the way we travel and the level of security and surveillance we are accustomed to are expected to change.
Politico Magazine has surveyed more than 30 smart, macro thinkers about how the COVID-19 pandemic will break the norm.
Here are some of the key changes the Politico Magazine has identified through the survey.
- More People Opting Virtual or Online Method of Doing Work
With more countries shutting colleges and universities and opting for working from home amid the spread of COVID-19 will lead to most of our works being done online. Thus with the convenience of online, even after the situation returns to normal many people will opt for the convenient online way of doing their work and studying.
2. Rise of Telemedicine
Remote office visits are expected to rise in popularity as opposed to traditional care settings. This would cause containment related benefits, including keeping away patients who need critical care from those who don’t. Telemedicine is expected to finally take over the traditional methods.
3. Electronic Voting System to Establish
If the COVID-19 pandemic lasts for a long time, the government might opt for an electronic voting system for the upcoming council election. This system has been used by more than 1,000 elections for a nearly decade by the overseas military and disabled voters. This could be the new normal voting system in the Maldives.
4. Inequality Gap to Widen
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a temporary shutdown of the tourism industry, and this is expected to have a huge toll on the economy. With the economic downfall, mass layoffs and reduction in salary are expected. Thus this will widen the inequality gap.
5. More Cooking Over Communal Dining
In recent years, people have been dining out more than cooking at home. With being quarantined at home more people are expected to learn to cook. This might make more people opt for homemade meals as they will be more used to cooking at home than dining out.
These are some of the key changes highlighted in Politico Magazine in a local context.
All the key changes are not what will happen in the future, but a forecast by some of the macro thinkers interviewed by Politico Magazine.
