According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of May 24, more than 39 percent of Americans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. With vaccination numbers only climbing, it got me thinking. Now that we are in a state of re-opening with some locations back in the full swing of things, what will life look like 10 years from now? What will the youth born after 2020 see as “regular?”
Is the new normal in 2031 going to be increased sanitization processes for cities and towns? Are masks going to be required to be worn during cold and flu season as many citizens report that they have not had a cold since 2019?
Upon getting lost in my post-COVID thoughts, I turned to my trusty and reliable friend that we all know of named Google. As soon as it popped up, I typed in post-1918 Spanish flu pandemic advances. After I went down an internet wormhole for around an hour, I discovered that several practices we have today were put into place as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic.
For example, I discovered that healthcare in America expanded as a result of the 1918 pandemic due to the amount of people now interested in preventative medicine. I also discovered that apartments were made to be “socially distanced” in the late 1920’s and 1930’s because bathroom and kitchen quarters were previously shared between tenants.
Of course, this got me thinking even more as to what the world will look like 10 years from now.
Are movie theaters going to be closed in favor of streaming services—I hope not. Are fast food restaurants going to be ditching indoor dining all together in favor of a faster drive thru? How many movies and television shows will be made about the year 2020 that refer back to it as only history?
Whatever happens as a result of this pandemic, I am sure will be in books decades from now.
Currently, however, I am enjoying the days of eating concession stand food at a sporting event for the first time since February 2020, smiling every time I get an e-mail that mentions a sports tournament, and happy dancing over sports returning!
