Do you think things will ever return to our 'old normal'

[isitamapletree]

Just that really. I know a lot depends on whether we find a vaccine and/or effective treatment but I wonder if some things will just never return to how they were before Coronavirus. At the moment it is hard to imagine life as it was before and I can't see it ever being exactly the same again.

9/11 for example changed the way we live in many ways but we have largely adapted and most people see it as normal now. Things like going through airport security, not carrying more than 100ml in hand luggage, being checked before entering large venues, being suspicious of abandoned bags are all a normal part of life now.

What do you imagine changing permanently in the long term due to Coronavirus?

[Pelleas]

I'm hopeful in the long term there may be some positive changes - more home working, a permanent end to hot-desking in offices.

[RefuseTheLies]

I think as soon as it’s safe to do so, we’ll all go straight back to what we were doing before.

[HoneyBee03]

I imagine it will all just go back to normal eventually, how it was before, because a lot of people want it that way.

[zoezoeok89]

Of course. There will either be herd immunity, vaccine, or treatment. Life will return to normal eventually, but it may be a couple years away.

[XDownwiththissortofthingX]

In a word, no, for all sorts of reasons that are far too complex and long-winded to get into on here.

[LochJessMonster]

Yes. In a couple of years this will just be something to tell the children about.

[MockersxxxxxxxSocialDistancing]

We will move on to a new normal, mostly like the old one but with differences that would have happened anyway accelerated.

[TooTrueToBeGood]

Nope. The virus will become a non-issue in time but we will be living with the economic impact for a very long time. Look forward to austerity, tax hikes, high unemployment and tumbleweed rolling through your local high street.

[PersonaNonGarter]

No, we will not return to as before.

Like @XDownwiththissortofthingX says the reasons are complex - economic and social interactions that mean we cannot go back. We are likely to have passed both Peak Oil and Peak Office use for example. Huge effects. Plus a future of higher unemployment etc.

[RainMustFall]

Yes at some point.

[Winnipegdreamer]

New normal I think. Home working I think will become a lot more popular, which could be great for disabled and part time workers

[Sparklingbrook]

I don't think things will ever be the same again but they won't always be as horrible as they are now.

[LaurieFairyCake]

I hope it has some lasting impact - people flying less for business, people shopping local, people continuing to exercise.

And I hope it's deepened good relationships with children and partners

[Knittingnanny]

I was a teenager during the ira bomb threats in the 70’s
I lived for decades with the thought in the back of my mind that I should be vigilant about crowded places, unattended bags etc. That has stayed with me more than 9/11 however shocking an event that was.
I think I would be so bothered about long haul travel ( except visiting my adult children living overseas) mainly as I would be worried about getting stuck abroad.

[Knittingnanny]

I don’t think that should read

I’m also going to continue to cycle more

[The80sweregreat]

I think it'll be a sea change. I heard on the radio that hotels won't be able to do the 'buffet type ' breakfasts or evening meals you can get.
I didn't think about this , but many things we are used to will alter.
There will be longer waits for things like haircuts and flying anywhere will be more restrictive. Schools opening up will be quite problematic. On the radio again today they spoke to a teacher in Holland and they said it's been difficult changing things around and getting the children to adapt to new ways of doing things.
Big group gatherings will be off for a while too.
We will adapt because humans do but I feel sad that it'll be the young that will miss out on travel and going out and all the things i could do when I was younger.
I also think a vaccine will take ages or may not even happen.
:(

[mrshoho]

A new normal eventually maybe 2 years from now. I don't think life will return to the normal we knew before this. Close contact - hugging, kissing, shaking hands outside of your family group will be a distant memory. I can't see business travel being anywhere near the pre covid days.

[MadameMinimes]

I think some things will be long-lasting or permanent.
I can’t see us going back to seeing handshakes as sanitary. I also agree with the PP about buffets. I think buffets/salad bars etc will struggle to survive. I just don’t see enough people wanting to use them for them to stay profitable. I hope that we’ll also reassess our ideas of when tubes, buses etc are “full” and see an end to the “please move right down inside the carriage” messages cramming people in. As someone who has been in a tube derailment even moderately full carriages get really crushed when all the people sitting down get up and start moving towards the little exits at the end of the carriage.

[stuckindoors77]

I think things will change but life is constantly changing and evolving anyway. Was just reading the "life in the 80's thread" and that was "normal" for me once. Now it seems odd. Things will feel normal quite quickly though because actually human beings are very adaptable. We'll adjust to what can't be changed and find ways of doing things and fairly soon things we did in 2019 will look odd to us.

Imagine our grandchildren saying "what do you used to hold hands with strangers and kiss their cheeks as a way of saying hello??" How weird!!

[JimMaxwellantheshippingforcast]

My own view is that this coronavirus will eventually become endemic with it being something children get and develop antibodies to over their school career. This will then protect, to a certain extent the adults they become.

It makes you wonder if the 4 existing human coronaviruses started this way

[user1497207191]

I think it'll be a catalyst for massive societal change. Fair enough, if a vaccine appeared this Summer and everyone could get back to "normal" in the Autumn, things may not change too much, but realistically that's not going to happen and we're going to be in a state of limbo for a year or so, if not longer.

So many people will lose their jobs, professions, livelihoods, businesses - they cannot be furloughed/supported for a year or more. Sooner or later the crunch will come and redundancies/closures will have to happen.

Even if flights/airports are able to reopen for anything close to normal services, I think huge numbers of people will be put off flying, not only due to the risk of catching something, but also due to the almost inevitable worsening of the already pretty appalling experiences of delays, security checks, cramped conditions, and potential extra health checks.

People have grown accustomed to the current way of life - not partying/clubbing, not having their hair/nails done, not going for coffee/cake every morning, etc - it's all habitual and lots of people will have realised they don't need it so often.

Firms will have staff working from home - realising that can continue. Managers may have seen which staff are productive and which aren't.

People may never go back to using public transport so much.

The longer this goes on, the less likelihood we'll go back to anywhere near the old normal.

[AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]

People are quick to forget and I think eventually things will return to normal. I don’t think it’s the end of ‘going out’ e.g. if someone was leaving my place of work we would have a meal out somewhere and then go for drinks, these things will come back maybe a while away yet though.

[AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]

@user1497207191 what scaremongering rubbish! I for one am a person who gets her hair done and enjoys a cake and a coffee, likes to go out for drinks and as soon as I can I’ll be back to doing all of that, if anything this has shown me how much I took it for granted! Yes some things will be changed for good, some of these for the worse and some for the better

[lynsey91]

I don't think things will go back to exactly how they were ever. How can they?

So many shops, restaurants, coffee shops, cafes will never re-open and people will be reluctant to start businesses like that. There will be massive unemployment.

Also it's quite likely holidays abroad will be less either because people are reluctant to fly or use ferries or because they will cost too much

[MilkTrayLimeBarrel]

This thread made me think of the lovely days pre 9/11 and before that, hijackings. when you just got on the plane with anything you might need during the flight, when people could go up to the flight deck and talk to the pilots, and it was just a great experience. Even before the current situation, it has been unpleasant for so long - removing jackets and shoes, taking out your electronic stuff - I long for the days before all this, when travel was FUN!