Any positives that might come out of this?

[Echobelly]

So, I think going through Covid 19 in the UK is going to suck a bit, but some positives might emerge.

• Individuals and governments might learn to better prepare for difficult situations and supply chain disruption (or not to panic as much about it, depending on what happens!)
• Employers who were resistant to home working and video conferencing (rather than travelling to meetings) might get more at home with it, saving lots of travel expense and carbon emissions
• Partners and kids might realise just how much mum does when she's shut up in a room for two weeks and can't do washing up, laundry, errands etc and will have to damn well step up, which also might relieve mums afterwards from 'Oh God, I'll just do it myself' syndrome.

Any other ideas - serious or silly!

Political opponents may work together better?

1. Fewer viral illnesses around as more people are washing their hands or using sanitisers.
2. A new vaccine
3. The Chinese might start to move away from ‘exotic’ animals in their diet to more mainstream foods.

One question:

Will sanitiser ever cost the same again?

Be nice if resulting problems get rid of Trump. Might do considering that he continues to idiotically and irresponsibly spread misinformation about it because he's pathologically incapable of not pretending he knows the most about any subject on earth.

Yeah, people finding advantages of better hygeine is no bad thing - could lower all viruses - looks like it's doing so in Hong Kong apparently.

Maybe they'll start selling bigger things of sanitiser now!

Wonder if Brexit deadlines will get pulled back if this causes significant problems? The government may actually pull its fingers out of its ears and do more crisis planning thereafter, as alluded to in my first post.

Britain might regain its standing on the world stage as a leading nation after the Brexit debacle.
China might ban the eating of wild animals (Hubei province has already issued a ban)
We might all realise that our HEALTH is precious and far more important than a football match or a trip to Italy

People are going to get into the habit of washing their hands more often and more effectively. I have only seen one person leave public loos without washing their hands in the last week (hideous woman!!).

If it does become habit to be a bit cleaner then maybe we'll be a bit healthier as a nation, less norovirus, etc...

1. Better hygiene going forward.
2. Less business travel as companies realise that video meetings do actually work.
3. More funding for the NHS. Will the government now realise that it was close to breaking point before Covid 19?

Less flights - at the moment and potentially in the future as people reconsider foreign travel multiple times a year and businesses realise video conferencing works

I saw some pollution maps of China and the before and after covid19 shutdown differences were stark so that's probably nice for those living there (balanced with them potentially not working/earning getting sick obviously...)

Hopefully employers might stop penalizing staff for being off ill. People are still too afraid of appearing lazy, colleagues judging them and sickness record actions...actually, if you stay off whilst ill you're being responsible and not spreading it around! We need to change our mindset as a country on this, whatever bug it is.

The movers and shakers in the tory party will wall themselves away in a bunker to wait it out.

After the population of the UK is decimated, someone will 'accidentally' drop the bunker key down a well, and Johnson and Cummings will spend the rest of their natural lives underground, away from us. Meanwhile, above ground, house prices will drop and the traumatised survivors of Coronavirus will vote in the UK's first Green government on a platform of reducing international travel.

I'm definitely washing my hands more and managed to find hand sanitiser for the kids to put in their school bags and am encouraging them to keep washing hands.
Must say having been at the hospital recently I was shocked at the amount of adults who strolled in to the hospital walking straight past the hand sanitizer and ignoring the big signs to wash your hands!! Also walking back out and not washing their hands!!

It always seems to be the case that some positives emerge from national crises.

The Black Death led to greater social equality and the Second World War did wonders for female emancipation.

Perhaps this virus will encourage people to think about the environment a little more?

Some interesting thoughts... yes, this should certainly make people reflect on the interdependence of all kinds of things - trade, evironment, hygiene, needs of the most vulnerable etc.

Maybe cruises will become less popular, they are one of the most polluting ways to travel and also cause huge disruption to locals and tourists in places that are already suffering from over tourism like Venice and Dubrovnik. While in most cases they also add little benefit to the local economy vs other tourists as no spending on accommodation, evening meals etc.
Anyone who goes on a cruise is basically saying they and their holiday is more important than a)the environment and b) the holidays of other tourists as well as c) the lives of locals whose cities/towns of residence they visit.

Trump not getting another term

Positive impact on the environment from lower consumption, trade, flights etc

Sadly I fear Trump will only somehow manage to make it a way of supporting him and his fans will believe him.

@kissmelittleass I went for a hospital appointment yesterday and walked in the main entrance with a lot of other people. I used the sanitizer on the way in and out, but nobody else did.

They have an M & S food shop in the hospital. Saw a guy picking up the loose bread roles, rejecting one etc, without using tongs. I am going to avoid loose products for the foreseeable. If people think that is an ok thing to do at anytime, let alone during this time, we have no hope of it not spreading.

I used to think I was hygienic but when proper hand washing is explained, I realise I am not, I washed them frequently but not for long enough. I have been channeling my inner surgeon and doing the full monty hand washing. And when this has passed, I am going to carry on.

Yeah, hopefully good habits will carry on. Hand cream sales will go through the roof if many people's hands are as dry as mine, though!

I do wonder whether this will also make people stop and think about whether the whole 'growth above all' mindset of capitalism is fit for purpose and we need to find ways of making things sustainable in the face of uncertainty rather than just growing and making more money for themselves endlessly.

You make great points, Echobelly

Covid 19 might become historically famous, like the Great Plague of London, so any blogs, diaries, Mumsnet posts etc. might be pored over by the students of the future with the same reverence as Samuel Pepys' diaries. We could be Making History with this thread!

We will realise that life is short and precious but ultimately we have to let go and embrace our mortality. In the pain and grief, we will find that those who survive feel blessed and that the goal of life is to love and make the most of each special day. And in what are currently comfortable ordered societies maybe we will fully appreciate what life is like for the majority of the world. Oh and stop Brexit like now and release those 30000 civil servants onto virus preparedness and post pandemic recovery.

Fewer flights, factories closed etc will benefit the environment.

People will realise the value of food & there will be less waste

@PotholeParadise In a similar vein I had wondered whether many mega yacht owning oligarchs are currently isolating themselves mid Atlantic.

We will stop eating anything that moves and we will stop selling dead animals side by side with other dead animals that can carry all sorts of viruses. We will all wash our hands more often and not cough and sneeze in other people’s faces.