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?

I think it will accelerate the adoption of things like universal income and increased working from home. A lot of people will also re-evaluate their priorities I would expect.

Once the crisis has passed I think people will go back to ‘normal’ very quickly and people will move on.

@lynsey91 i thought they same as you about that but I’m in a few travel agents pages on Facebook and there are plenty cheap deals going for the next year or so and plenty people interested

Yes will go back to "normal" I reckon but... I think we will be psychologically scarred (& economically scarred, of course).

@MilkTrayLimeBarrel

The 90s definitely seems like a more innocent time - people (in the west) thought they had reached the end of history and conflicts were a thing to study or hear about elsewhere.

@YeOldeTrout

In what way psychologically scarred do you think?

Alaska I think it’s unfair to call that scaremongering. It was a perfectly reasonable musing on longer-term impacts. Some people will be happy to go back to doing those things as normal quickly, but other people won’t want to, won’t be able to afford to, or will have reassessed their priorities. That will make a proportion of those businesses no longer profitable. I don’t think those things are going to disappear entirely, but it’s naive to imagine we’ll have the same number of nail bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs, gyms and hairdressers after this.

I think there will be an increase in home working, which should mean less traffic at peak hours and an end to hot desking (please!!!!!)

There will be major economic fallout which could last some time.

Much will depend on how long this crisis lasts. Will a vaccine or other effective treatment be found soon? Will the virus just burn itself out? But if it doesn't go on too long I think things will get back to 'normal' pretty soon. It's a bit like New Years when everyone talks about how they're going to keep up their new habits, but in time people mostly revert to the mean. Maybe a bit more working from home, less business travel and indeed less travel in general. But people aren't going to stop wanting to eat out, go on holiday or meet their friends for a drink.

2 years from now, this may well seem like some sort of weird dream. Or not. We shall see.

Thinking about it from a personal level, some will never get back to normal. Some have lost loved ones, some lost their jobs and I believe more will. Also, this has mentally affected people in different ways, hopefully many will bounce back but some won't.

I hope there will be an increase in home working... my employer has just has new offices built that are 100% hot desks, small spaces and very little room for social distancing which I thought was shit before this, now I just can't see it working for anyone.

I hope it has also made more people want to support local businesses, they have really pulled through (at least what I've seen) and deserve to continue being first choice.

That’s my feeling too @IcedPurple

I think with the introduction of the alert system and the app we will have that the virus will become controlled easily and we will be able to identify and stop outbreaks quickly. I do think hygiene will improve etc but ultimately the virus will be more manageable and there will be a vaccine and better treatment.

I think there will be a vaccine and we'll have a return to freedom some time next year. I really hope that we'll better fund the nhs, that we'll put in infrastructure so for the next pandemic we'll be able to handle it more like Korea have managed.
I hope we see the key workers of this country better paid. I'm hopeful for a labour government.
I think more people will work from home and that there will be less business travel.

I think it may take a few years for the airline industry to recover. Maybe people will travel by train more often across Europe?

I wonder if the obsession with 'celebs' and all they get up to will ever return. I don't buy newspapers or magazines but have definitely noticed less news coverage and can't say I'm missing hearing or seeing about them. In some way to the Royals - Not missing being updated on the ins/outs of any of them.

Personally as soon as i can resume going to the hairdressers/pub/on holiday i will, the only difference for me is i will work from home more.
I never did shaking hands/hugging/kissing etc, i don't like it. Quick hello hug with my in laws and my mum but that's all and that's only about 10 times a year.
I will travel as much as i can afford as that is something i love, and my daughter loves too.
I hope in time this will be a blip in the past, i'm clinging to hope of a treatment or vaccine because if i stop hoping what's the point, i can't live like this forever.

I think lapdancing clubs will be non existent...I think it has hastened the closure of them and the jump to online sites (web cams, only fans) will be cemented.

@timeforawine yes! If I start thinking there will never be anything open again that I enjoy doing it just seriously depresses me. I don’t get out often but when I do I really enjoy a few drinks with my friends, Christmas nights out, cafes and meals out. What’s the point in being alive if you are just existing?

Same here @AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii I miss life 
Going to keep trying to hang on to my positivity

No more buffets or carvery restaurants. No more pointless business travel for a meeting or eating out on expenses.

I think it will accelerate the use of online shopping and the death of a lot of high street shops, and quite possibly the concept of a “high street” at all. I think several big shopping malls will close. Cash will be phased out fairly quickly. Lots of office accommodation will no longer be wanted, nor be so accessible as public transport changes. The entire shape of cities will change, but slowly over years. The idea that you live hundreds of miles from where you work and fly back and forth every weekend, or fly halfway round the world for a day long business meeting is probably gone. It will have big effects on land use, employment and government finances. But I also think we will return to having social lives, playing sports, doing things we think are fun (even if they’re different to what we used to enjoy), having meals out and going on holiday. I’m sure hairdressers etc will return. I’m hoping for big medical advances, in the way that wars previously led to surgical improvements. Other progress and change will happen, as it would have done even without coronavirus.

Personally I’m hoping for the extinction of cash, spitting, handshakes and neckties.

I think there will be a new normal with some good things like more home working, less crowded trains, hopefully better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

Airlines will go bust and due to less capacity and competition we won’t travel as much as we did (not necessarily a bad thing given climate change etc)
I fear the arts industry will be absolutely battered and will never recover.

@Bubbletwix in what way do you think land use will change? Genuinely interested

@Frazzled2207 I really hope they will be saved as I love musicals and the theatre and am part of an amateur dramatics society putting A few shows a year on which I hope to get back to

No I don't think we will ever return to how we lived pre-virus bit that's also not all bad.

Once this very early phase is over there will be the fallout to deal with. The landscape of our towns and country and ways of life will have changed forever. I think the high street will take a real battering, more businesses moving online. Less consumerism.

Travel abroad will hugely decrease for holidays and business.

Workers will work from home now they have managed.

I hope we see a green revolution to kick start the economy and tackle climate change.

It's a shame this has happened with some of the most insular and ineffective leaders on the planet in charge, where the risk of nationalism and descending into wars and general dystopian future rises.

I'm still optimistic the future is bright.

I don’t see the model of city centre office space, reached by crowded public transport, is going to be attractive to employees or employers anymore. Not where most of the work can actually now be done remotely and people have got over the “hump” of having to make a big change. Already banks are talking about changing the model of having big “headquarters” and more office staff working at home or from local branches rather than in giant hubs. I’m sure some office space will still be required, but potentially not nearly so much in central London skyscrapers. Similarly I think lots of land currently used for retail won’t be necessary, or will move to warehousing/distribution for predominantly online shopping. I think eventually (and it will be a gradual process) it’ll be used for other things, probably housing. I think house builders will make a bigger deal out of putting a “study” into new homes. All speculation of course.