What are your predictions for the short and long term future?

[Januaryissodull]

Do people thing we will ever completely get back to the old normal?

By that I mean test centres closing down, not having to isolate, travel abroad being back to how it was, not having restrictions when there's a new variant, masks and social distancing. Being able to go out freely without COVID rules and regulations in place.

Although things are easing up again it does feel like a long way off being as we were before.

Short term no, long term yes. I think things will be a lot more normal from now on with no restrictions on who you can meet, but things like distancing in public, masks and isolating will stay for a while. I predict next spring we will be getting back to completely normal with no masks, isolation etc.

Prediction 1 - there will be a mental health crisis as the ‘opening up’ good vibes never quite materialise over the summer, despite people being ready for it. It will feel really anticlimactic. Then we plunge back into dark nights and winter without a summer high.

Prediction 2 - short term insane inflation in the hospitality sector as business owners try to make up for lost time, and punters are desperate to eat out/go to hotels so will pay the inflated prices out of lockdown savings. This can’t last and prices will be unsustainably high leading to contraction or price fall in these industries in 2022/23. See also, hairdressers.

Prediction 3 - the NHS will be in better shape at the end of the pandemic than at the start.

I can’t wait... I really hope we don’t have to go backwards.

I think predicting is so hard. If the third wave is messy then that will be the whole of this year under a cloud. I'm not going to be able to ignore the situation, I have unvaccinated children, they will still have to test/isolate in schools, as will I at work I expect.

Some aspects are completely beyond our control - Austria and Germany have banned travel from the UK for example. That isn't normal!