There’s no way to live life today and not hear, see, or talk about COVID-19. Since it’s status update to a pandemic, the whole world has been at a stand-still of sorts. Everything that can be done remotely, is done so. Social distancing is the new social norm, and it appears that it may remain this way for a while. The new normal is something that we have yet to experience, but once this whole COVID thing is over, we’ll be forced into adaptations and new ways of life that weren’t even thoughts outside a thriller movie before this. 

From a social standpoint, it is hard to deny that interpersonal interactions will change drastically. From greetings to a newfound appreciation of togetherness, it will all be affected in some way. Virtually every face to face interaction is going to be different. Social greetings may now entail a hand on the heart, a head nod, or pretty much any action that enables one to avoid direct touch or contact (Okeke-Igbokwe, 2020). Almost iconic greetings such as the handshake or la bise (french greeting), will be replaced by more hygienic and mindful greetings. While it will take some getting used to, mindfulness about hygiene will be beneficial to help eliminate the communicability of unwanted germs. 

An appreciation for nature has certainly stemmed from the stay at home orders issued by most states. Society might come out of the pandemic valuing these big spaces even more, not only as the backdrop to major events and active uses, but as an opportunity to be together visually (Lange, 2020). Nature is an outlet that will always be there, and I can only hope that it will be much more appreciated and taken care of after this is all said and done.

Going out to eat, something that I know I did almost too much before the COVID outbreak is another aspect of life that will change once this is over. Restaurants currently have the option of cur-side pickup or not serving food at all. In post-COVID life, Sit-down restaurants also could close permanently as people frequent them less (Freedman, 2020). With takeout being a feasible option for most restaurants during COVID, post-COVID life would probably mean the same thing. Going out to eat might be less favorable for those being mindful about their health and may opt for the take out options. This will naturally cause a decline in “eat-in” restaurants. 

As with all of these things, we don’t know for sure if this is what life will look like after COVID. I had heard a few people mention a COVID baby boom, so I decided to look into it. On the whole, it’s unlikely that America will see a coronavirus baby boom – but we could see a baby blip, (Evans, 2020). It makes sense why there would be a suspected baby boom due to all the time spent at home, but then again, we don’t know when this will be over, and I’m sure having a baby in the midst of a pandemic isn’t optimal for anyone involved. 

COVID-19 is undoubtedly the strangest things I have ever experienced, and I’m sure I can say that on behalf of almost everyone. Life after COVID will be immensely different than life before, but newfound togetherness and appreciation for each other will hopefully ease the adjustment.

Work Cited

Yuko, Elizabeth. “13 Everyday Habits That Could (and Should) Change Forever After Coronavirus.” Reader’s Digest, Reader’s Digest, 14 Apr. 2020, www.rd.com/culture/everyday-habits-that-could-change-forever-after-coronavirus/page/2/. (Okeke-Igbokwe)

“Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.” POLITICO, www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579. (Freedman and Lange)

Puente, Maria. “Will Coronavirus Cause a Baby Boom, or Is That Just a Myth? Prepare for Jokes, If Not Babies!” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 11 Apr. 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2020/04/02/coronavirus-fact-check-could-covid-19-cause-baby-boom/5105448002/. (Evans)