In a blink of an eye, the world was forced to adjust to the new normal of social distancing and online everything. The “world radically changed,” and there was no option, everyone had to change with it (Shannon, 2020). Now what everyone is wondering is what of this new normal is here to stay. Everything that we thought we knew, has been changed forever. Telemedicine has taken over, masks are now worn everywhere, and staying six feet apart is essential to living.
There is no clear answer to what will be changed forever but there are some aspects, especially within healthcare, that may. Everything from the way that appointments are set up to the appreciation the public has for the healthcare workers will continue to change. In this pandemic the people on the frontlines “risking their lives to protect the lives of others” are not soldiers in the military (Time, 2020). They are healthcare workers. Everyday they wake up and go to work and accept the fact that they may contract this deadly virus. Many also have to worry about infecting their families, some even quarantine themselves away from family to protect them. There has always been a level of respect for doctors and certain professions, but after this pandemic the appreciation, admiration and overall respect for all of those in the healthcare field has greatly increased. Without the sacrifice they make there would be no chance to stop this, for that reason this admiration will hopefully continue to grow even after the pandemic has passed.
Along with the many other changes telemedicine was implemented very quickly in order to reduce the patient contact. One area it seems to almost be favored now is within prenatal care, the idea of “less frequent visits with better outcomes” has made its way to the US (Goligoski, 2020). Many people are taking advantage of telemedicine now more than ever. People have been using this for everything from a normal doctor visit to therapy sessions. In my opinion introducing telemedicine and continuing to use it within the realm of therapy will be a tremendous benefit. When moving, finding a new therapist can be daunting, now with this option of telemedicine you can continue sessions with an old therapist while searching for a new one. This idea of being able to remotely reach clients has become extremely useful and may continue to be used.
With this new normal comes a heightened awareness for one’s surroundings, hygiene, and self health. Taking care of oneself has never been more important. “We now wash our hands obsessively” and hand sanitizer is like gold (Shaywitz, 2020). Although sad to admit before the pandemic became serious almost no one washed their hands for 20 seconds at every point in the day. Now it is like second nature to either wash your hands or use hand sanitizer any chance you get. Additionally, everywhere you go people are wearing masks and gloves because they are trying to do their part in stopping the virus. Of course it is possible people will return to their old habits very quickly, but there is a significant amount of evidence that suggests masks may be the one aspect that stays for much after the pandemic is over.
There is nothing that prepares you for a global pandemic. No one can predict the severity of it and no one can predict the outcome. There are many changes that everyone has had to adapt to that may last for much longer. For now we continue to wait and see what the new world may hold.
Work Cited:
Shaywitz, David. “How Will Coronavirus Change the Health-Care Industry?” National Review, National Review, 1 Apr. 2020, http://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/coronavirus-pandemic-health-care-permanent-changes/.
Goligoski, Emily. “Prenatal Care May Look Very Different After Coronavirus.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/parenting/pregnancy/coronavirus-prenatal-care.html?searchResultPosition=7.
“What It’s Like to Be a Health Care Worker During Coronavirus.” Edited by Time Magazine, Time, Time, 9 Apr. 2020, time.com/collection/coronavirus-heroes/5816883/health-care-workers-coronavirus/.
Shannon, Joel. “A Class War? A Global Power Shift? A World Isolated? How Experts See the Future after Coronavirus.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 17 Apr. 2020, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/04/16/coronavirus-experts-imagine-different-normal-coming-years/5142518002/.
English 110 Spring 2020 10:10-11:00 
Riya, this is a very well written piece. I love how you talked about the aspect of telemedicine because it is something different that I feel a lot of people do not know about. One line that really stuck out to me was “we now wash our hands obsessively and hand sanitizer is like gold”. It is such a true statement but also eye-opening. Before the pandemic, so many people never washed their hands except after going to the bathroom. Now, people are spending tons of money on soap and hand sanitizer which will last them for years.
-Grace
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Riya, as always very nice writing. You wrote with ease and to the point, emphasizing our new reality and the tasks, such as washing our hands, that have now become an obsessive second nature. As much as none of us want to hear it or say it, these guidelines to wear masks in public places and stay six feet apart in regard to social distancing are what will help flatten the curve and eventually allow us to return to normal life.
I hope that soon we can enjoy our days as usual, but as you said all we can do for now is focus on our personal health and hygiene, along with regard for others in the same aspects, and allow the day by day to give us our answers. Very well done Riya.
-Toni Abdy
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Riya I enjoyed how simple you made this piece. Telemedicine is a phrase I never heard of before and agree with your point of view on it. But also what about the times that you want to get out of the house and experience in-person contact, so many suffer from mental health issues, whether it be anxiety, depression etc. and I know from personal experience that getting out and being around others is one of the best things for your mental health. The fact there is only now a big emphasis on washing your hands blows my mind but I guess it took a world wide pandemic for people to figure that out. This new normal in the world is scary and we truly don’t know what life will be after the coronavirus. Great writing Riya.
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