We’ve been really fortunate here in Australia in terms of the impact of the Coronavirus. I’d suggest—in addition to our physical wellbeing—we’ve even not fared badly in terms of the emotional and financial impact… compared to other countries. When one of our southern states’ numbers peaked several months ago they went into a hard lockdown. It received a lot of criticism and it’s still debated if it was in place too long, but that aside… they got their numbers under control.

Similarly other states are only reporting overseas-acquired cases. All picked up in compulsory hotel quarantine before overseas arrivals are let loose into the wild.

Of course it doesn’t mean we won’t see a second or third wave, and perhaps I’m jinxing things with this post, but talk here is increasingly turning to a vaccine. I don’t fully understand how it works but I gather the Australian government is investing in a number of options or at least putting down a deposit of sorts, so we get our fair share when the time comes.

Early next year seems to be the consensus. And it’s weird – mutations aside and providing nothing drastic happens between now and then (and we’ve still got over 70 days left of 2020, so…), but I’m starting to ponder LIFE AFTER COVID-19. Albeit in 2021.

I must admit I’ve been minimally impacted to date. When we did lockdown my life changed little. But for many it’s been huge. Businesses and industries have been rocked, those with compromised immune systems or health issues have been on edge. I’m loath to be too blasé about our situation in Australia as other countries are still grappling with huge numbers of infections. And of course there are reports of the virus’s long-lasting impacts.

But, as life seemingly starts to return to normal here and there’s talk of rapid-testing and vaccines, I’m beginning to ponder what life will be like ‘after’.

Will we automatically slip back into where we were one year earlier?

Or will we take fewer things for granted? Appreciate the small things more? People, places, services.

Will we contemplate changes we’ve made and consider what’s improved our lives and try to keep them? Perhaps we’ll have been so confronted by our own mortality we rethink the meaning of life and reconsider our values and path we’ve been on.

Will we play it safe? Dip our toe gingerly into the old world until we’re confident the big bad has gone and we can go mask-less and shake hands again? Or will we make up for lost time and party hard?

What do you think about life after Covid? Are there things you now do, or don’t do, that you’d like to continue? What about society in general?