What if the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic Stretches Till 2050?

Introduction

It is a dreadful dream if this pandemic continues till 2050. But as nothing is certain in this world, we may be required to keep ourselves ready for this worst condition. Here are some comments on what might happen if this Pandemic stretches till 2050. Individually, people will lose their social abilities and become averse to social events. There will be no celebrations, gatherings, or communal cohesiveness at the local level. And on a national level, it is predicted that by 2027, India would surpass China in terms of population.

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Context and circumstances

At an individual level, people will lose social skills and will be averse to gatherings. Masks have already become as essential as clothes for roaming out. As a result of this, random smiles at strangers will be a thing of the past. People won't have an erect body any longer because of extremely bad posture practices. Diseases like migraine, headache, and neck pain have to befall common as cough and cold due to an exponential increase in screen time. Due to excessive concern for sanitation, there is an increase in OCDs which is expected to rise if this continues. People will gradually lose the habit of eating out. Even many set norms like compulsory waxing for women (which shouldn't be there now as well), bodybuilding for men, putting on makeup, and uncomfortable fashion; will be broken.

At the community level, there will be no parties, gatherings or community unity. Public transport, movie halls, hotels, amusement parks will never be seen as they might have been closed because of being non-profitable. A destination wedding with a few relatives from close family is the future of social events. Public places will be replaced by private centres where only one family is allowed at once. People will be more concerned about themselves and their families. Bondings will be non-existential. With the increased use of social media and lost real touch among people, society will turn more partial and biased. Minorities in terms of caste, religion, sex, or region will not be able to raise their concerns due to overwhelming reactions from the majority. Society will leave its basic structure and will redefine itself. This change can be good as well as bad. Good changes can be increased recognition of women's work, decreased physical bullying, abundant time for exploration and self-realization, overhauling of the current education system and introduction of a new education system that redefines education. While bad things will be lost unity and connection.

At the national level, there is a prediction that India will take over China in terms of population by 2027. Adding 23 years to it, It's difficult to predict which country will be the most populous, India or China. But India will definitely be a technical hub growing and expanding a lot. Drone delivery, robot assistance, and Al will be as common as plastic products nowadays. The transportation sector will renew itself and will sustain on technology. Unemployment will be widespread with many people crowding the agriculture sector. The manufacturing sector couldn't be efficient due to rules of social distancing, so it will prefer capital intensive technology leading to more unemployment. This extra workforce is likely to face two situations in which either the government upskills them and they shift to the service sector or they continue to live on petty jobs which may not provide them with a decent living. This extra unskilled labour force will eventually wipe due to famines, increased cyclones, and climate change effects. Since India will be losing many of its coastal areas due to increased flooding. Huge numbers of deaths are inevitable.

Conclusions

There will be a whole new generation who would not have seen faces without masks. They will never see community gatherings, movie halls, sharing autos, street food, hotels, amusement parks, etc. The new generation wouldn't know who those four people are in "Char log kya kahenge", because probably either there will be no one or too many people on Instagram. These all are the predictions, but this world is simply beautiful the way it is. Humans are social animals that cannot be forced to live in their silos. Human interaction and bonding together make society. Silos need to be broken as life is not about spending, it's about living.

Written by Ms Siya Sardana, BA Economics, IVth Semester, Department of Economics, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Science (FBSS), Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies (MRIIRS)