By JC CHAUDHRY
As the global health crisis surrounding the corona virus pandemic worsens and as lockdown quickly becomes the new ‘norm' for many, there is a growing realization that even once corona virus is ‘over' in the immediate sense, it will have changed the shape of the world forever. The consensus is that the entire world will probably be dealing with the immediate threat from COVID-19 for the next 18-24 months, in some way or another, and even then, the rebuild and the lasting impact will no doubt be felt for years to come. In many parts of the world, borders are closed, airports, hotels and businesses shut, and educational institutions are closed. These unprecedented measures are tearing at the social fabric of some societies and disrupting many economies, resulting in mass job losses and raising the spectre of widespread hunger.
At present, there are many unknowns about how this crisis will unfold. The highest priority is survival (Jaan Hai Toh Jahaan Hai). And the purpose of survival is future success. But in order to succeed in the future, countries across the world must plan for it. While references to World War II are understandable, corona virus cannot be fought and beaten as if this were a war. While wartime enemies often are unpredictable, they are rarely invisible. Still, as in a shooting war, sound planning is vital and irreplaceable if victory is to be achieved.
Two similar layers are emerging as this pandemic closes the world down.
(a) The first is a public health emergency that is likely to last for two years. The virus will remain a threat until a vaccine is developed as countries struggle to “flatten the curve” of new infections and keep their health systems afloat. Collective action is also needed to clear barriers to the development, manufacture, and equitable distribution of a vaccine. International supply chains must be put on a wartime footing to produce the supplies needed, from masks to ventilators, to treat rapidly growing numbers of patients who need intensive care.
(b) The pandemic's second-order effects of this infectious disease can devastate global financial markets rapidly, with China facing the disappearance of export markets and fraying of supply chains. Covid-19 has not only crashed asset prices and stock markets, but real lives and real activity.
There is little doubt that the world is staring into a recession, likely to manifest fully next year. The projections for world GDP 2021 have fallen below 2.5%. When production comes to a halt, this is the expected outcome. Businesses have been forced to stop operations, there is loss of production across the board.
COVID-19 will fast-forward the fourth industrial revolution and digitalization of all services, including public services. The relationship between the community and the state will become ever more remote, whereby states are now expanding their remote control over civil society and private life.
Technology-led impact of Corona Virus on World Economies
- Strengthened Digital Infrastructure
COVID-19 caused people to adapt to working from home and in isolation. By forcing our collective hand to find digital solutions to keep meetings, lessons, workouts, and more going when sheltering in our homes, it allowed us to see the possibilities for continuing some of these practices in a post-COVID-19 world.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Enabled Drug Development
The faster we can create and deploy an effective and safe drug to treat and a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and future viruses, the faster it will be contained. Artificial intelligence is an ideal partner in drug development to accelerate and complement human endeavors. Our current reality will inform future efforts to deploy AI in drug development.
- Telemedicine
To curb traffic at hospitals and other healthcare practitioners' offices, many are implementing or reminding their patients that consultations can be done through video. Rather than rush to the doctor or healthcare center, remote care enables clinical services without an in-person visit. Some healthcare providers had dabbled in this before COVID-19, but the interest has increased now that social distancing is mandated in many areas.
- Increased Reliance on Robots
Robots are not susceptible to viruses. Whether they are used to deliver groceries or to take vitals in a healthcare system or to keep a factory running, companies realize how robots could support us today and play an important role in a post-COVID-19 world or during a future pandemic.
We will also witness more government use of surveillance. It is a useful weapon to fight the virus – for instance, countries like India and Israel are using smartphones to figure out who's been where in order to track clusters of the virus – but at the same time, such moves threaten to undermine individual freedom and privacy.
Separately, China will benefit greatly from this crisis as it was the first country to experience the epidemic and to get out of it though speculations are rife that it might be entering a second wave of outbreak of the virus.
More retail will be carried out online and customer service interactions will be virtual. “Social distancing” means face-to-face interactions between employees and customers and partners will be on a decline, and electronic interactions will be on the rise. As with the work-from-home trend, even when the crisis is over new habits will have been formed and the post-pandemic world will look very different from the pre-pandemic world. The higher cost of face-to-face interactions will go way down, but the relatively lower cost of electronic interactions will go up.
Social media companies and news organizations will have an especially important role in framing how we think about the outbreak, particularly when it comes to countering the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories on their platforms.
Global Impact of Corona Virus On Education/Learning-Based Sector
- The corona virus pandemic has changed how millions around the globe are educated.
Over 421 million children are affected due to school closures announced or implemented in 39 countries. In addition, another 22 countries have announced partial “localized” closures.
(a) With the corona virus spreading rapidly across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, countries have taken swift and decisive actions to mitigate the development of a full-blown pandemic. In the past two weeks, there have been multiple announcements suspending attendance at schools and universities.
(b) These risk-control decisions have led millions of students into temporary ‘home-schooling' situations, especially in some of the most heavily impacted countries, like China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. These changes have certainly caused a degree of inconvenience, but they have also prompted new examples of educational innovation.
(c) To help slow the virus' spread, students in different parts of the world including India started to learn at home via interactive apps. Majority got access to learning material through live television broadcasts.
(d) With 5G technology becoming more prevalent in countries such as China, US and Japan, the learners and solution providers will shift towards truly embracing the ‘learning anywhere, anytime' concept of digital education in a range of formats. Traditional in-person classroom learning will be complemented with new learning modalities – from live broadcasts to ‘educational influencers' to virtual reality experiences. Learning could become a habit that is integrated into daily routines – a true lifestyle.
- Learning consortiums and coalitions could take shape, with diverse stakeholders– including governments, publishers, education professionals, technology providers, and telecom network operators – coming together to utilize digital platforms as a temporary solution to the crisis. In emerging countries where education has predominantly been provided by the government, this could become a prevalent and consequential trend to future education.
- 3. The pandemic is also an opportunityto remind ourselves of the skills students need in this unpredictable world such as informed decision making, creative problem solving, and perhaps above all, adaptability. To ensure those skills remain a priority for all students, resilience must be built into our educational systems as well.
India's education system is impaired, and students are unable to follow their regular academic routines. In wake of this emergency and keeping the student safety in mind and their academic concern, most of the institutions have taken the initiative to provide the facility of telecommunication, skype call, zoom call and access to other virtual options to fill the gap of learning. It is giving training to students and teachers to use technology to facilitate virtual classes and exchange of information. Undoubtedly, this is a very crucial time for students. So, the move is aimed at easing the pressure on students and helping them use their time profitably without compromising on the quality. ( To be continues…)
(The writer is a renowned entrepreneur, motivational speaker and numerologist)
