Off like a shot. Medicine that defend in opposition to Covid-19 had been developed, examined and rolled out in lower than a yr — a velocity unmatched within the historical past of vaccine science.
The good WFH (Work From House) experiment:
Whereas it was not all clean crusing — with childcare challenges, longer working hours, unequal entry to know-how or quick web, and psychological stress — tons of of tens of millions of individuals managed to energy by and work remotely for nearly a yr, retaining banks, faculties, authorities businesses, companies and even medical doctors’ places of work working. The novel shift can also be forcing a world rethink of what work might seem like when the pandemic subsides. Versatile hours, fewer commutes or enterprise journeys, and splitting time between the house and workplace every week might grow to be the brand new regular.
Trillions in stimulus:
In contrast to the response to the 2008 international monetary disaster, governments and central banks unleashed assist for staff and economies like by no means earlier than: greater than $20 trillion in assist and counting. In some international locations like France and the UK, that has helped scale back jobless charges in addition to preserve the housing market and companies afloat. Optimists additionally look to China’s regular financial restoration as a information on the place the remainder of the world is headed within the months forward.
Nature (briefly) healed:
The crash in tourism and manufacturing got here at an financial value, but additionally introduced a much-needed pause for the atmosphere. Air air pollution dramatically fell, as a lot as 65%, in numerous cities — if just for just a few months. Turtles and whales returned to Thailand’s now-quiet seashores, prompting the federal government to contemplate closing down nature reserves for a number of months a yr. In Hong Kong, endangered pink dolphins returned in larger numbers after a decline in ferry providers, based on a neighborhood conservancy.
