What will the new "normal" be post-quarantine?

Hey everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been able to post really recently. I've had some trouble figuring out what to write about, and I don't want to put out low-quality posts. I would much rather post 2-3 times a week and have all of my posts be entertaining and enjoyable, as opposed to almost daily, but the articles lack content. So thanks for sticking with me throughout my writer's block!

This article is kind of a compilation of all of the ideas and outlines of life after quarantine. Some comes from news articles, some from conversations with my family, and some from my own thoughts. Obviously, none of this can assuredly be the right answer because we just don't know what will happen. So here we go.

First things first. I seriously doubt that the 2020-21 school year will be back to normal. The USA seems to be incapable of containing cases of COVID-19, so it seems out of the question to resume business as usual by next year if we can't get to the right state by then. So the question now becomes, what will be different about next year? A couple of options come to mind (again, nothing official - or even likely - is reflected by these ideas). One is putting the upper grades primarily online, so that the younger kids can use the extra school space to ensure that social distancing continues. The problem with this idea is that while high schoolers are equipped with chromebooks, you just can't get the same education online as you can in the classroom. Speaking from experience, I can't be nearly as sure about the information when there isn't a teacher right in front of me to explain it. Of course, if synchronous learning took place, that issue is partially assisted. Synchronous learning is learning at the same time as others, in the same "place," such as a Zoom call or a Google Meet. This type of learning is vastly preferred by both the county and the students, as it allows for a much more in-depth experience, as opposed to simply studying slides and papers.

Naturally, there are many other ideas. One suggests that students simply wear masks and attend school as normal. This would probably only occur if the situation is a little better than it would be if the above scenario took place. Masks are not the perfect strategy. While they do block bodily fluids, such as droplets from a cough (which is shown to be a great way to transport the coronavirus), they also catch germs, making the mask a risk to health itself. Frequent sanitization would have to occur. Extracurriculars, especially sports, would be out of the question. This means less revenue, and, considering the current state of the economy, would also knock out other extracurriculars, such as band, chorus, and various clubs.

I don't think this is the way to go, personally. Too much is lost, and the logistics of supplying masks and cleaning supplies way more than usual seems difficult. But if online is the primary function, what do we do about the people without a solid connection? I, for one, understand these struggles, with our only option for wifi being satellite internet, which is very unreliable and comes with a low data cap. The whole of the western half of my county is in the same predicament. Running cables throughout the rest of the county is beyond impossible to do within the next year. Hotspots help with the data cap, but do nothing for the connection. So what's the solution? I have no idea. I have to think either we miss the first semester, or we have to do it at least partially in person, which presents other problems.

So that's how school might work, or at least the basis of a solution. But what about the rest of the population? The economy cannot sustain such high unemployment rates for a very long time. Eventually, everyone needs to get back to work. The problem is that this needs to happen sooner rather than later, and not many companies are perfectly outfitted for working from home, so people will have to go to their jobs. Working in an office, in cubicles tightly packed from wall to wall, seems to be a breeding ground for a breakout. Employers will likely need to work on making a situation that can be managed while social distancing. Masks and gloves may also be a requirement. Working from home needs to be a viable option at all times, so that if someone contracts the disease, everyone around them can immediately be isolated, while still achieving work and keeping the company moving.

Another option is permanent work from home status. While I know that many jobs don't support this kind of situation, some jobs do, and I think it's best if we limit the number of people out working as best we can. That means that the people that can work from home, should. The problems with this plan are similar to online school: internet issues and lack of in-depth interaction. However, at least for the second problem, adults with jobs should be much better equipped to handle that loss.

Long story short, America will have to find a balance between too risky and too conservative to make the time before "real normal" productive enough to prevent total economic collapse. I suspect, one way or another, that we will make it work, however odd the logistics seem.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to subscribe to my mailing list for updates on new posts. (Also, for people that go to my school, vote for SCA delegate! I'd love to represent my class.)

Emory Huffman