The first 6 months of 2020 were insane! Let’s face it, not “normal” by any sense of the word. It’s been crazy. Lockdowns form a big part of that, but the rolling and knock-on effects to entire industries and businesses have been nothing short of insane. So what comes next in 2020?
No One Knows
No matter who you are, or what you do for a living, you can’t be sure of what comes next. The only thing we can be sure of, the only constant right now, is uncertainty.
As news reports seem to tell the story of the WHO monitoring a case of the Bubonic Plague in China (China bubonic plague: WHO ‘monitoring’ case but says it is ‘not high risk’) (yes, the PLAGUE) it’s clear to see that 2020 is finished throwing us curve balls.
Across the world
No matter where you are, (I’m still in the south of France and have been since I came here for a two week holiday at the end of February), it’s clear things are going to be more than just a little different over the next 6 months.
As a side note, I would add, the way my 2020 has played has given me a lot to be grateful for.
We’re already reading about plans for targeted lockdowns, and despite the best efforts of scientists, researchers and big-pharma, it’s clear to see that real progress has yet to be seen on a vaccine.
So for the time being, we’re all living the Covid-19 lifestyle, and we will continue to do so for the time being.
What comes next in 2020?
As we are now hitting the summer season, people are focused on holidays. It’s great to be on holiday and take time off. The worrying thing would be more about autumn and winter. The post-summer holiday blues this year could be a lot more daunting than usual.
I’m not an expert or a doctor, but seasonal flu happens every year, we all know that right? What happens if this year, it’s seasonal Covid-19 flu? Do we end up with a second wave and see rolling lockdowns across the globe?
It’s clear to see that the virus hasn’t gone away, simply looking at the figures in the USA and other countries shows a clear story. So what happens once we’re all going about our daily lives when it’s too cold or wet to stand outside, 2 metres apart in a pub garden?
Hypotheses
For me, this year has been all about what I like to call “mental masturbation”. It’s thinking and thinking about the different and possible outcomes of what could come next.
The old analogy of “knowing what you don’t know” as opposed to “not knowing what you don’t know”. The list of variables is endless. So the possibilities are equally endless. The “what if” questions are simply too many to answer.
- Will this be the end of big offices?
- Is public transport going to look very different?
- Are people going to go back to old habits?
- Will we always wash our hands 20-30 times a day from now on?
- How will tourism, airlines, hotels, aeronautical companies, etc, etc survive?
- What will the unemployment numbers look like in October once furlough schemes are stopped?
- Will the government paying you 50% of your meal for the next few months put you off going to restaurants when you have to pay full price again?
The list of questions is potentially endless! From everything I’ve read, and continue to read, the biggest issue is, no 2 “experts” in any field seem to have the same answer.
As stock markets “recover” I have to sit here and wonder, are we really out of the woods?
What comes next in 2020 in your opinion? Is it simply a V-Shaped rebound for the economy and life goes back to normal? What about your industry? Let me know below in the comments, I’d love to understand more from other people’s opinions.
