When the Covid-19 epidemic is obscured in history - which has not yet happened - no one in the world will mourn its passing, but that does not mean that every change we have made to adapt to the crisis has been a bad thing.
In an article published by the American "Time" magazine, the writer Jeffrey Kluger addressed 5 practices imposed by the necessities of preventing the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic, which he said that he will miss after the epidemic has passed because, according to him, they are not bad, such as wearing masks in public transportation, online shopping, and an increase in Telehealth service, the end of the handshake, and the cessation of coming to work with the disease.
Here are 5 epidemic-related practices that we have learned to live with, and Kluger believes that they are useful practices that prevent the spread of diseases other than Covid-19, and he said, “I will miss them if they disappear,” stressing that they should continue even after the epidemic is over:
Wearing a mask protects you from colds and flu in the fall and winter (Pixels)
1- Wearing masks on public transport
Public transportation may be environmentally friendly, but it is not friendly to those who don't want to get sick.
According to the American Public Transportation Association, in 2019 - the last year before the pandemic shut down much of the world - 34 million Americans took public transportation every day of the week, more than 9 billion each year.
Especially in big cities, this kind of congestion makes subways, buses, trains, and light rails become colonies for germs.
Compulsory wearing of masks on public transportation during the pandemic has helped keep COVID-19 under control in those environments, and it can do the same for more common respiratory illnesses, such as colds and flu in the fall and winter, now that masks are on transportation. Usually let's keep it.
According to a recent study, 74% of online shoppers say they will continue this practice after the epidemic is over (Getty Images)
2- Online shopping
What could be easier than buying online?
Simply place your order online and walk around the store to get the package you want, which will be waiting for you outside.
According to a study by Salesforce, 39% of US retail executives have made online purchases at their companies during the pandemic, and among those, 74% say they will continue this practice after the pandemic is over.
And that's a boon not just for consumers but for marketers themselves. According to a study by eMarketer, an independent analysis firm, so-called "click and get" sales jumped to $72.5 billion in 2020, double the total before the pandemic, and this saves money. For the seller and convenience for the buyer without the need to mix with others and the germs they carry.
Telehealth visits - both physical and mental - have increased 38-fold since the start of the epidemic (Pixels)
3- Increasing telehealth service
According to a study by McKinsey & Company, telehealth visits - both physical and psychological - have increased 38-fold since the start of the pandemic.
Early in the epidemic, a survey of members of the American Psychiatric Association found that before the outbreak of Covid-19, only 2% of psychiatrists reported using telemedicine with their patients most of the time, and once the epidemic broke out, that number jumped to 84%.
This has opened the door to telehealth wide as a result of this pandemic, making it easier for doctors and patients alike, and I hope it won't close anymore, says Kluger writer.
An average of 150 different types of bacteria lived in the human hand all the time before the Covid-19 virus joined the list (Deutsche Welle)
4- End of handshake
According to a study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder, the human hand has an average of 150 different types of bacteria living in it all the time, and this study was conducted before the Covid-19 virus joined the list of pathogens.
It is true that the Corona virus spreads mainly through the air but early in the epidemic - before the ways of infection were recognized - the handshake fell off the list.
And the writer says, “Keep this trend,” whether Covid-19 or not, colds and flu are transmitted by touch, and if you have to touch hands to feel as if you exchanged a real greeting, the “Cleveland” clinic advises a light fist stroke. 2014 show that germ transfer is "significantly reduced" when striking with a cold, dry hand is used instead of shaking hands with a warm, wet hand.
Staying at home when you have a cold, flu or any other illness not to mention COVID-19 is essential (Getty Images)
5- Do not go to work with illness
Before the epidemic, coming to work sick was a badge of honor for a person, and an employee who came to work - even if it was flattering - was seen while sneezing as a loyal and distinguished member of the work team.
A 2019 study from human resources organization AccuTamps found that 90% of employees surveyed admitted they went to work even when they had cold or flu symptoms, and about half of them simply said they had a lot of work to do. % They don't want to exhaust their sick days unless they have to.
“Thank God, those days are over,” Kolger says. Obviously, if you have COVID-19, work is a no-go for you, but COVID-19 safety practices increasingly apply to other, more common illnesses.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends staying home when you have a cold, flu, or other illness, not to mention COVID-19.
According to the Adecco Group - a global human resources organization - coming to work with the disease costs American and European companies an average of $45 billion annually, due to the reduced productivity of workers who work even when they are too sick to work effectively?
Do you feel sick?
Stay in bed, your co-workers and the employer will thank you.