The coronavirus pandemic was a wake-up call for the world on many different levels. The daily lives of millions of citizens were suddenly curtailed and restricted by quarantine mandates leaving them struggling to manage inside the “new normal.” From navigating careers from home to completing everyday tasks like getting groceries, many technologies have emerged to fill the spaces left by the pandemic.
With the sudden need to compromise and find ways to accommodate various needs, inventors and tech companies have taken the opportunity to share their tools with the world. Finding solutions to the many logistical problems during the pandemic has produced several technologies that may stay around long after the last vaccine is deployed.
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention. Through the needs of the many during the pandemic, there have been real steps forward in customer service and online technology. From items that we never knew we needed like an antimicrobial workout mask to having our groceries delivered by drone, many people will be sorry to see many of these innovations fade away. Let’s take a look at a few pandemic-era technologies that are here to stay.
Antimicrobial Fabrics
It became a daily part of life to put on a face mask covering during the pandemic. Protecting yourself and others from contracting the COVID-19 virus was a priority in the fight to slow the spread of the pandemic. Everything from scarves to medical masks was worn by people around the world. The emergence of antimicrobial fabrics added a higher level of protection for wearers. Not only can these fabrics protect you from breathing in bacterial particles, but they can also kill viruses and bacteria before you are infected.
Drone Delivery
Many countries laid down strict quarantine restrictions during the pandemic. Although these measures were for the benefit of the public, they made it difficult for people to take care of simple daily errands like grocery shopping. Thanks to technologies like drones and online shopping, consumers can order what they need safely from home and receive it via drone delivery. Delivery people are not forced to interact with customers keeping both vendors and customers safe.
Remote Careers
Those who can work from home have had to make the transition to continuing their careers remotely. Taking advantage of video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Skype, email, and remote access to software, millions of workers have made the conversion to working from home. In fact, many companies have discovered the benefits, savings, and increase in productivity that comes from remote working and are encouraging their workers to stay home if they choose after the pandemic is over.
Telemedicine
It is ironic that during a global medical crisis, many people were unintentionally cut off from their primary doctor. Although most places allowed patients to venture out to seek medical care, few felt comfortable in a public setting like a doctor’s office or an ER. Millions of doctors and therapists have begun to take advantage of technologies like live video conferencing to see patients virtually instead of in person.
Telehealth programs have enabled patients to be able to see their doctor and get an exam without having to leave their homes. This trend will benefit seniors, patients with busy schedules, and those with disabilities in the post-pandemic world to get the connection they need with their medical team without having to worry about transportation.
Many of the advancements that we have witnessed during the pandemic will continue to benefit people worldwide at the end of the pandemic. From drones delivering groceries to using technological software to work from home, there are some innovative ideas from the pandemic era that are here to stay.
