Let's discuss changes we will see in life (long term) once this whole thing is over.

I'll start. No trolling or junk posts in thread please.

These are predictions for years from now, NOT in the medium-term recovery period after the disease is gone but the economic fallout remains.


Pandemic Readiness

- Huge supply of N95 masks and plan to distribute them to both healthcare workers and the people

- Social distancing protocol, taking place as soon as perceived threat exists

- Plan to immediately build temporary hospital facilities and how to quickly manufacture needed medical equipment

- Plan to immediately implement travel restrictions from affected countries

- All schools required to have distance learning protocols, with virtual classrooms already set up and ready to go

- Laws in place regarding hoarding of certain essential supplies, which take effect as soon as threat is discovered

- Criminal penalties for violation of social distancing rules

- Plan on how to quickly manufacture and distribute both tests and antibody tests



Economic

- Identification of essential industries which will get a bailout (and which ones won't)

- Emergency cash reserves on hand to distribute in the case of next pandemic

- Laws regarding rent, mortgage, utility, and healthcare payment -- both during pandemic and the repayment schedule afterwards

- Fewer business operating with little cash on hand than before

- More people allowed to work from home in general, plus most major companies having a plan on how they will implement work-from-home if necessary for everyone

- Less reliance upon China and other foreign countries for production



Travel

- New rules regarding medical care available aboard cruise ships, as well as pre-planning which government agrees to take ship into port in the event of disease on board

- Cruise industry shifting focus from mostly elderly passengers to those who are young and middle aged, given likely decline in interest from elderly people

- Quarantine requirements for citizens returning from abroad during pandemic, with non-citizens turned away

- Laws in place to refund consumers quickly when flights or cruises get cancelled



Sports/Entertainment

- All major sports leagues will have a plan on how to handle a suspended season

- All events of more than a relatively small number of people (25?) will be immediately shut down in the case of a pandemic threat

- Inability to play due to pandemic written into sports and venue contracts

- Plan put in place to routinely test players and play in front of empty stadiums, in order to get sports to return more quickly

- Laws in place to protect consumers when events get cancelled



Other

- Advancement of "right to try" laws regarding experimental meds

- More online classes at colleges (even when no pandemic threat)

- Fewer social rituals such as handshaking or hugging