Coronavirus disease is officially a pandemic now. It is definitely not the time to panic and override our sanity at the cost of falling castles, but it is also not wise to ignore the fact that we are in the middle of a crisis. The current world scenario is something like this: regardless of the fact that we are not sick from the virus, directly or indirectly you are feeling the impact of it. As the coronavirus spreads across the globe., world leaders and health ministries are making drastic and wise recommendations to quell the virus’ spread.

If you look across the globe, the government has set a number of restrictions across states, including limiting the number of people who can gather and telling people to avoid public places. As a preventive measure, workers across the globe are being asked to “self-quarantine” and use “social distancing.” It means staying at home and working remotely. Almost every major country has implemented this. Such mandates are necessary, these are desperate times and they require desperate measures. Such mandates have put unique pressure on IT departments and IT decision makers.

This is the time to eliminate as many bottlenecks as we can together. In a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is definitely important to deliver medical care, however it becomes equally necessary to provide information and services to help people make decisions and prevent the ongoing processes, especially the health systems from being overwhelmed.

The Pandemic and its Effect on Economy

From the economic point of view, the overwhelming effect to our global system this pandemic is bringing, carries the potential to break many countries out of the ages old pattern of escalating political and cultural polarization they have been a part of and once this is all over, it may change course toward greater national solidarity and functionality.

No matter how idealist it may sound, but this global crisis has brought all of the humanity together.

One of the first reasons this has happened is because of the “common enemy” factor. People have begun looking past their differences when faced with a shared external threat. We know that COVID-19 is putting us in the lap of a formidable enemy that will not distinguish between reds and blues, and might provide us with fusion-like energy and a singularity of purpose to help us reset and regroup.

It is during such pandemics that we see the ascendance of human goodness—altruism, compassion and generosity of spirit and action.

The next factor here is the political shock wave scenario. This topic has been part of most studies across the globe that strong, enduring relational patterns, with time become more susceptible to change after some type of major shock destabilizes them. And the coronavirus pandemic is doing exactly that. Promote more constructive patterns in our cultural

We are in the middle of a huge societal shock and it can break different ways, making things better or worse. Looking at the existing levels of tension, this scenario suggests that now is the time to begin to , political, and economical discourse. The time is ripe and change is underway.

Tough Times for Businesses Across Globe

With governments asking people to go into isolation and with social distancing being the norm these days, businesses, organizations, and enterprises have no option but to close their offices. Almost every major economy on the face of this earth today has its offices and businesses shut down.

Imagine the level of impact this will create on the global economy. In a country like India, where maximum number of outsourcing work is done, the temporary shut down can cause a huge dent to global businesses.

However, that is not the entire case. Those involved in the service sector, especially in the IT industry have been fortunate enough to rise up to the occasion and find decent alternatives that can help the global economy up and running. If you turn your eyes away from Coronavirus news, the latest trend that is catching up right now is remote working and working from home.

All those who were permanently employed, are working from home now. Companies have sportily kept their business running while asking the employees to work from home. And since no physical contact is possible these days, remote working has become the most viable option.

Hospitals need to keep their IT infrastructure up and running during this time of crisis. They need the systems to work perfectly and in sync. They are at the frontline of this war and we cannot afford them to lose at any cost. Global logistics and supply chain industry is the one who is constantly operating in order to make sure important and life saving items are delivered across the globe on time. They need technological support more than ever today. The Internet is one of the first mediums people look towards when they need any information during such times. Governments, NGOs, and local authorities are developing websites and applications for the local crowd to spread awareness and curb false information. Teams are collaborating globally and hiring remote workers to help them create such websites and applications that help in educating people about the virus. Many have even found business opportunities during this time. Those companies who were involved in cloud based online meetings like Zoom and Skype have seen a boom in their business. New players are entering the ecosystem to provide even better services and help teams come together to collaborate for a greater cause. Education and knowledge is the root of human evolution. No matter the cost, children should not be deprived of education and learning. Schools and colleges across the globe have taken their classes online; where teachers are providing online sessions to the students. Those institutions who did not have online facilities have partnered with remote developers and remote workers to help them develop applications, specially tailored to their needs in order to seamlessly conduct online classes.

Endnotes

No one knows exactly what will come once everything has mellowed down.We are in the times of unknown, in the clasp of unprecedented and in the hands of fate. But one thing is for sure, if we fight with all our might, maybe nature would spare us. Maybe we will come out better than ever before, and maybe the world will be something we always dreamed of: Utopia.