So, it’s time to speculate about what life will look like during and after Covid 19, given that there will likely be major changes to our social behaviors, our economic landscape, our food chain, continuity of health services, emotional wellbeing and our outlook for the future. And, like it or not, there will be another pandemic, and how we respond to this one will set the stage for the outcome of the next one.

Minimizing contact between people is critical to limiting the spread of the virus. Limiting the spread is critical to allowing our healthcare services to cope with the pandemic. I’m told that no more that 30% of the population have the opportunity to work from home. There are “essential workers” that can’t perform their functions remotely. I’m skeptical that we’re doing a good job delineating essential from non-essential, which of course means that more people are being exposed to possible infection that is necessary and put our society at risk of a resurgence that could jeopardize the lives of our citizens.

What can we do to empower our healthcare workers to be effective at mitigating the spread of the virus and limiting fatality? How can we serve our at-risk community more effectively. What strategies can we employ to facilitate social distancing? How many social interactions can be replaced with a do-it-yourself approach? What cultural changes would make it possible to increase the ratio of remote work opportunities?

There is currently at least some focus on managing the gap in our epidemiology approach. It’s obvious to me, and I would assert many others, that wide-spread testing and contact tracing are critical. Without these key elements, we are flying blind. Supporting our healthcare workers with PPE is necessary to protect this vital human resource in this time of need. Expanding everyone’s access to healthcare will give us better outcomes and greater visibility into how the virus is spreading in the population at large. Hygiene and the universal use of masks and gloves when we’re in public would make a difference.

So, let’s play a what-if game. What if we were all vegan? Would we be less likely for viruses to jump species? What if everyone had a garden that would produce enough food to support their families? What if remote education were freely available for everyone K through post-graduate? What if healthcare was universal and we empowered telemedicine in such a way that in-person non-emergency medical visits became unnecessary? What if social groups came together “virtually” in ways that produce irrefutable value to those who participate and their communities?