The year 2020 is gone, with all its horrors and sufferings caused largely by the covid-19. Today was the first day of 2021, nothing unusual for me, I was a little bit unwell due to hangover caused by heavy drinking the night before! pretty standard! aside from that just a usual day. Although the vaccines are now in the picture and we all hope that soon thing will go back to normal (something that I too strive for) but we must be realistic and to take into account various facets of the situation. Vaccinations are off to a slow start in many countries, in the US millions of dozes are sitting in the freezer waiting to be administered. Meanwhile in some European countries people are on vacation however there are also exceptions such as Israel that has already vaccinated 10% of the population. The point is vaccination is shown to be a complex logistical issue, we must add to that those who will refrain from receiving the doze.

The economy is already damaged so deeply from the pandemic that it will take years to fully recover. In many countries especially in Europe, billions have been allocated to business and individuals affected by the pandemic, allocation of this budget will take away opportunities for growth and progress on other areas.

The covid-19 pandemic has made other lasting changes to our lives, shopping is now online, work and education remote. Of course there are exceptions, but the shift to remote work especially among technology companies is deeply embraced. In Europe where legal frameworks we designed to prevent remote work have been relaxed to accomodate pandemic circumstances, however when the pandemic is over, either law makers see the benefits to WFH and change their laws accordingly or perhaps they will do so after a backlash from the employees which constitute a large part of the population.

Although things might not ever go back to “pre-2020 normal” we certainly will find our way around the pandemic and perhaps we get so used to the new way of life that we won’t be bothered by wearing mask outside or standing in line 6 feet apart. Either way I’m hoping for a great year to come and I hope it’s at least better than 2020!