18 months after COVID-19 virus emerged, we have been forced to reorganise our lives to suit the ‘new lifestyle’: ongoing lockdowns, mandatory mask wearing, working from home, parents home-schooling their children in a new learning environments and quarantines.
The pandemic imposed lockdowns in nations across the world. This drastic change has impacted all industries and service sectors alike including the health-care sector, hospitality, education, retail, travel and government agencies. These sudden changes forced employees and organisational IT teams to adapt to new work conditions. At the beginning of the lockdowns, it was noted that “the dramatic expansion of remote working by Australian schools, businesses and government departments in response to the coronavirus was raising fresh questions about the capacity and security of the tools many Australians use to connect to vital workplace systems and data” . This observation was true for almost all countries around the world.The dependency on technology and online hubs has since grown exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Considering the increased need for health-care services and organisations during the pandemic, technology has played a critical role in the health-care sector. In addition to the information systems that are normally used in healthcare or businesses, the new applications of video conferencing for doctor appointments, business meetings, contact tracing applications, and emergency messaging services were deployed during this time.
For schools and universities, the move to virtual learning was required to ensure the safety of the students and staff. Many families have found this new virtual learning arrangement stressful, resulting in escalated anxiety and depression. While meant to ensure the health and safety of students, the online method imposes concerns regarding wholesome learning, access to required technologies and Internet issues, impediments to lab-based research, academic integrity, surveillance issues and privacy concerns.
There may be little to gain from the virus, but it is important that the masses keep in mind that no one is being left behind. When this is over, the best of our new normal will enrich our lives and work in the future.
