In these modern times, a lot of things have changed on how we perceive life. This fast-paced setting pushed people to forget the value of time—enjoying temporary pleasures and worldly-competitions. The loud world suddenly went upside down. The timid noise of fear has conquered us when coronavirus disease 2019 entered the scene.

COVID-19 has tremendously taken over our lives. As it worsens, it may collapse the world in its all aspects. Researchers are on the race to confront the virus--looking for the vaccine that may save people from uncertainty.

As we deal with the day-to-day realities of a worldwide disease, many of us are simply waiting for the pandemic to end. But there’s a worrying possibility that COVID-19 might never go away—the nearest possibility among the uncertainties lurking around.

Will COVID-19 stay with us for the rest of our lives? Could it be possible? This is the biggest question on everyone’s mind today.

“It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away,” WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan said in a press briefing on May 14, 2020, as reported by Reuters.

Coronavirus may never disappear as what Doctor Ryan tries to imply in all of us. He even drew an analogy to HIV as an example of a virus which stayed with us ever since it ravaged humanity but now several ways have been discovered to slow down its effects.

"HIV has not gone away, we've come to terms with the virus and we have found the therapies and we found the prevention methods," the head of the organisation’s health emergencies programme said at a WHO press briefing, "and people don't feel as scared as they did before and we're offering long healthy life to people with HIV."

The horrors of COVID-19 may alter the way of living and we all know that the only way out is a vaccine.

WORK

The workforce will never have its same setup again. People quickly figured out how to work from home and even when the pandemic subsides, WFH will remain popular with professionals, and that will force companies to become more flexible.

The change in the work system is truly one of the greatest impacts of the virus, and even when COVID-19 subsides. This will become the standard as part of the new normal we are facing in the future.

TRAVEL              

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in an unprecedented blow to the tourism sector, the COVID-19 pandemic has cut international tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2020 to a fraction of what they were a year ago.

The Philippine tourism industry is currently suffering amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Based on data from the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Tourism said tourist arrivals have dropped 41% in February.

Several measures and plans are being implemented by the tourism department to somehow address this huge effect. The slow prevention of the virus will take a long effect on tourism; whether COVID-19 will stay with us or not, this will be a challenge from now on especially in the countries who rely so much on tourism.

The discipline when it comes to travelling will be different from now on as we will become more cautious and conscious of many things. This pandemic will teach us a lot of lessons that will surely alter our perspectives.

ECONOMY

The worldwide economy is on the verge of a massive fall if COVID-19 pandemic will not be prevented the soonest. Some countries tried to lift lockdowns to save the economy and help the people.

This is not anyone’s problem to be solved but a whole world to face. The severe effects of COVID-19 are manifested for weeks now, and to put equilibrium in place, countries are taking risks in a more feasible manner to save their citizens who are not only affected by the virus but also the deteriorating economy.

Who knows who? Experts have their own opinions and judgements if this virus could be endemic and which means it will stay with us forever.

Top of this topic, one thing is certain, the effects we are facing and first experiencing right now will be forever inculcated to our minds even if COVID-19 will evaporate and be forgotten for a period of time.

As we face the unknown, all we can do is prepare