Post-pandemic, some things might not go back to how they were beforehand. We asked readers: Tell us something that’s changed this past year because of COVID-19 that you hope stays with us. Some answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
“Slower pace of life. Spending more time at home. Enjoying the simpler things.” — Shelly Lynn Rivera
“Normalizing mask-wearing and staying home from work, social gatherings, etc. when you have any symptoms of not feeling well. It used to be normal to ‘power through’ not feeling well at work, and I hope that will not return post-COVID.” — Carolyn Tomecek
“People standing six feet away from you in line at the checkout. The biggest pet peeve of mine before the pandemic was folks not understanding personal space in line.” — Bennie Woodell
“All the restaurants that have outdoor dining now. And, equally, working from home.” — Robin Perko
“I hope people will wear masks when they are sick but not sick enough to stay home — when they have a cold. It’s really the considerate thing to do, but, after a year of wearing a mask in all public spaces, I doubt most will do it willingly. We should be protecting the vulnerable all the time, not just during a pandemic.” — Cheryl Wisniewski
“Colds and flu are not as bad as previous years. People are washing their hands and masking up, so the germs are not being spread.” — Nancy Britt-Riep Campise
“Actually taking sick days when we’re sick rather than ‘powering through’ to infect those around us. No work is more important than our health.” — Mara Rosenbloom
“The opportunity to attend events and things virtually now that we know it is extremely and entirely possible! I think it’s important for those with certain conditions or disabilities that may sometimes inhibit their ability to actually go to a physical location where an event is being held.” — Minmin Marie
“No more shaking hands with strangers or hugs with people outside your circle. Wearing masks during flu seasons. Partitions at restaurants and nail salons.” — Pat Christian-Moore
“The curbside services at stores and restaurants. Or even the option for some places to be able to pick up an order when they didn’t have that at all before.” — Ewa Dziadkowiec
