Dr. Tanya at Salted Caramel has a weekly challenge called “5 Things” – this week she invites us to make predictions about our post-pandemic world.
My predictions (for the United States of America):
1. Trump will lose the election in November, in spite of the development of a vaccine for Covid-19 or at least the promise by medical experts of a vaccine being available soon.
2. While the new administration will attempt to repair relations with our allies, and will have some success, there will continue to be wariness abroad about American long-term political and economic stability. That could include restrictions on American travel to some countries.
3. Most students will return to school in the fall of 2020. However, there will not be a unified response to the question of school reopening while still in the throes of the pandemic; instead, each state and/or district will create a patchwork of solutions to keep students (relatively) safe in order for them to return to school.
4. In spite of the lessons of the pandemic about the inherent problems of our society (racism, inequality, lack of affordable health care for all, etc.), the new administration will struggle to solve these problems. We will not achieve universal health care for all, but there will be some progress made, such as lowering the age of eligibility for Medicare to 60. An economic slump will continue to plague us, however, for several years.
5. Because of the election of Democrat Joe Biden for president, and Democrats regaining control of both legislative houses, there will be serious attempts to mitigate climate change through sane environmental policies – the EPA will be restored to its pre-Trump mission and effectiveness, policies to encourage the move to cleaner energy sources will be proposed, and the U.S. will re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement. The federal government will be restored to a more professional and less corrupt state.
Wanderlust & Wonderment 
I hope you are right. But our nation has not been very sane and the manipulations of elections have not been addressed.
True – I was just listening to Rachel Maddow’s interview with Mary Trump, who just came out with a book about her uncle specifically and the Trump family in general. She said that in order for Trump to concede the election without making a fuss or refusing to leave office, he will have to lose by a large margin. That is the only way he will admit defeat. And considering how many Republicans are enabling Trump to keep him in power, it is a big worry that they will try to make it difficult for people to vote. We will have to have vote by mail in order for people to not have to choose between voting and their health!
I have wondered if he might decide to take his marbles and go home if he is doing poorly enough, so he wouldn’t have to face defeat.
His niece thinks that the defeat has to be resounding, because defeat by a small margin, he will have room to argue that the election was rigged in some way. He won’t accept defeat if he can help it.
I haven’t heard anything about the possibility of lower the Medicare eligible to age 60.
It’s something I heard Bernie Sanders mention last night – he said that in talks with Biden, Biden had come around on the idea of lowering the age of Medicare to 60. It’s just a proposal at the moment.
I think your right that the rest of the world will have trouble re-engaging with the US. It elected a maniac in 2016 so what’s to stop it doing so again in 2024? In that respect, the damage Trump has done is semi=permanent.
I think your predictions are spot on.
Interesting predictions.
Thank you for participating.
Really hope you are right!