COVID-19 has made it possible to adopt some new normal behaviors such as handwashing and social distance in the public and mandatory mask wearing by optometrists and other clinicians. The public will find it necessary to see medics in their personal protective gear at all times, except in rear situations. People have come to understand the possibility of the virus not going away (Buheji & Buheji, 2020). According to Lipsitch and Dean (2020), most people will expect hospitals and health providers to use cashless payments. The public will consider those who will not adhere to this new normal as potential enhancers for emerging strains of coronavirus’ spread.
The pandemic has opened the human perception of service delivery in connection with technological advancement. In particular, it will be a new normal to have healthcare facilities automated and using robotics to clean and disinfect countertops and drones, which deliver lighter packages to different patients. This will enhance efficiency and save operational costs, and ensure the safety of both the sick and caregivers (Zeng et al., 2020). In particular, the rise and steady adoption of 5G technology will result in more autonomous vehicles, thus improving telehealth services.
The fear of reinfections and failure of COVID-19 vaccines on some people would necessitate the need to continue wearing masks, increase sanitation standards, and maintain social distance in the health facilities and optical settings. As a result, most optometric services and optical retail settings will change to adopt telemedicine mainly (Nagra et al., 2020). This approach will help the public, especially senior citizens and people with underlying health conditions, as it is a convenient and safe method of health care delivery in times of emerging diseases. In this regard, I doubt the possibility of returning to the pre-pandemic procedures and methods.
References
Buheji, M., & Buheji, A. (2020). Planning competency in the new normal–employability competency in post-COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Human Resource Studies, 10(2), 237-251. Web.
Lipsitch, M., & Dean, N. E. (2020). Understanding COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. Science, 370(6518), 763-765. Web.
Nagra, M., Vianya-Estopa, M., & Wolffsohn, J. S. (2020). Could telehealth help eye care practitioners adapt contact lens services during the COVID-19 pandemic? Contact Lens and Anterior Eye, 43(3), 204-207. Web.
Zeng, Z., Chen, P. J., & Lew, A. A. (2020). From high-touch to high-tech: COVID-19 drives robotics adoption. Tourism Geographies, 22(3), 724-734. Web.