Effects of COVID-19: Unexpected Benefits
I’m watching and learning from global reaction to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s no doubt that some countries have handled it better than others. Some have also had some “nasty surprises” …
The time for “blame games” and recriminations will come later; let’s first learn from the different types of “fallout” we’ve seen. My first article was on “Social Fallout”. After that I wrote about “Supply Chain Fallout”. Travel & Tourism came next, followed by a closer look at the Garment Industry. Then Leadership & Administration, followed by IT and Security implications. Academic fallout came next, then Economic fallout. Another aspect that would have impacted many was the effect on cities. I looked at payments and banking more recently and then other problems. I then felt that the time had come to see what, if any, positive results had been seen. Here goes…
Thailand has seen a 60% reduction in road accidents. Japan and India have also reported 20% and 90% lower fatal road accidents respectively, whist Malaysia has reported a drop as well (the flip side is that coffin makers have seen business decline).
Others, such as Vietnam, have seen crime rates fall as people observe social distancing. The Indian state of Kerala reports rape is down.
In Hong Kong, the ‘flu season ended 9 weeks early (some good news for them, given the uncertainty currently faced).
Another decline has been global pollution due to the shutting-down of factories and the fact that may airlines have grounded their aircraft. One news source stated that global daily consumption of oil in April would fall by an estimated 15 million to 20 million barrels a day against what it was a year ago. China, a major pollution centre, has estimated it has seen 12,000 cardio-vascular deaths averted.
Although reports are mixed, many communities have become closer in adversity. People are helping each other, particularly those most “at risk” of catching the virus.
Online ordering and delivery services are booming. Car hire and ride-hailing businesses have switched to delivering essential supplies to those who want to self-isolate.
We may become less wasteful and more grateful for what we have. Increased pressure on employers to allow working from home as a “standard” part of compensation packages may see people spending more time with their families, wasting less time commuting (and thus decreasing congestion and pollution). The world will change for the better in many ways.
I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Crisis Management, Leadership, Social
posted by William Martin @ 14:42
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