3 previously unthinkable consequences from the Coronavirus

In colonial India, a British government officer in Delhi thought there was a problem. He believed the Indian capital had too many cobras.

So, he announced a bounty. For every dead cobra presented to the authorities, a reward would be given. The idea proved popular and initially produced good results.

After a short period of time, there was a severe lack of cobras in the city, so bounty hunters searched for them in the wild. This proved to be time consuming, so some innovative locals realised they could farm cobras in Delhi.

When the government finally realised what was happening, the scheme was cancelled and the cobra farmers all lost their jobs.

They released the snakes. The city was infested.

This is more of a legend than an actual story. But whether it took place is irrelevant. The point is we live in a world of unthinkable consequences. And, the frequency that these will occur will only increase as we enter a fast-paced digital age.

Here are three previously unthinkable consequences as a result of the Coronavirus.

1. The lockdown has seen crime rates plummet

In the US, crime rates plunged as residents across the country decided to stay at home. Fewer calls to the police were made and there was a significant drop in the number of arrests.

The USA TODAY published crime data from 53 law enforcement agencies across two dozen states. This was one of the largest studies conducted globally on the impact that the Coronavirus has had on crime and policing.

There was an increase, however, in the number of calls made to the police related to domestic disturbances and violence. These both rose 10% and 30%, respectively. There was also a pick-up in public nuisance complaints, such as loud noises from parties.

In the US, spring is typically a time when crime rates start to rise, as warm weather brings more people outside. These large falls in crime rates are similar to what is experienced during heavy snowstorms.

In the last week of March 2020, there were significant declines in crime in New York City across most categories. The only area that saw a large year-on-year increase was car theft, with burglary remaining roughly the same. Grand theft – the largest crime category – more than halved, falling by 55.6%. Meanwhile, rape, assault and robbery fell 40.7%, 40.0% and 27.5% respectively.

Ironically, despite the broad decline in crime across the US, there was a significant pickup in gun sales. In March 2020, 1.9 million guns were sold in the US as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. Driving sales, is a fear that the virus could lead to civil unrest and a breakdown in law and order.

2. Pandemics are great for the environment

The pandemic has shut down large parts of our global economy. There’s been a sharp decline in industrial activity, especially in China – the world’s largest greenhouse emitter. Experts estimate that emissions over the past month have been 25% lower than normal.

The European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P satellite shows sharp declines in nitrogen dioxide around the world.

There have also been reports of nature taking back Venice, as wildlife returns to the tourist-free city. The cruise ships are gone and the souvenir stores are closed. Venice’s waterways have been transformed. Shoals of tiny fish, scuttling crabs and multicoloured plant-life have returned. The water is now blue and clear.

There has also been a large drop in demand for oil due to the decline in economic activity caused by the lockdown. Ironically, it coincided with a significant price war erupting between Russia and Saudi. At one point, oil prices dipped to just over $22 per barrel.

3. The way we communicate may radically change

When the bubonic plague swept across Britain in 1439, King Henry VI banned the practice of kissing on the cheeks when greeting someone. Perhaps the same fate awaits the age-old handshake.

A firm handshake has been one of the most powerful non-verbal forms of communication in business. It’s supposed to transmit your underlying confidence in yourself and your ability to get things done. Yet, this could become a thing of the past.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, a number of public health organisations have advised people to stop shaking hands as a greeting. For instance, the England cricket team are opting for fist bumps instead of handshakes before games. There’s also the “elbow bump” which has become popular in business. And, the “Wuhan shake” which involves bumping feet.

A pandemic culture is emerging. It’s changing the way we interact with others. This is something that was almost impossible to imagine prior to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Once the virus subsides, shaking hands may well become the norm again. However, the very fact that we are questioning whether the handshake could become extinct, is remarkable.

The Coronavirus has heightened our awareness on many things

The Coronavirus has led to many unthinkable outcomes, but it was not an unthinkable event. We’ve always known that there was a risk of a severe pandemic occurring that could potentially kill millions. That’s why zombie movies exist. Hollywood has also made millions on disease-disaster movies.

This is not a risk we haven’t thought about. The US government even ran a programme last year codenamed “Crimson Contagion”, which simulated an influenza pandemic.

The results were sobering. It highlighted just how unprepared and uncoordinated the US government would be in a life or death battle with a virulent virus.

It predicted that federal agencies would jockey over who was in charge. State officials and hospitals would struggle to figure out what kind of equipment was stockpiled or available. Cities and states would close schools in an uncoordinated manner. And, this is exactly what happened when the Coronavirus arrived.

The virus has also revealed some interesting traits about humanity that behavioural economists have studied for decades. For instance, we’ve seen herding behaviour with toilet paper, pasta, bread yeast, hand sanitisers and even guns (in the case of the US).

The Coronavirus has been extremely disruptive. It has not only disrupted our current lives but may disrupt our future lives in ways that were unimaginable before. Perhaps we will no longer work in offices. Perhaps people will migrate away from large cities. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps… What we can say is that the Coronavirus has created a world where the unthinkable has become the norm.