Ten Good Things that I hope will come out of this pandemic in the longer term, as possible silver linings to a horrible tragedy:

1. More companies allow work from home to those who prefer it. Adds flexibility of location, saves commutes, is all around better for some.

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2. Digital doctor & therapy appointments become standard options when there is no need and/or desire to be there in person. This can save money, save time, and enable people to see far away experts.

3. More awareness of, and far more preparation for, pandemics, so that next time a bad one hits (which, by the way, has the potential to be much worse than COVID) we are drastically better prepared.

4. More acceptance of the concept that we need to talk about, work very hard to prevent, and make preparations for, massively dangerous events that have a low probability of occurring each year (e.g., nuclear war, risks from AI, possible runaway feedback loops in climate, etc.)

5. More robust supply chains for important goods (food, medical equipment, etc.)

6. Faster FDA approval processes, especially in emergencies, but hopefully more generally as well. Better and faster vaccine development processes and legal approval systems.

7. A greater understanding of how much our major societal institutions have decayed, and more focus on fixing them, or replacing them with new ones that work.

8. A stronger acceptance of using video for some communication with friends, and even for occasional parties, so that people who don’t live near each other can stay more connected.

9. A stronger acceptance of using calls and video for business communication, so that people who don’t like business travel don’t have to do as many unnecessary business trips.

10. Greater appreciation for human connection (since so many have had less of it than normal), and more gratitude for simple things we may take for granted normally, like walking around without concern, events and parties, visiting family without risk, hugs, travel, etc.

COVID-19 is a terribly tragedy. Let’s learn from it what we can, so that, at least, it is not all for nothing.