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    Due to the pandemic, people’s lifestyle has changed enormously. Wearing masks is as essential as wearing clothes, and customers are encouraged to order take-outs instead of dining in restaurants. Also, the popularity of traveling abroad has declined because of the policies of entry restrictions and quarantine. If the pandemic never ends, people will have to face several difficulties and be forced to adjust their habits to survive. This essay will discuss the negative impact on the manufacturing industries, how it may impact mental health under an everlasting pandemic, and the positive effect on people’s daily activities.

    Firstly, the manufacturing industries will be influenced by the never-ending pandemic, and most of the labor-intensive industries may be abandoned. Some factories may be forced to close due to the infections of staff. Others, to avoid cluster infections, will invest in industrial robots and smart agriculture systems which rapidly take over humans’ jobs. This phenomenon may result in a huge wave of unemployment and thus create numerous financial problems. Such economic impact can be seen in a housing crisis research (Kneebone et al., 2021) which states, “The pandemic has increased landlords’ interest in selling their properties, indicating that there may be an increased turnover of property ownership as a result of the pandemic’s economic impacts” (p. 11). The above shows that if the pandemic never ends, it will result in an enormous change in manufacturing factories, and many employees will lose their jobs.

    Secondly, people are more likely to suffer from poor mental health when living under condition that is uncertain and highly restricted. Lots of labours may be worried about the possibility of unemployment or not being able to work during the quarantine. The loss of jobs may affect the updates of the high-tech equipment, which results in the disturbance of social connections or loss of leisure activities. Consequently, people hardly release pressure or receive support from society. Moreover, Brooks (2020) states that “the financial loss as a result of quarantine created serious socioeconomic distress and was found to be a risk factor for symptoms of psychological disorders and both anger and anxiety several months after quarantine” (p. 916). That is, while preventing the spread of COVID-19, the public health policies are more or less putting pressure on people. If the pandemic is endless, people would have to cope with the stress for a long time and it may be harmful to their mental health.

    Although an everlasting pandemic impacts the industries and people’s mental health, it still has a positive effect on people’s daily lives. The development of immersive technologies such as virtual reality and mixed reality allows people to purchase daily supplements and attend social events. If the pandemic never ends, people may engage with online activities more frequently because staying at home keeps people from the virus. As a result, the technologies will be optimized to provide a variety of indoor activities in a more creative way. For example, people can meet in an online gym to do training or play sports together, immerse themselves in video games or an exotic world, and can access the health care system, and receive medical advice at home. The pandemic can improve people’s lives by accelerating the development of technologies.

    Overall, the never-ending pandemic will impact the manufacturing industries and affect people’s mental conditions. Nevertheless, it can boost the advent of technologies and benefit people’s daily activities. Human resources may be replaced by high-tech products and people will have to stay strong mentally to survive. Even though the rapid development of technologies seems a realistic solution to cope with most of the difficulties of the pandemic, issues related to mental health need considerable attention in the long run.

 

References

Brooks et al. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: a rapid review of the evidence. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32112714/

Kneebone et al. (2021). The impact of the pandemic on landlords is evidenced by two national surveys. Retrieved from: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/research-areas/working-papers/impact-pandemic-landlords-evidence-two-national-surveys