This post isn't to sound pessimistic or in the tone of doomsday like scenarios but more of an observational one collated from my experiences. With people gradually coming to terms with this pandemic being the new normal, it's also an attempt to engage with fellow developers like you to understand the mindsets, rationale, and viewpoints behind it.

Let me begin listing of the effects of the pandemic, broadly bucketed into 3 categories.

Ugly

1. Many organizations simply didn't have a Business Continuity Plan or were in no shape, or had the resources and expertise to develop one.
2. This led to inhumane pay cuts/layoffs/furloughs/no increments en masse for conglomerates with decades of industry experience and start-ups alike.
3. Even if the pandemic subsides and/or a cure is found, more of the above will be the new norm in due course of time. Additionally, it'll be cited as the reason for any & almost everything.
4. Companies eager to get back on track will resume operations on a frantic note wherein they'll have employees working long hours leading to issues like mental burnout, stress & other lifestyle disorders.
5. Military and humanitarian crises will exponentially rise if better disaster management practices are not formulated.

Bad

1. Organizations will re-think their expenditure on workspaces, leases, rents, and mortgages thus encouraging more Work from Home.
2. This will lead to severe problems for the real-estate industry due to declining revenues. Similarly, some establishments across other sectors such as travel, food, offline entertainment will be knocked offline forever.
3. Remote work as the new regular can have more occurrences of internet connectivity issues, power outages, software/hardware failures, too many meetings/calls for daily routine.
4. Thereby, work-life balance will be affected since many people tend not to adhere to a strict schedule/discipline. People in countries with strict lockdowns could start feeling isolated.
5. Economic damage across the globe has been unprecedented and may take decades to recover.

And finally like the proverbial dessert, here's the good

Good

1. Healthcare stands to be given topmost priority.
2. In crisis lie many opportunities so a multitude of ventures, start-ups & acquisitions will spring up to solve innumerable problems for the new needs of the world's population.
3. E-Commerce will boom towards newer highs since more people will now order essentials online.
4. Companies with sound principles will more likely be empathetic towards their employees to provide benefits such as remote work, flexible timings, better healthcare provisions and morale.
5. People will value blessings such as health, finances, and interpersonal relationships even more than ever before.

What are some of the effects you think will this Covid pandemic have?