The two-week shutdown probably did nothing to ‘flatten the curve.’ It did, however, flatten the economy and end the beginning of an economic boom. I suspect that there may have been some nefarious people who were planning that result. Unfortunately, there may be some nefarious people currently working in Washington to repeat that template. However, in my opinion, the economic impact of Covid will not be as lasting as some of its sociological effects.

Before Covid, investing in office space was a relatively safe bet. Workers were in their offices almost every day, and there was a comradery among workers. School children were in their classrooms daily, learning social skills and forming friendships. After Covid, when the children returned to school to a very different environment. Kindergarten children missed nearly a year of social development. When they got to school, their learning was further impacted by having to wear masks. Not only was this practice questionable for young children who might not be able to keep a mask clean for the entire school day, it also hindered their ability to read social cues in their teachers’ expressions.

High school students were denied certain rites of passage, milestones in life–class trips, proms, competitive sports, awards ceremonies and graduation ceremonies.

So what was the social impact?

Elementary school children lost a year (at least) of social development. The young adults who were in high school at that time (a generation that was already leaning toward texting rather than actual conversation) grew accustomed to socialization through electronics rather than in person. The comradery in a office that comes from shared purpose and shared experiences was lost.

Can we regain any of our losses? Yes. We have already begun. As office workers return to their office, the team spirit will again emerge. As companies realize the value of having people physically present in the office, commercial real estate will rebound, and interaction between company employees will return.

Our plans to combat Covid failed on many levels. However, they provide a blueprint of what not to do in the case of a future epidemic.