2021: The Light at the End of the Tunnel?

“Today is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.”

—Brad Paisley (1)

In 1918, around 50 million people of an estimated population of 1.8 billion people died world-wide from the H1N1 influenza pandemic. A century later, at this time last year, we were oblivious to the impact SARS-CoV-2 would have on our lives: on our personal lives, our professional lives, and the economy around the world. To date, over 1.5 million deaths have been officially associated with COVID-19 infection out of a population of over 7 billion people. Many more have suffered from the consequences of COVID-19, both physically, with the impact the pandemic had on the health sector and the economy, and the mental impact of isolation, bereavement, and uncertainty. Will all bad things come to an end, and is 2021 the light at the end of the tunnel?

The pandemic has devastated many of our lives, and working on the frontline has left many of us traumatized, overwhelmed, anxious, and physically or mentally scarred. However, COVID-19 has created many opportunities and advances that we will be able to nurture in the future.

We rapidly had to adopt telehealth, including video calls, which required both clinician and patient education. What had been expected to be a technology solution in the future is a care strategy today. And it is expected that telehealth will be incorporated into health care permanently. We also gained experience in triaging the needs of patients in a way that would have been inconceivable a few months earlier. Some previously planned procedures and surgeries were put on pause in order to accommodate the surge of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Between the first and second wave, we had the opportunity to realize the effect of the pandemic and to meet the “hidden victims” of COVID-19: those patients who were afraid to go to the doctor and would arrive with massive complications or with advanced disease that required urgent management. Furthermore, in 2021, we will encounter an important backlog from 2020 that will mandate us prioritizing services.

In terms of education, scientific meetings were replaced with virtual events, and this provided an extraordinary opportunity to expand access for those who could not attend meetings previously, either due to distance, financial reasons, parental or caregiving responsibilities, or health issues. Attendance at scientific congresses has increased dramatically, resulting in an expanded distribution of scientific knowledge and discovery that has been unparalleled.

It was previously thought that networking was not possible virtually, but we rapidly adapted to new platforms and discussion opportunities, and established new mentoring and other professional connections. Social media became even more important in the exchange of medical information and developments, as well as serving as a lifeline to continued and up-to-the-minute communication of medical updates. Remote areas benefited from virtual networking even more, levelling the playing field and equalizing opportunities. And although we are physically distanced from one another, digital forums have helped open new avenues for connecting with a diverse group of physicians from around the world.

In our personal and professional wellbeing, COVID-19 has changed us a lot: we collectively reordered our priorities. Some of us stayed at home more, conducting patient visits via telehealth, and had the opportunity to spend more time with our families. Others took on hospital roles, including providing intensive care unit care to COVID-19 patients, roles they had not assumed since their training days. The burden of the pandemic resulted in isolation and an increased incidence of depression. We have been forced to examine our culture and acknowledge our increased need for teamwork, support, and collegiality, and focus on our own mental health.

Gradual Transition into a New Normal

In such a diverse world, the big question is what will be the definition of our new normal? Will we ever go back to our previous normal?

The hope is that we do not end up in a stagnant new normal but in a state of progress and diverse thinking to continue the changes that the pandemic has catalyzed and make this world a better place for all. It will be important to retain the benefits of the changes and embrace the new normal as we enter 2021.

We live in a quickly developing world with monthly computer and smartphone updates, but our society has not updated our system, our beliefs and behaviors as rapidly. Our beliefs and behaviors have been passed on for many generations over hundreds of years. COVID has not only killed people, but also forced people into new ways of living, new modes of working, and setting different expectations and priorities when it comes to life, health, and wellbeing.

Let’s take this year as a teaching lesson: we learned to trust each other, to learn from each other, to love more and possibly express ourselves more with words rather than a hug or a kiss. This is a huge change. And realize that because you are still here and reading this editorial, you have the strength to write a new page.

Author Disclosures

The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.