May 2020: 6 stories in 2 publications

As lockdown restrictions ease, there’s still a lot about COVID-19 we don’t understand.

Indeed, scientists are still investigating where the coronavirus came from, why there are new coronavirus symptoms, and how to create a coronavirus vaccine. All this is on top of the existing difficulties with COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and more.

Besides the health emergency, we’re also facing an economic crisis, with COVID-19 undoing years of progress in curbing global poverty. For example, the strain on the world’s food system means that while some quick-service restaurants and home cooking companies are doing well, many restaurants are closing down and unsure if they’ll ever be back.

Looking ahead

Even with a long road ahead, it’s inspiring to see many businesses proving resilient to the pandemic. For example, I’ve been using my time under lockdown in South Africa to attend several online travel conferences and even created a digital presentation (initially planned for several in-person events this year) that outlines how to grow your brand with the power of podcasting.

As someone with a passion for travel, I’ve also been inspired by all the ways to travel the world during the COVID-19 pandemic and plan your travels for after the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, many people are getting ready for great deals when travel opens up and they can finally take their dream trips on trains, on ships, or (eventually) in planes.

It’s much like Honore De Balzac writes in Old Goriot, our book recommendation for the month (also available on Audible):

“There are no such things as principles, there are only events; there are no laws, there are only circumstances: the man who is wiser than his fellows accepts events and circumstances in order to turn them to his own ends.”

How will you adapt today?

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Empty streets under Johannesburg lockdown (Copyright: Eugene Yiga)
Empty streets under Johannesburg lockdown (Copyright: Eugene Yiga)