Habits and routines of the COVID-19 era that have come to stay

Although some sociologists affirm that we are facing the end of the beginning of the pandemic, and that it will not be until 2024 when we really enter the post-pandemic era, we can already see some of the consequences that the arrival of COVID-19 has left in our way of living day to day. Although it is true that we are no longer going to return to scenarios like March 2020, or January 2021 where uncertainty and the dreaded “waves” caused drastic changes in our way of life, there are certain social and hygienic habits that we have started to acquire during this time and it seems they have been established forever in our day to day lives/

Examples of habits that have been acquired after the pandemic

1. Hygiene. Cleaning is not the same as disinfecting. The pandemic gave us a master class on the differences between these two concepts and the importance of disinfection in homes. According to the Spanish Association of Distributors, Self-services and Supermarkets (Asedas), the purchase and use of bleaches had its peak during the first weeks of the pandemic: disinfectants and bleaches experienced an increase in demand of more than 100%, and household cleaners rose by around 30%, with a total sales increase at the end of 2020, of 20%, compared to the previous year, in terms of bleaches and disinfectants. What is most striking about this data is that bleach and disinfectants have also entered the shopping cart of the younger demographic, due to their quality / price ratio.
   In addition, on a personal level, hand washing and the use of hydro-alcoholic gels have permeated society and we have increased hand washing and disinfection every time we handle things that many people touch.
   
   
2. The way to socialise. The use of masks and social distance has been a turning point when it comes to meeting others. This situation has led us to the fact that one of the habits that we had deeply ingrained in this society, such as, for example, arriving at a meeting and greeting those present, known or not, with two kisses, has been nipped in the bud, not only by isolation and confinement, but by maintaining interpersonal safety distance and avoiding physical contact.
   
   
3. Remote work. This way of working, which was almost a utopia in countries like ours, overnight became necessary and essential for the operation of companies between the months of March and April 2020. Well, there are many companies that after making a set-up in the most immediate way possible and investing in this type of work system, have seen the benefits it has for their workers, such as travel savings, the reconciliation of work and personal life and a more direct worker predisposition to any need of the company.
   
   
4. Online shopping. A purchase modality that grew in 2020 what it would have grown in the next five years. The pandemic, the fear of shortages and contagions have made many choose to switch to the digital channel, reaching, in the case of supermarkets, a market share of 4%, according to the latest report by the consulting firm Kantar, a sector that has undergone very rapid changes and has had to adapt to new trends as a result of the pandemic. In addition, the report states that four out of ten Spaniards assure that they will buy more and more online. Among the main reasons, are comfort and saving time to dedicate it to other activities.
   
   
5. Food delivery boom. With time restrictions, capacity restrictions and even the closure of the hospitality industry, many restaurants and bars have reinvented themselves and joined delivery platforms in order to continue working and serving their customers. So, in one way or another, we have become accustomed to having the "bar" at home, since it has become our refuge. We have learned to be there more, love it more and take care of her it. Delivery platforms and food delivery services grew 60% during the state of alarm, according to a report by the consulting firm Kantar. During this period, home delivery operators added nearly a thousand new restaurants, each in less than three months, so that those who did not have this service incorporated it for the first time.
   
   
6. The rise of the use of credit cards or bank apps to the detriment of currency and banknotes. The first information we had about the virus was that it had a high transmission value by contact, so the health authorities advised that more use be made of payment cards and banking applications than of cash.