The Next Normal: Emerging stronger from the coronavirus pandemic

COVID-19: Where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going

It’s been two years since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Here’s a look back—and a lens on what’s next.
A lot can happen in two years. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. As the world stares down year three of a crisis that has affected so many lives and livelihoods, we’re bringing you a look at how it has affected business and society as well, and what might come next.

One of the hardest things to deal with in this type of crisis is being able to go the distance.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel
When lockdowns began in early 2020, few of us imagined the long road ahead. While progress in protecting lives and livelihoods was swift, new variants and other factors have since meant that there have been times when the virus has seemed to be one step ahead of every countermeasure.
General James Mattis
Former US defense secretary
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“In rather breathtaking speed the pandemic has upended things like you say, pushing our planning horizons it seems almost to nothing. We're flying blind into some very, very uncertain future that's out there.”
See the full interview
(April 2020)
Steven M. Jones
Public-health scientist, co-inventor of first Ebola vaccine
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“We behaved in this pandemic like a cat chasing a laser beam. We jumped on social distancing and masks and lockdowns and vaccination. But none of those solutions in and of itself, is sufficient to solve the problem. This is a complex problem, and complex problems require complex interdependent solutions.”
Read the article
(July 2021)
Shubham Singhal
McKinsey senior partner
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“The consensus is that COVID will become endemic from the pandemic, which means that we will live with it like we do with the flu without as grave consequences as today. It is not a light switch event to get to an endemic phase, because it is as much about the behavior and psychology that we all exhibit as it is about the epidemiology of the virus itself.”
Listen to the podcast
(February 2022)

Where we're going

As the world moves toward endemicity, challenges will continue to arise—as will new solutions. Today, some of the biggest issues revolve around the pandemic’s knock-on effects: on talent, supply chains, inclusive growth, and more. Explore curated reads for more on what matters to you.

Living with COVID-19

When will the COVID-19 pandemic end?New variant, new challenges: How are we coping with Omicron? Pandemic to endemic: How the world can learn to live with COVID-19

People & Organizations

Gone for now, or gone for good? How to play the talent game to win back workersBack and forth: COVID-19’s impact on business in 2021—and today This time it’s personal: Shaping the 'new possible' through employee experience

Healthcare

McKinsey on Healthcare: Perspectives on the pandemic Patients love telehealth—physicians are not so sureNurses and the Great AttritionBattling burnout: A conversation with resiliency expert Dr. Amit Sood

Digital

The data-driven enterprise of 2025The new digital edge: Rethinking strategy for the postpandemic eraThe CIO agenda for the next 12 months: Six make-or-break priorities

Operations

The CEO: Architect of the new operations agendaHow to deal with price increases in this inflationary marketResilience: The whole-company fitness challenge

Sustainable, inclusive growth

Our future lives and livelihoods: Sustainable and inclusive and growingThree keys to a resilient postpandemic recoveryThe labor market is upside down. Here’s what CEOs can do about it

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Emerging stronger from the coronavirus pandemic

The Next Normal: Emerging stronger from the coronavirus pandemic

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