RONA, a short story anthology about the global COVID-19 pandemic

Futurism Report Excerpt

-shed the direct impacts that a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic will present to the world and, more specifically, REDACTED's clientele, the following chapters present effects and behavioral trends our researchers have projected, which should be observed for they can indirectly affect the strategic planning of your enterprise for years to come.

Sincerely,

Dr. Leonard I. Eckhardt

Head of Futurism Analysis at Project Praenses

FIRST CHAPTER - INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

While no projection - algorithmic or organic - has ruled, for several reasons (see page 411), that humans will cease to seek non-virtual interpersonal relationships, it is evident that the concept and definition of a "relationship" (during and after the widespread control and eradication of the SARS-CoV-2 ) will be fundamentally different from the definitions society had to abide by before 2019.

Here are some findings:

Physical Eugeny: Nose Fenotip

Due to the aforementioned fact that the current state of the pandemic is expected to continue unchanged until REDACTED (see page 101), our projections show that, due to the constant pressing of face masks against one's nose, about 63% of the world's population will have their nasal bones and cartilage structure altered. The rise of the so-called "Fleshy nose" - which already counts for 24% of the world population - is guaranteed.

It's important to be aware of possible behavioral trends associated with this.

The type of one's nose might serve as a biased divider used for eugenic purposes.

While Fleshy noses will identify the person as a worker, someone who had to go out of their houses into the streets on a daily basis, and, therefore, use a mask for such a prolonged time their nose structure gets altered, conversely, a person with a "Turned-up nose" (also referred to as "snub nose", the physical and aesthetical counterpart of the fleshy nose), will be identified as someone rich and/or high-skilled, that barely had to use face masks because it wasn't required of him/her to go out of their home.

As previously said in the "Political summary: possible wars, zones of conflict and common ground lobbies for policies" chapter, this study can only predict the many possible outcomes and point to the most likely - never actually determine the end result. However, also referring back to the "Possible societal movements: corporational rule, systemic anarchy and the role of REDACTED in it" chapter, it is important to take preliminary action and caution with organized right-wing groups and militia that could get a hold of this notion early-on and use it for domination purposes that might affect REDACTED 's dominium and expansion plan to take over REDACTED, REDACTED and the southern parts of R E D A C T E D , as made clear by R E D A C T E D , chief of operations at REDACTED during the Emergency Board Review last February. Because their movements and philosophies are planned and executed through the stoking of fear combined with the management of desires in a moment of extreme hopelessness and paranoia, these aforementioned groups must be considered as REDACTED's biggest competitors or threat.

For consuming purposes, also expect a rise in cosmetic nose lifting surgeries not only of women, but also men; a slow and subtle rise on that profile in advertising, and also an increasing demand for phonologists because, in many cases, the downward modification of the nose might affect the sound and the speech pattern of one's voice, becoming much more nasal, forcing people to seek treatment and coaching for a crispier sound. Since the voice is one of the human senses that became more appreciated during the pandemic (this subject will be covered in-depth in the next chapter), it is likely that a more vigorous care towards it becomes sought after.