If you were wondering what awaits us on the other side of this pandemic, Yale professor Dr. Nicholas Christakis has the answer in his new book – “Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live.”

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According to Christakis, who is also a social epidemiologist, society will make up for lost time as soon as it’s safe to, with hedonism quickly replacing conservative socialising — but that reversal could take a few years yet.

Christakis told The Guardian:

During epidemics you get increases in religiosity, people become more abstentious, they save money, they get risk averse and we’re seeing all of that now, just as we have for hundreds of years during epidemics.

In 2024, all of those [pandemic trends] will be reversed.

So just like the “roaring ’20s” which followed the 1918 pandemic, humanity is heading into an era of “sexual licentiousness”, vice and indulgence. There will also be an economic boom, according to Christakis.

Don’t call the professor a Nostradamus though, as he insists his predictions are “fairly predictable”, because while this current pandemic is novel to us alive today, it’s not a new phenomenon in human history.

Well, that sounds a lot better than going into the Great Depression doesn’t it? Now all we have to worry about is what comes after the Roaring 20s but at least we get to enjoy life a little bit before that happens.  Less nights in, getting stoned on the couch and ordering Domino’s, more going out and getting pissed and having sex. Although it will be nice to revisit the former behaviours from time to time too.

Overall though, according to Dr. Nicholas Christakis and the history of time,  we’re in for a super social, sex-fuelled ride to close out the decade. Finally, something to look forward to!

Let’s just hope this new ‘Disease X’ that the scientist who discovered Ebola is predicting doesn’t ruin the Roaring 20s for all of us. Then it’ll be masks and lockdowns forever.