Predictions for the Year Ahead: Know 5 Themes that will shape the 2022

The Covid-19 largely caught the world by surprise, when the WHO declared the Pandemic on 11th March, 2020, few of us have suspected that it would lead to 2 years of shutdowns, social distancing and disruptions. Things have appeared to be normalizing in the mid 2021, but then the Delta Variant and later the Omicron Variant, all of them led to renewed shutdowns.

Many of them, have a question, as to will 2022 would be the year that Covid-19 transitions from a pandemic to an endemic? That's when we are all hoping, that there is no going back to 2019. For example, expect more of the world to follow Asia's lead, as to where people have been wearing masks in the public for years, in case if they were sick or immunocompromised.

The healthcare would never be the same, post pandemic, one can expect telehealth to become common place, many have been exposed using the video calls for the health visits. And the Covid-19 vaccine would forever change the way the vaccines are created. It is not unusual for vaccines take nearing to decade to develop, but these vaccines were developed in 10 months using the genetics as well as mRNA technology. This may prove to be one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of the century.

Hybrid work and the Great Resignation

Work as well as school were perhaps the most disrupted aspects of life during the pandemic. While the schools largely returned in person, work has been a far slower process. Most employees have decided that they would prefer the work/life balance of remote work and many have migrated to be closer to family or moved farther away from city centers to have more space as well as fresh air.

Meanwhile, we tend to find numerous employees tend to become infatuated with the productivity gains of remote work and also ability to scale down their commercial real estate holdings for significant cost savings.

The most surprising trend, that is likely to continue is to, gain stream in 2022 is the great resignation. Many people are leaving their jobs and then reprioritizing their lives than ever before. The Great Resignations is just one example, as to how those changes are manifesting themselves.

Crypto, inflation and what's next

Money as well as personal finance also tend to remain in the midst of tectonic shifts, in the month of November, the inflation has hit its highest level since 1982 at 6.8%. In 2022, the inflation of real estate as well as cars would be closely watched, after eyewatering numbers for the year, 2021. The stock market's bull run looks likely to continue with interest rates at such low levels but its volatile swings are getting more pronounced. There is one big question, as to whether tech as well as other growth stocks would have run out steam are getting ready for another run.

Speaking about growth, the cryptocurrencies have been breaking the new highs as well as attract more interest. When it comes to crypto exchange app coinbase passed TikTok as well as YouTube in order to become the most downloaded app in the Apple's App store a couple times during 2021. Few view the world's most popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation, Politicians, athletes and others started taking for their paychecks in Bitcoin in the year, 2021.

Space, travel and the Next internet

One of the 2022's most dramatic developments is the new space race. China and Russia is collaborating on a future moon base, as well as landing a robot on an asteroid(in 2024), NASA has announced its next 10 future astronauts in the month of December with ambitions for a future moon mission.

Private space companies SpaceX, Blue origin as well as Virgin Galactic have all sent the Civilians into space in the year, 2021. They are all teasing the promise of a future of space tourism. Their ambitions would get bigger in the year, 2022.

The EV has Arrived and it means business

The US would discontinue Purchases of gas-powered vehicles by the year, 2035, the UK would do so by 2030 and a broader coalition of nations would have set 2040 as a global date for ending fossil fuel vehicles.

Consumers must also keep in mind, that a gas-powered vehicle you buy today, could have its resale value drop steeply in the years ahead as demand plummets because of people transitioning away from old combustion engine technology to EVs.