Step into a world where the focus is keenly set on How Has The Pandemic Changed You. Within the confines of this article, a tapestry of references to How Has The Pandemic Changed You awaits your exploration. If your pursuit involves unraveling the depths of How Has The Pandemic Changed You, you've arrived at the perfect destination.
Our narrative unfolds with a wealth of insights surrounding How Has The Pandemic Changed You. This is not just a standard article; it's a curated journey into the facets and intricacies of How Has The Pandemic Changed You. Whether you're thirsting for comprehensive knowledge or just a glimpse into the universe of How Has The Pandemic Changed You, this promises to be an enriching experience.
The spotlight is firmly on How Has The Pandemic Changed You, and as you navigate through the text on these digital pages, you'll discover an extensive array of information centered around How Has The Pandemic Changed You. This is more than mere information; it's an invitation to immerse yourself in the enthralling world of How Has The Pandemic Changed You.
So, if you're eager to satisfy your curiosity about How Has The Pandemic Changed You, your journey commences here. Let's embark together on a captivating odyssey through the myriad dimensions of How Has The Pandemic Changed You.
Tvs in 2022 look pretty exciting a buyers love tvs in 2022 look pretty exciting i closed tvs in 2022 look pretty in spanish tvs in 2022 look pretty fire tvs in 2022 look like jeeps top tvs in 2022 when were tvs invented
TVs in 2022 look pretty exciting: A buyers guide
TVs in 2022 look pretty exciting: A buyers guide
This story is part of The Year Ahead, CNET's look at how the world will continue to evolve starting in 2022 and beyond.
CES 2022 has come to a close, and the important news about new TVs is out of the bag. Most major TV-makers have introduced their biggest and best screens, talked up improved picture quality and dropped buzzwords like HDMI 2.1, mini-LED and 8K resolution. Most will be familiar to TV shoppers, while some that are actually new, like QD-OLED, are mashups of existing terms that still require lengthy explanation.
As CNET's resident TV reviewer, I can link you to plenty of places to readthoselengthyexplanations, but this article isn't one of them. Instead you'll find my best advice on what those new introductions mean and how, when and even if it's worth buying a new TV. Let's dive in.
Do you need a new TV in 2022?
Unless your current TV is broken, no you don't. But if you want a TV in another room, or your current TV feels like it's getting long in the tooth, its screen is too small or you want better picture quality or a better smart TV system, you might want a new TV. And if you've saved a bunch of money during the pandemic by not traveling or commuting to work or eating out, maybe you have a little extra to indulge that want.
Depending on how old your current TV is, a new model -- whether one released in the last year or a new TV just announced at CES -- could be a sweet upgrade you'll appreciate every time you watch.
What's the best time of year to buy a TV?
Starting in the fall . New models like the TVs introduced at CES 2022 appear in spring and their prices are highest then. Significant discounts start in November and go through Black Friday and the holiday season. Around the beginning of the new year after CES (i.e. now) they'll remain affordable, and sometimes the Super Bowl in February has the best deals on last year's TVs. Soon those will start to disappear and be replaced by the new models in spring again.
Buy a 2021 TV now or wait for a 2022 model?
It all depends on how long you can wait. If you want the latest and greatest technology, you're probably already set on a 2022 model. But if you want the best value, without missing much, a better move is to buy a 2021 TV now, before they disappear later this spring and summer. A 2021 TV at a given size or price will generally have very similar picture quality and features compared to its 2022 counterpart.
If you can't decide, and you're not in a hurry, just wait until fall to get the best price on a 2022 TV.
What new CES 2022 TVs and features stand out?
Here's a short list of my favorites so far, based on prior experience and information the manufacturer provided. Reminder: I did not attend the show and haven't seen any of these, with the exception of LG, in person.
The 42-inch LG C2 is the smallest OLED TV yet.
David Katzmaier/CNET
LG C2 OLED TV: As the successor to my Editors' Choice TV for the last two years, the latest version is the odds-on favorite to win again. The fact that it comes in a new 42-inch size is great news for people who couldn't fit bigger OLEDs into their rooms, but I'm excited to see how low the price will fall on the 77-inch version.
Sony X95K Mini-LED TV : Last year the Samsung QN90A earned my respect as the best high-end alternative to OLED, but Samsung has yet to announce any specific 2022 QLED models, so this Sony is my pick for now. Sony has an excellent track record with full-array local dimming and this is its least expensive model with mini-LED. It won't be cheap, however.
QD-OLED: The first Sony and Samsung TVs featuring a new OLED panel by Samsung Display are going to be expensive, and I probably won't recommend most people buy over more-affordable OLEDs like the C2, but I can't wait to see them in person.
Sony's remote finder: This isn't a reason to buy an expensive TV, but it sure is cool and I hope every TV maker adopts it soon. It allows the remote to emit a sound so you can find it under the couch cushions or wherever you lost it.
Samsung's gaming hub: I'm not into cloud gaming, but I love the idea of consolidating all the game-related stuff, including game mode settings and access to consoles, in one place. There's also the ability to split-screen YouTube videos and your game at the same time. LG's game optimizer was my favorite last year, and still seems to offer more options, but so far Samsung's gaming features look easier to use.
Samsung's new gaming hub for 2022 TVs offers one-stop access to cloud and console games.
Samsung
What else does a 2022 TV buyer need to know?
Basically, it's early. CES is the beginning of what we know about new TVs this year, not the end.
Brands I've lauded as the best TV values in the past, namely TCL and Vizio, haven't unveiled their bread-and-butter 2022 models yet. Both are still selling their older TVs, including models I still highly recommend like the TCL 6-Series Roku TV and the Vizio MQ7 series.
And if you're looking for an inexpensive TV, something you can put in a kid's bedroom or guest room and stream smart TV apps with ease, my top pick is still TCL's 4-Series Roku TV. This venerable workhorse hasn't changed much in the last couple years, and I don't expect any major differences when the new version is inevitably announced soon. Maybe it will get Google TV, but the safe bet is still Roku in my book.
My buying advice will continue to evolve as prices are announced, new models appear and I get the chance to review them in person. Stay tuned to CNET throughout the year for updates.
Choosing a new laptop, whether it's for work, home or going back to school, isn't an easy decision, but CNET's list of the best laptops for 2022 is a great place to start with our top picks across brands, operating systems, budgets and categories. Many of the models from 2021 have been updated for 2022 with the latest chips from Intel and AMD, and Apple's new M2 chips, too.
Our top laptop choice for most people is the updated Apple MacBook Air M2. It offers a great combination of everything we look for when we're testing: reliable everyday performance, long battery life and a design that works for a broad range of users. The latest MacBook Air starts at $1,199, which is why we still recommend the 2020 MacBook Air M1 as a lower-cost alternative to the newest Air model, as it's still an all-around excellent laptop. For those looking for a more value-oriented option, Acer's Swift 3 is our current recommendation. Well-configured older versions are available for under $550, while new models start under $800, and fully loaded with an OLED display it's right around $1,200.
At CNET, our laptop experts have collective decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops, covering everything from performance to price to battery life. This hand-curated list covers the best laptops across various sizes, styles and costs, including laptop computers running on Windows, MacOS and Chrome.
If you want more laptop brands and options for a particular category, we also have specialized lists you can look at, including the best gaming laptops, best 15-inch laptops, best two-in-ones and best Chromebooks, as well as the best laptops for college students, designers and the best MacBook Pro alternatives. If you need to stay as low as possible on the price of a new laptop computer, check out our best budget laptop and best budget gaming laptop picks.
This best laptop list is updated periodically with new models we've tested and reviewed. If you need advice on whether a particular type of laptop or two-in-one is right for you, jump to our laptop FAQ at the bottom of the list.
James Martin/CNET
Thanks to a new design, a larger display (13.6 inches versus the previous 13.3 inches), a faster M2 chip and a long-awaited upgrade to a higher-res webcam, the 2022 version of the MacBook Air remains our top choice for the most universally useful laptop in Apple's lineup, with one caveat. At $1,199, the $200 increase over the traditional $999 MacBook Air starting price is a disappointment. That's why you'll still find the M1 version of the Air retains a spot on our best laptop list. Still, we like everything else about it and is our first choice if you're considering an Air and don't mind spending more.
Read our Apple MacBook Air M2 review.
Josh Goldman/CNET
Available with either AMD Ryzen or Intel Core processors, this 14-inch laptop gives you more screen to work on than 13-inch laptops, but is still incredibly lightweight -- less than 3 pounds. The bigger display is nice, too, covering 100% sRGB color gamut (better than you typically find at its starting price under $700). It also has a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader and USB Type-C and HDMI ports, too. The 2022 version of the Swift 3 falls just under $1,000 with 12th-gen Intel Core i-series CPUs. But the 2021 models are still widely available for less than $600.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Dell XPS 13 is a perennial favorite for its size, weight and performance and just overall good looks. In 2020, Dell made the laptop even smaller, while making the laptop screen larger and increasing performance for both CPU and graphics-intensive tasks. For 2022, it made the XPS 13 even smaller and lighter, kept its sub-$999 starting price the same and dropped in the latest 12th-gen Intel processors.
While we haven't had a chance to test the new model yet, we expect it to be a strong Windows alternative to the MacBook Air. Also, if you want to save money, the 2021 XPS 13 with 11th-gen Intel chips is available for less now.
This thin, 3-pound convertible is a solid choice for anyone who needs a laptop for office or schoolwork. The all-metal chassis gives it a premium look and feel, and it has a comfortable keyboard and a responsive, smooth precision touchpad. Though it's light on extra features compared to its premium linemate, the Yoga 9i, it does have one of Lenovo's sliding shutters for its webcam that gives you privacy when you want it. And it has a long battery life to boot at 12 hours, 45 minutes in our tests. The latest version with 12th-gen Intel processors starts at $999 (although you can find it on sale for less). The 2021 models are still available, too, at reduced prices.
Josh Goldman/CNET
Acer's Spin 513 is an update of sorts to one of the best Chromebooks from 2021, the Spin 713. It's a two-in-one convertible Chromebook with a 13.5-inch display that has a 3:2 aspect ratio. The extra vertical space means less scrolling when you're working. The screen size is also close to that of letter-size paper, making it comfortable for notetaking in tablet mode with a USI pen. Compared to the 713, it drops a couple of noncritical features like an HDMI output in favor of a more affordable price. It has amazing battery life, though, and a sturdy fanless design, making it silent -- perfect for quiet classrooms, meetings, lectures or video calls.
Joshua Goldman/CNET
Lenovo launched the Yoga line 10 years ago with Windows 8 and now, with Windows 11, the flexibility of the design has only gotten better. The company's flagship 14-inch Yoga 9i Gen 7 has an updated look with comfortable, rounded edges and 12th-gen Intel processors that give it a big multicore performance jump. A beautiful OLED display and improved audio make it excellent for work, video conferences and entertainment. Lenovo includes an active pen and a laptop sleeve to complete the premium package.
The powerful speakers do add some vibration to the palm rests when turned up and Lenovo has cluttered the laptop with pitches for optional services and software. But, overall, the latest Yoga 9i is the two-in-one convertible laptop to beat. Unfortunately, its availability is limited at the moment so you might have to wait to buy one.
Read our Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 review.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
New Apple silicon, new display, new design and all the ports we've been asking for: The latest 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro is the best Pro ever. The combination of the larger MacBook Pro's hardware and MacOS extracts the maximum performance from the components while delivering excellent battery life. The new mini-LED high-resolution display is gorgeous. And if an HDMI output and SD card reader were on your shortlist for features, you'll find those here too.
You pay for it, though: Base price for the 16-inch model of this premium laptop is $2,499.
Read our Apple MacBook Pro review.
Josh Goldman/CNET
There are plenty of 15.6-inch laptops, but 16-inch models like the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus are something of a rarity. The 16-inch display is a great size since the laptop is barely bigger than a 15.6-inch model, but you get more room for work and a roomier keyboard and touchpad along with it. For this Inspiron, Dell packed in performance parts including Nvidia discrete graphics (though it's nearly half the price if you go with Intel integrated graphics) and the display covers 100% sRGB and 81% AdobeRGB color gamuts, which is good enough if you're getting started with creating web content. Also, the laptop has a more premium fit and finish than we're used to seeing in the Inspiron line.
Read our Dell Inspiron 16 Plus review.
Dan Ackerman/CNET
Although this Microsoft Surface laptop is not the Surface Laptop, the Surface Pro continues to hit all the right notes if you're looking for a do-it-all Windows tablet that doubles as a Windows laptop. Microsoft recently overhauled it for the Surface Pro 8, which has a larger 13-inch display, 11th-gen Intel Core processors and two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. The Surface Pro 7 is still around for the time being at a discount, and an updated version called the Surface Pro 7 Plus will stay in the lineup, so you'll still be able to get the classic Pro design but with new processors.
Read our Surface Pro 8 review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
There's a lot to love with the Razer Blade 14, which incorporates one of the fastest mobile CPUs available (for now, at least), the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, and top-end mobile graphics with the GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080. Its display can go pixel-to-pixel with the MacBook's. And its high-quality build is up there with the best MacBooks but, like an Apple, it's not necessarily the best laptop deal, even compared to other premium laptops.
Read our Razer Blade 14 review.
HP
HP's Victus 16 is a surprisingly robust and powerful gaming laptop that keeps up with the latest games at a more affordable price. Compared to HP's high-end Omen gaming laptop line, the Victus is more of an all-purpose laptop but still configured for gaming with a price starting at less than $1,000. HP offers several configurations with graphics chip options ranging from Nvidia's entry-level GeForce GTX 1650 up to a midrange RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6500M.
Read our HP Victus 16 review.
James Martin/CNET
The XPS 17 combines the same slim, premium design of its 13-inch linemate but with increased performance possibilities. It can be configured with up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, 64GB of memory and a 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics chip. The best part: Dell trimmed up the chassis so much that you get a 17-inch display in a body that's the size of an older 15-inch laptop. You're getting a lot of power and a big screen in the smallest possible package.
Dell XPS 17 review.
Laptop FAQs
How much does a good laptop cost?
Setting a budget is a good place to start when shopping for the best laptop for yourself. The good news is you can get a nice-looking, lightweight laptop with excellent battery life at prices under $500. If you're shopping for a laptop around $500 or less, check out our top picks here, as well as more specific buying advice for that price range.
Higher-end components like Intel Core i-series and AMD Ryzen processors and premium design touches like thin-display bezels and aluminum or magnesium bodies have made their way to laptops priced between $500 and $1,000. You can also find touchscreens and two-in-one designs that can be used as a tablet or a laptop -- and a couple other positions in between. In this price range, you'll also find faster memory and ssd storage -- and more of it -- to improve performance.
Above $1,000 is where you'll find premium laptops and two-in-ones. If you're looking for the fastest performance, the best battery life, the slimmest, lightest designs and top-notch display quality with an adequate screen size, expect to spend at least $1,000.
Which is better, MacOS or Windows?
Deciding between MacOS and Windows laptop for many people will come down to personal preference and budget. Apple's base model laptop, the M1 MacBook Air, starts at $999. You can sometimes find it discounted or you can get educational pricing from Apple and other retailers. But, in general, it'll be at least $1,000 for a new MacBook, and the prices just go up from there.
For the money, though, you're getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently moved to using its own processors, which resulted in across-the-board performance improvements compared to older Intel-based models. But, the company's most powerful laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, still hasn't been updated to Apple silicon.
But, again, that great hardware comes at a price. Also, you're limited to just Apple laptops. With Windows and Chromebooks (more on these below), you get an amazing variety of devices at a wide range of prices.
Software between the two is plentiful, so unless you need to run something that's only available on one platform or the other, you should be fine to go with either. Gaming is definitely an advantage for a Windows laptop, though.
MacOS is also considered to be easier and safer to use than Windows, especially for people who want their computers to get out of the way so they can get things done. Over the years, though, Microsoft has done its best to follow suit and, with Windows 11 here, it's trying to remove any barriers. Also, while Macs might have a reputation for being safer, with the popularity of the iPhone and iPad helping to drive Mac sales, they've become bigger targets for malware.
Are Chromebooks worth it?
Yes, they are, but they're not for everyone. Google's Chrome OS has come a long way in the past 10 years and Chromebooks -- laptops that run on Chrome OS -- are great for people who do most of their work in a web browser or using mobile apps. They are secure, simple and, more often than not, a bargain. What they can't do is natively run Windows or Mac software.
What's the best laptop for home, travel or both?
The pandemic changed how and where a lot of people work. The small, ultraportable laptops valued by people who regularly traveled may have suddenly become woefully inadequate for working from home. Or maybe instead of needing long battery life, you'd rather have a bigger display with more graphics power for gaming.
If you're going to be working on a laptop and don't need more mobility than moving it from room to room, consider a 15.6-inch laptop or larger. In general, a bigger screen makes life easier for work and is more enjoyable for entertainment, and also is better if you're using it as an extended display with an external monitor. It typically means you're getting more ports, too, so connecting an external display or storage or a keyboard and mouse are easier without requiring a hub or dock.
For travel, stay with 13- or 14-inch laptops or two-in-ones. They'll be the lightest and smallest while still delivering excellent battery life. What's nice is that PC-makers are moving away from 16:9 widescreens toward 16:10- or 3:2-ratio displays, which gives you more vertical screen space for work without significantly increasing the footprint. These models usually don't have discrete graphics or powerful processors, though that's not always the case.
Which laptop is best for gaming or creating?
You can play games and create content on any laptop. That said, what games you play and what content you create -- and the speed at which you do them -- is going vary greatly depending on the components inside the laptop.
For casual browser-based games or using streaming-game services like Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, you don't need a powerful gaming laptop. And similarly, if you're just trimming video clips, cropping photos or live-streaming video from your webcam, you can get by with a modestly priced laptop or Chromebook with integrated graphics.
For anything more demanding, you'll need to invest more money for discrete graphics like Nvidia's RTX 30-series GPUs. Increased system memory of 16GB or more, having a speedy SSD for storage and a faster processor such as an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 will all help you get things moving faster, too.
The other piece you'll want to consider is the display. For gaming, look for screens with a high refresh rate of 120Hz or faster so games look smoother while playing. For content creation, look for displays that cover 100% sRGB color space.
How we test computers
The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both those objective and subjective judgments.
The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we're currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra.
A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page.
More for people who spend all day on their computers
The Best Monitors According to the CNET Staff Who Use Them
The Best Monitors According to the CNET Staff Who Use Them
Over the last few years, office workers across the world have found themselves having to work from their homes. While this has increased productivity and reduced a lot of stress for many, a lot of workers didn't have the right equipment to create a home office. Even here at CNET, we had to find new ways to make our space work.
Having a good monitor, or even two, makes working from home much easier, as being hunched over a laptop can cause severe back pain and stresses you might not notice right away. It's much better to spend your day looking at a big screen than a little one.
Read more: The Best Office Chairs According to the CNET Staff Who Use Them
The CNET team is full of diverse experts; people who spend their lives reviewing products and testing them, so we know how to pick a good product. We collected testimonials from the editorial staff and engineers about their favorite monitors and why you should buy one too.
Gigabyte
I got this Gigabyte monitor when I bought a new gaming desktop. I wanted a 27-inch screen with 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, and this was on offer for around $300 about a year ago. Never having heard of the brand, I took a punt on it.
I'm really happy with it. It looks great, day and night, with hardly any reflections. The bezel is super thin. It can be adjusted up and down, as well as tilted. And it has all the ports you'd probably need. The only thing I would change is that the power button is also a menu joystick and it's on the back, which is fiddly on the few occasions I need it.
-- Nick Hide, Managing copy editor
Asus
I love this monitor from Asus. Since I am a video editor by trade, who also edits a lot of photos in his spare time, having a monitor with excellent color rendition is super important, and this ProArt monitor does that really well.
It has a bit more resolution than a standard 1080p monitor which is fantastic as well, it adjusts easily into landscape and portrait mode, and it can move up and down for different desk setups.
But probably the biggest selling point is the price. It's more expensive than a standard monitor, but for what it delivers on picture and color quality, it's probably the most affordable monitor for professional photo and video folks. The ProArt is much more affordable than something from Apple.
-- Owen Poole, Video producer
LG
This Full HD monitor is intensely basic for the price, but it's so easy to use and has gotten me through some of the busiest pandemic news cycles. With two HDMI ports, one audio jack and a D-sub connector, I've been able to seamlessly connect its 24-inch glory to my work Mac (for editing and digital production), as well as my former Windows laptop and current personal desktop (for video games) with minimal interruptions to my productivity. It's 6.8 pounds, which might be heavy for a monitor -- I wouldn't know -- but I've also taken to carting it into other areas of my house without issue. And it has... screen tilt!
-- Dawnthea Price Lisco, Copy editor
Sceptre
When we set up our home office, my wife and I used these Sceptre curved displays for a long time. The curve is gentle enough not to strain your eyes, while also making you feel like you have a wrap-around experience. I eventually changed out my monitors for something more gaming focused, but my wife loves her Sceptre.
The color tone can be a little uneven and it took us a while to get them dialed in, but now that they are, they're worth the small cost. We ended up getting two for the full experience.
-- James Bricknell, Senior editor
HP
While I wanted to have good gaming monitors, I couldn't afford some of the bigger curved displays you see here. My gaming on a PC consists of 1080p resolution games anyway so 4K just wasn't needed.
I picked up two of these ultra-thin HP monitors as they have FreeSync for gaming, but are also low profile enough to leave room on my desk for the keyboards I test. Plus, the bezel-less display is fire.
-- James Bricknell, Senior editor
Lepow
For most of the pandemic, I couldn't work in the same spot in my house every day. Setting up a big monitor or even a regular desk to put one on was out of the question. Lepow's 15.6-inch portable monitor gave me just enough extra room to work, whether my "office" was in my dining room, living room or bedroom.
The display setup takes seconds with a single USB-C cable for both the picture and power though it does have an HDMI input if necessary. All the cables come in the box, too, along with a screen protector. It has a folio case that doubles as a stand (newer versions have a built-in kickstand for better positioning and use less desk space). It even has a headphone jack and basic built-in speakers so it can connect to a game console. When you're done for the day, it folds up and easily stores in a drawer or backpack. Easy.
-- Josh Goldman, Senior editor
LG
A few years ago I upgraded to the LG Ultragear ultrawide, and everything about it makes me extremely happy. Its 3440x1440 resolution is the sweet spot for a 34-inch gaming setup since it doesn't tax a GPU as hard as a 4k monitor. It's 144hz, with Gsync and VESA adaptive sync (freesync) support. I play Final Fantasy 14 and Destiny 2 on a custom-built gaming rig, and the frame rates are amazing.
Since I'm not even maxing out the specifications on this monitor -- a GPU upgrade in a year or two will let me max out the 144hz part of the monitor -- I'm going to be keeping this for a good long while.
-- Wesley Radcliffe, Engineering manager
CNET's Eric Franklin got me into ultrawide monitors, and for a long time I had an entry-level LG that did the job. When the pandemic hit though, I decided to go bigger and I'm so glad I did. I bought this one Used/Like New from Amazon, and it's been a dream to work with.
I bought the 120hz because I don't game at higher refresh rates anyway, and most of the time I was relying on this for work. I also found a monitor arm for it that cleans up my workspace really well.
The pandemic changed health care, and there's no going back
The pandemic changed health care, and there's no going back
This story is part of The Year Ahead, CNET's look at how the world will continue to evolve starting in 2022 and beyond.
If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it's how to take our health into our own hands.
We've become our own triage nurse, analyzing a sore throat with such urgency that, in another time, would've been considered a little obsessive. We've been asked to monitor our temperatures and even become citizen public health surveyors with the help of at-home COVID-19 tests. But one day (hopefully soon), the consequences of leaving the house with a sore throat won't mean we're risking someone's life. Soon, our physical health will remain a core piece of our well being, but we'll shake the neurosis of a pandemic mindset – hopefully, keeping our newfound sensitivity to public health and a desire to not harm others in the process.
But will our health care system?
"The pandemic accelerated a lot of changes that were kind of percolating in the background," says Matthew Eisenberg, associate professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Eisenberg studies how neoclassical economics ("supply and demand") applies to health care. While COVID-19 "catalyzed" many of the changes -- and inequities -- already budding in health care, he said, it will be up to policy makers as well as the supply-and-demand cycle of health care to decide what sticks and what doesn't.
Telemedicine: a thing of the past, or the future?
Video-calls-as-doctor's-visit wasn't a tool created because of COVID-19, but the pandemic has transformed it from an obscure practice to the new way to do health care. Importantly, policy changes made during the pandemic helped knock down some barriers for telemedicine access, and helped providers get paid for it.
Private insurance companies as well as public payers (i.e. Medicare) relaxed their policies on telemedicine reimbursement for health care providers because of COVID-19. As more health care providers get paid for telemedicine (which gives them incentive to provide it), the more supply there is for patients, Eisenberg says.
"Prior to the pandemic, the only way a Medicare provider could be reimbursed for telemedicine would be if a patient was in a rural area where they could not physically travel to a provider," he says. "Even then, they had to go to a specialized facility and do the telemedicine at some out-patient facility's computer."
Even through a computer screen, there are roadblocks to accessing health care. Before COVID-19, some patients, depending on where they live and what medical condition they have, would need to drive across state lines to access a specialist (which requires an amount of time and money many patients don't have). The loosening of interstate licensure laws during the pandemic has allowed people to connect with a doctor miles away, and even fill a prescription across state lines.
Dr. Megan Mahoney is a family medicine doctor and the chief of staff at Stanford Health Care. Stanford Health Care, along with many other providers and organizations, have advocated to keep those restrictions loose once COVID-19 is no longer a public emergency, and the emergency rules no longer apply.
"We have noticed that there are states that don't have a single pediatric endocrinologist," says Mahoney. These specialists treat children with diabetes, for example. "We have a whole team of pediatric endocrinologists."
But in order to participate in telemedicine, you need an internet connection. Mahoney called the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has a $65 billion budget for expanding internet access to rural communities and helping families pay their internet bill, a "tremendous" help in health care access. In the new virtual health landscape, access to broadband is a "social determinant of health," she says. Some policies and benefits put into place during the pandemic to help families access the internet, like the Emergency Broadband Benefit, were temporary. As broadband continues to mold in its form as a public good, its relationship to health care access will only strengthen.
FS Productions/Getty Images
Sliding into your doctor's DMs
In addition to telemedicine, the pandemic also gave us nearly unlimited access to our doctors' inbox through the patient portal. According to a report published in JAMA, which looked at instant messaging data between patients and their providers from March 2020 through June 2021, the number of patient messages increased, despite fewer patients seeking care in some specialties.
"The sheer demand that we're seeing is very much a testament to the patients' desire for this new channel of care," Mahoney says.
Even older patients, whose relationship with technology sometimes gets a bad rap, are sending their doctors messages and embracing telemedicine, she says.
"That was what propelled and accelerated the transformation," Mahoney says. When elderly people, who were originally reluctant to use telemedicine, were forced to use it in order to get care during the lockdown, "that helped them get over that hurdle."
"What I've noticed is the digital divide, while we do need to be aware of it, it can be overcome and sufficiently addressed through additional education," she says.
Some of that education for patients requires medical assistants to take on tech support roles. In addition to taking blood pressure and temperature when patients come into the room, they also need to make sure patients are comfortable signing into their patient account and feel comfortable with the technology, according to Mahoney.
That shift in the patient-provider dynamic, and more direct access to care, is necessary to maintain a system Mahoney says can help people get early intervention and, hopefully, prevent visits to the emergency room.
Many of the messages Mahoney receives from patients involve correcting misinformation patients have heard about COVID-19 -- the type of preventative, education-based work that the current health care structure "does not support," she says. For example, sustaining a more thorough patient-doctor messaging system would require providers be paid for their time consulting with patients off-hours. It also requires online communication to be in the patient's language – a barrier for many people in the US who don't speak English or speak it as a second language.
"I hope that health care can keep up with this cataclysmic shift that's happening," Mahoney said. "It will have to."
There are arguments against telemedicine as the end-all-be-all. Dr. Thomas Nash, an internist in New York City, told The New Yorker in a June 2020 report that though telemedicine is "doable...I worry that it's going to delay a good exam, and get in the way of deeper interactions between people and their doctors." The informal setting of telehealth may also be less likely to pick up on big issues which routine in-person exams would normally detect, such as high blood pressure, California Healthline reported. And it's more difficult to build an open relationship with your doctor through a screen than it is when you're sitting in their office.
But that also assumes people had a relationship to lose in the first place. As of Feb. 2019, one year before the pandemic began, about one fourth of all adults and half of all adults under 30 didn't have an ongoing relationship with a doctor, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. This is also a group that shows a strong preference for telehealth, and is the target audience for pre-pandemic care-on-demand services, including Nurx, which allows people to get birth control prescriptions and other medications online, sister sites Hims and Hers, Curology and more.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The great vaccine race
Scientists impressed the world by moving quickly to develop highly effective COVID-19 vaccines in record time – doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine, with Moderna's authorized right behind it, were available to the first round of eligible adults in the US less than a year after the the country went into lockdown. According to Nature, the fastest anyone developed a vaccine was for mumps in 1960, and that took four years from development to approval (Pfizer's vaccine for people age 16 and up has full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have emergency use authorization). While there's much left to be desired about how the vaccines are distributed and accessed by populations in countries outside the US (only 8.9% of people in low-income countries have had a coronavirus shot), an estimate from the Yale School of Public Health reports the vaccines have saved about 279,000 lives and prevented 1.25 million hospitalizations a s of early July 2021.
Part of the reason the vaccines were developed so quickly was because research on the technology they use was already underway (the mRNA vaccines were developed using information from HIV research). While the global society has shown we can be very efficient at producing effective and safe vaccines, don't get your hopes up too high that it'll happen that fast again, says Michael Urban, an occupational therapist and program director at the University of New Haven.
"The thing people have to remember is that the federal government pumped tons and tons of money into this development," says Urban. "Globally, not just the United States."
One reason for that is because COVID-19 had such a prominent impact on our economy. "The fact that this [vaccine] came out is because this is disrupting the fabric of life," Urban says. "How we make money, how we engage with people – how we enjoy our lives."
While it's tempting to hope that because scientists banded together to create a vaccine for COVID-19 and the US government helped fund much of that work it will usher in more resources to find preventative measures and treatments for other diseases, it's unlikely. The incentive for the government to subsidize research and development of treatments for other things that are more individualized, such as cancer or HIV, Urban says, might not be as strong, which leaves it up to the drug companies themselves. And without a public health emergency as transmissible and widespread as COVID-19, it's unlikely drug companies will pour quite as much time and effort into finding treatments.
And when addressing a drug company that profits "billions off of cancer treatments," for example, is it really in the best interest of the company to find an effective preventative measure?
"If they can do one shot and get rid of cancer, is it really in their best interest?" Urban says. "I hate to say that," says Urban.
Two steps forward, two steps back
In addition to propelling us into trends that've been helpful in health care, the pandemic has magnified our shortcomings and has disproportionately affected the same people who have been mistreated by the medical system for years. Black and Hispanic Americans have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and died from the disease, in much greater numbers compared to white Americans.
Dr. Shantanu Nundy, a primary care physician and author of the book Care After Covid: What the Pandemic Revealed Is Broken in Healthcare and How to Reinvent It, told NPR in a May 2021 report that the pandemic scramble to find a testing site, get a vaccine appointment or access preventative care exposed those who might not have ever experienced it to the perils of health care.
"The pandemic magnified long-standing cracks in the foundation of the US healthcare system and exposed those cracks to populations that had never witnessed them before," said Nundy in the NPR interview.
Another weak spot exposed because of COVID-19 was the US public health response, and its subsequent communication to the public about what to do when you're sick. When the pandemic struck, public health agencies were relying on "old methodologies" in terms of quarantine requirements and testing rules for COVID-19, Urban says. Compared to other countries, we have issues with containment and quarantine restrictions that don't always prevent people from spreading the virus, he says. The CDC's latest isolation guidance for people who test positive for COVID-19, for example, has been criticized by some for being too relaxed and not requiring a negative test.
In the US, there's a one-and-done mentality. "You do a one-time test, you're cleared," Urban says. "Have a nice day."
When the next pandemic happens, he says the US is likely still not set up with the structure and tools needed to respond appropriately to a public health emergency. "We didn't learn from the Spanish flu," Urban says.
An early December report from the Global Health Security Index, an assessment of health security across the globe developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Economist Impact, backs that up. According to the report, 195 countries across the globe are "dangerously underprepared for future epidemic and pandemic threats, including threats potentially more devastating than COVID-19."
But importantly, the blame isn't solely on public health agencies, Urban says. The CDC, for example, is "under pressure" to get people back to work and everyday life, Urban says. To do so, the agency has to work within US federal law and the vastly different state and local laws which govern what we can and can't expect people to do.
Looking forward
As we move away from the immediate threat of COVID-19, our appreciation for mental health care is likely to stay. Eisenberg says that we may see specialized mental health services, including some practices that are virtual-only, and some that are a hybrid of in-office and virtual visits. There may also be a shift away from medication treatments for mental health conditions and more provider-focused psychotherapy, Eisenberg finds.
"It's a small shift, but that could have big implications down the road," he says.
While there are structural and policy changes needed to ensure everyone has autonomy over their health, the pandemic has shifted the way care providers approach health care. Now more than ever, there's an emphasis on public health.
In an interview with the American Medical Association, Nundy explained the framework he believes is necessary to progress health care after the pandemic. Through the course of the pandemic, Nundy said, doctors "built a muscle" for operating with public health in mind.
"Let's take that muscle and let's start applying it to diabetes, let's start applying it to mental health," Nundy said. "So much more is possible."
Correction, Jan. 14: The original version of this story misspelled Shantanu Nundy's last name.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
This story is part of a series on life one year into the pandemic. Make sure to read part two: Zoom anxiety is real. Here's how to combat it . We've also got stories onwhy COVID may have changed our habits forever, andhow the pandemic gives health care workers a chance to shine on social media.
When coronavirus lockdowns began a year ago and much of the world turned to Zoom and other video chat services for work and socializing, Amanda Stevens, a project manager for New York state, found herself with a couple of very specific anxieties about her work-from-home video meetings. One was fighting the urge to fix her hair all the time, now that she was spending hours on end staring at her own reflection. The other? "My very old dog is prone to loud, unpredictable flatulence and I live in fear of it being picked up by my mic... and it not being attributed to my dog," she said.
One year into the pandemic, video chat platforms have afforded many people the ability to work from home and stay connected with family and friends. We've heard a lot about "Zoom fatigue" -- the sense of utter exhaustion you feel after a day of staring at your screen for on-camera meetings, worsened when most of your after-work socializing is happening through video, too. But the related concept of "Zoom anxiety" has gotten less attention, though it can be more debilitating for many -- and have potential career implications.
Few studies on Zoom anxiety exist, but a November survey of 2,000 home workers found that it stems from several sources: having tech and audio problems that you can't fix; being unable to read people's body language; feeling like you aren't being heard; having to take a call without time to prepare your appearance; worrying about an unprofessional background; and being talked over. (To be clear, in this story I'm using Zoom as a stand-in for all video chat platforms, since it essentially became a verb for video calls in 2020.)
"When you're face-to-face, you can pick up on a lot of things unconsciously in people's body language -- you notice if someone isn't reacting well, or if someone looks a bit uncomfortable," said Libby Sander, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Bond University in Queensland, Australia, who is studying the psychological effects of working from home. "You can get cues about when to interject into a conversation, and whether or not to pursue a particular line of discussion based on reading the room. It's pretty difficult or even impossible to do that on Zoom."
Even as vaccines are rolling out nationwide, the pandemic and moving to working from home are spurring many companies to create a hybrid workforce, where people split their time between home and the office -- which means video conferencing is likely here to stay. But if you suffer from anxiety using these on-camera tools, know that you're far from alone.
Read more:How to use Zoom Escaper, a sneaky tool for sabotaging your video calls
'The nightmares followed'
Zoom anxiety can come from having strangers see your space.
vgajic/Getty Images
Vivek Wadhwa, a distinguished fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program, does a lot of TV appearances through Zoom. Once, he had to quickly change a shirt before an interview, and did so without realizing the camera was on. Luckily he wasn't on air, but it was a close enough call that "the nightmares followed," he said.
"Remember the 'college dream' or 'examination dream' in which you're late for class and miss the exam, or you can't find the classroom, or studied the wrong subject?" Wadhwa said. "The new 'college dream' is when you forget to change out of your pajamas before going on Zoom."
At the start of the pandemic, Caroline Jo, a brand marketer in Orange County, California, would dress up for video meetings, wear makeup and play around with Zoom filters. But as time went on, the energy that went into these meetings became draining, and she found herself riddled with stress and unable to sleep the night before days packed with video calls.
"I'm a marketer, and marketers are stereotypically known to be the vivacious, outspoken bunch, but I am keenly introverted and introspective, which I do believe are still very valuable to work," Jo said. "However, when it comes to Zoom meetings specifically, the anxiety comes from even the most basic things -- awkward silences, the game of 'who should speak next?', the constant attention, the forced small talk, and technological snafus like audio issues or being bold and speaking up yet realizing I was on mute the whole time."
These stressors can arise outside of the workplace, too. Kristen Taylor Hunt, an artist from Louisville, Kentucky, started avoiding her therapy sessions when they moved to a video chat format. "I often can't concentrate on what's actually happening or being said because I'm worried about if my reactions look genuine, or do people think I don't care about what's being said because I look bored or angry," she said. As a person with multiple autoimmune diseases, "COVID has really taken a toll on my mental health ... I really need to be in therapy."
Social video chats can also trigger stress. When you see friends in person, you don't feel the same pressure to "perform socially" that you do on video chat, Suzanne Degges-White, a professor and chair of the counseling and higher education department at Northern Illinois University, pointed out in a Psychology Today column. Just being present in the same space is enough. But on video, you're more likely to feel like you have to be constantly talking or entertaining in some way -- otherwise, you're just sitting there smiling at the camera.
Career opportunities and the gender gap
Women typically have more trouble being heard during meetings than men, and video conferencing can make this worse.
FilippoBacci/Getty Images
Some aspects of Zoom anxiety appear to be gendered. A number of studies have shown the gender inequities present in in-person meetings and group settings. Generally, men are viewed as more competent for speaking longer, while women are viewed as less competent for doing the same. Women are also far more likely to be interrupted or spoken over. These issues are exacerbated over video chat, Sander said, and women may struggle to get chances to get across their point of view.
One small 2017 study examined women's gaze during Skype video calls and found that those who were socially anxious spent more time looking at their own image -- particularly if the person they were speaking to was being critical of them.
Video chat platforms also tend to reward those who are the loudest, since that's whose voice will get picked up. And when you have that awkward moment where two people are talking, the lag can make it difficult to circle back to the other person, Sander added.
Outside of the talking elements, many women have also reported feeling stressed and being apologetic over their appearance on camera, while men tend to worry less about how they look or what they're wearing. Jason Sudeikis wearing a hoodie to accept his Golden Globe award via Zoom, compared to the full makeup and evening gowns of most female nominees, is a pretty solid example of this.
For people across the gender spectrum, working from home can offer fewer opportunities for building professional relationships, especially if you were new to a job when the pandemic hit. Your work may be less visible to your manager, and you have fewer opportunities for casual discussions that arise in an office environment about the work you're doing or any problems you're having, Sander said.
"We'll have to wait and see how it plays out in terms of career progression, but right now people are most concerned about health and safety, and the continuity of business and having a job," she added. "But I do think there are big issues we have to be aware of."
Why did my student loans disappear why did my student loan payment increase why did my student loan decrease why did my student loan interest rate go up why did my student loan increase why did my iphone screen go black why did my dad leave me why did my browser change to yahoo why did twitch kill himself why did kelli giddish leave svu why did i get married why did amanda leave svu
Why Did My Student Loans Disappear?
Why Did My Student Loans Disappear?
What's happening
If Navient was your federal loan servicer, your loans have been transferred to Aidvantage.
Why it matters
With the federal loan pause ending in September, you'll want to know how to log into Aidvantage's website to view your student loan account.
What's next
The payment pause could be extended again, but we recommend verifying your Aidvantage account now, just in case.
Federal student loan repayments have been paused for more than two years, since the start of the pandemic. It's unclear if the pause will be extended again, and currently payments are set to resume in September. If you haven't logged into your student loan account since the payment freeze began, now is a good time to check in.
If you had Navient federal student loans owned by the US Department of Education, your loans have moved to a new loan servicer. In 2021, Navient exited the federal student loan servicing industry, transferring its caseload of 5.6 million student loans to Aidvantage, which is owned by student loan giant Maximus. The new loan servicer will not affect the existing terms and conditions, interest rates or available repayment plans, but you should carefully review any communications you received about the transfer.
Here's everything you need to know about what happened to Navient, and how to log in to your new Aidvantage student loan account.
Why did Navient leave the student loan industry?
Navient was long under fire from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which sued the loan servicer in 2017: It claimed that the company had pushed borrowers into costly, subprime private loans they would be unable to repay. In January, Navient canceled $1.7 billion in private student loans for nearly 66,000 borrowers after coming under scrutiny for engaging in abusive and deceptive practices, including targeting students the company allegedly knew couldn't pay back loans.
In 2020, the US Department of Education announced changes to loan servicing in an effort to modernize the federal student loan system. As part of the Next Gen Initiative, the Department of Education extended its partnership with five of the 10 current loan servicers, which would continue servicing federal student loans, but under stricter government regulations. Navient, along with FedLoan and Granite State, opted to end their participation in federal student loan servicing at the end of 2021.
Michael Lux, a student loan expert, attorney and founder of the Student Loan Sherpa, said that the "increase in federal regulation and government scrutiny over federal loan servicing is almost certainly to blame for Navient's departure."
What does Navient's departure mean for your student loans?
If your federal student loans were previously serviced by Navient, here's what you need to know:
1. Aidvantage is your new student loan servicer
By now, you should have been notified of this change by mail or email from Navient, Aidvantage and the Department of Education. If you have not received a notification, you should log in to your existing Navient account and double-check your contact information to make sure it's correct. Even if your address was outdated, you should be able to log in to your new account.
2. You can access your Aidvantage account with Navient credentials
If you try to log in to Navient, you'll find a $0 balance: This balance is simply showing that your loans have been purchased by Aidvantage. To log in to your new account, visit aidvantage.com and enter your Navient login information.
The process is nearly identical to Navient's. Once you enter your login and password, you'll be prompted to enter your Social Security number or account number and date of birth to confirm your identity. From there, you'll be taken to the Aidvantage account home page, which looks just like the Navient landing page, right down to the left-hand navigation options.
If you can't remember your login information, select "Forgot user ID" or "Forgot password" and confirm a personal identification question to have a new one emailed to you. If you still can't get in or no longer have access to the email on file, reach out to Aidvantage for assistance at 800-722-1300.
3. Your payment preferences should be the same, but double check
Any payment terms you set up with Navient -- autopay, deferment, income-driven repayment plans -- should have transferred seamlessly to Aidvantage. Of course, since federal student loan payments have been paused for over 20 months, you may need to review the payment details, particularly with the end of forbearance approaching. And, if your job situation has changed since you last reviewed your loan repayment options, you may want to apply for income-driven repayment or other repayment options through Aidvantage now, so you're ready to go when repayment begins in September.
So after logging in to Aidvantage, you should find that your preferred payment method and autopay selection have transferred over, along with your payment history and record of loans paid in full.
4. Repayment is currently scheduled for September
Federal student loan payments remain on pause through Aug. 31. If you haven't already been paying your loans during the forbearance period, be sure you know what your monthly payment will be now, so you can factor this into your budget. You can also explore the repayment options if you need additional assistance.
If you want to explore further deferment or forbearance options, you can do this through your account online under "Repayment options." You can also speak to Aidvantage directly at 800-722-1300.
FAQs
Did Navient become Aidvantage?
No. At the end of 2021, Navient transferred its caseload of 5.6 million student loans to Maximus, another federal student loan contractor. Maximus is operating its student loan servicing under the name Aidvantage.
Should I pay my student loans now or wait for loan forgiveness?
There's no guarantee of widespread student loan forgiveness, but the latest news indicates that the Biden administration may be considering $10,000 in federal student loan relief, with some income limitations. No official announcements have been made yet. Unless you have only this amount in federal student loans or less, it's smart to plan for repayment now. And, if you're able to, paying during the pause can lower your principal loan amount, helping you save money on interest when payments resume.
If you're a teacher, healthcare worker, firefighter or other public servant, you may be eligible for forgiveness through the expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Since changes were made last October, the PSLF has identified more than 113,000 borrowers eligible for loan cancelation. If you're eligible for the PSLF or were on an income-driven repayment plan, which offers you forgiveness after 20 to 25 years of payments, each month of paused payments counts towards your loan forgiveness goal. So, you should plan for repayment, but there is little benefit in making payments during the freeze.
