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What happens if life as we know it becomes a dystopian battle against a parade of ravaging pandemics? Could bubble communities like the NBA is trying to create to finish their suspended season become a way of life?

A future plagued by pandemics is not far fetched considering the damage coronavirus has caused worldwide. Now we hear coronavirus has begun mutating and a virulent form of swine flu could be the next pandemic. Europe has already shut its doors to visitors from the United States and states like New York are already effectively banning travelers from other states suffering rapid spread of Covid-19 by requiring quarantining.

My son’s father-in-law owns a large winery outside of Sacramento with the acreage and facilities to harbor dozens of extended families and friends in a safe and isolated residential bubble possibly for months or even years. While he’s not what would be considered to be a survivalist, he’s already started to enhance security systems, stockpile provisions, and prepare contingency plans for a move there should the current situation worsen.

What’s next? Could the gated communities of the future evolve into the bubble cities of the future? As crazy as it sounds, bubble communities as an idea could actually make sense in a dystopian future dominated by plague. Coronavirus may not be as lethal as originally thought but it’s given us more than we can handle and the next pathogen could be a more lethal and deadly threat than nuclear war, climate change, or overpopulation.

It’s a frightening thought to think life as we once enjoyed it could never come back but we’re all now in the process of creating our own personal bubbles to stay safe be it with family or friends or a combination of both. The programmer from India who is working with me to build the new Lakerholics website lives in a form of isolated bubble in Southern India that includes multiple extended families and close friends and associates.

Maybe the NBA’s Orlando bubble experiment will become a model not only for professional sports but also for groups of people who want to recreate the old normal in groups larger than just immediate family and friends.