How Coronavirus Infected Some, but Not All, in a Restaurant

[P.S.]

The 'edible mask' market is wide open for startups.

Use 3D printer to make a sliced meal, applied to the inside of your mask. And you can sit with company and lick the inside of your mask.
Or what about an enlarged, tent-like PAPR enclosing your head, torso, and place setting. Reception can issue it when you check-in.

 

[gauss]

I think restaurants are going to have a hard time re-opening under social distancing guidelines. A chain restaurant, like Applebees, tries to get a lot of people in and turn them over. A fine dining restaurant tries to get you in and get you to stay for hours. Restaurants typically operate on very low profit margins even given the way they packed people in and encouraged customer turnover. It is hard to see how they can make a profit at half capacity. Regardless of people trying to wear masks in China, you cannot eat with a mask.

But isn't a small loss better than a large cash burn for the fixed costs if they remain closed? The exception would be if the owner wanted to retire anyways, I could understand not operating.

 

[martyp]

But isn't a small loss better than a large cash burn for the fixed costs if they remain closed? The exception would be if the owner wanted to retire anyways, I could understand not operating.

I think we would both agree that a business cannot continue operating at a loss indefinitely. Most plans to reopen the economy include social distancing. Restaurants will have to find a business model that allows for this. And we will have to wait and see what happens as we begin to go out in public again. If there are new clusters of infections where are they coming from?

 

[sengsational]

Prediction: restaurants will lure customers back by installing UV-C emitters.

Here's another prediction...a battery operated air handling device that you bring with you to a restaurant. It pulls air through a HEPA filter, then presents a very gentle column of air at a person's face, or more likely delivers cleaned air for two. Far UV-C is better, but not every restaurant will invest in that. I also think more people will choose to sit outside as things start opening up... No additional technology required

 

[Dtail]

Sitting outside for a restaurant is the only option we would consider right now.

 

[donheff]

Here's another prediction...a battery operated air handling device that you bring with you to a restaurant. It pulls air through a HEPA filter, then presents a very gentle column of air at a person's face, or more likely delivers cleaned air for two. Far UV-C is better, but not every restaurant will invest in that. I also think more people will choose to sit outside as things start opening up... No additional technology required

On 60 Minutes (or CNN?) the other day they were covering Amazon's problems and efforts to deal with them. They showed a robot UV-C rover going up an aisle disinfecting cases of products. I slowly passed by giving each section about 5-10 seconds of exposure. Pretty cool.

 

[harllee]

I saw an article about a restaurant in Amsterdam. They had set up small 2 person greenhouse type buildings in the area outside the restaurant with tables and chairs in them and had people eating inside the small greenhouses. The only contact with others would be your waiter. Looked neat. I might consider going to a place like that.

On the other hand, I saw on the news today about a restaurant in Ohio that was installing plastic shower curtains between the tables. Won't be going there.

 

[ivinsfan]

On 60 Minutes (or CNN?) the other day they were covering Amazon's problems and efforts to deal with them. They showed a robot UV-C rover going up an aisle disinfecting cases of products. I slowly passed by giving each section about 5-10 seconds of exposure. Pretty cool.

The problem with disinfecting products is it's way down the list of how people catch the virus it's done for show.

 

[gwraigty]

On the other hand, I saw on the news today about a restaurant in Ohio that was installing plastic shower curtains between the tables. Won't be going there.

I'd expect not, unless you were planning to travel to Ohio. But are the shower curtains pretty?

They're supposed to be going for the 6 ft. distance first by blocking off tables when possible. High backed booths and other barriers already in place qualify as sufficient.

 

[Badger]

On the other hand, I saw on the news today about a restaurant in Ohio that was installing plastic shower curtains between the tables. Won't be going there.

Next thing you know plastic shower curtains will be used on airplanes.


Cheers!

 

[sengsational]

The problem with disinfecting products is it's way down the list of how people catch the virus it's done for show.

I've changed my mind about how much surface transmission is happening. In the early days, when they were saying there was no aerosol transmission, I figured surfaces were a significant factor. Now, I'm thinking much less. I'm still aging the mail and pantry goods and H2O2 spraying fridge items, but don't think it's essential.

So I'm more concerned with exchanging air with other diners and wait staff than I am from picking up the water glass the wait staff handled, for instance.

 

[Nemo2]

So I'm more concerned with exchanging air with other diners and wait staff

"L'enfer, c'est les autres"

 

[greengo523]

My big concern with eating outside is now the wind becomes a factor. What if you are sitting downwind of other people?

 

[W2R]

I really don't understand what is happening here in New Orleans, but coronavirus cases have really dropped (despite more testing) and have stayed low too. See the graphic below; the colored bars are the real numbers and the black line is a running average intended to smooth the actual data. We went from being a "hot spot" with one of the highest rates of infection in the country, to a tremendous drop in new cases within a very short period of time (despite more testing). There is no reason that I can discern for this decline to be so steep and to continue to remain low for so long.

There are those that would say the improved situation is because 100% of New Orleanians are a rule-oriented people who are faithfully and dutifully following SIP rules, the 6 foot rule, masks, and so on. Then there are those of us who live in the real world and know that certain substantially large segments of our population have not changed what they do in any way whatsoever and never will.

I'm inclined to think that something else is involved, perhaps changes in the virus or something else that hasn't been taken into account. This is not a case of airborne vs surface transmission; apparently the virus has been cut off at the knees and isn't transmitting much at all by either means.

Our governor is moving us into Phase 1 of recovery on Friday, and much to my surprise I think it's time for this. My ideas and plans are shifting radically and I think I might be ready to go inside our favorite restaurant or the gym occasionally after they re-open (with restrictions) on Friday.

 

[audreyh1]

Next thing you know plastic shower curtains will be used on airplanes.


Cheers!

Yeah, just put me in a zip up plastic bag with my personal air supply and I might actually feel sufficiently isolated sitting on a plane!

 

[audreyh1]

My big concern with eating outside is now the wind becomes a factor. What if you are sitting downwind of other people?

I think wind helps break things up and move it away. It’s safer outside than inside An enclosed space with no moving air.