Life After Corona

[JoeWras]

If they space out tables, it might be worth going. At least the noise level will be lower, and chef's more time to do great dinners.

Another factor in restaurants, so many of them play music in the background at a fairly high level, causing people to have to raise their voices for conversation, so the establishment turns up the music, and on and on.

THIS. On the mask thread, I've been talking about loud talkers, and their ability to spout contagion. Restaurants are now hell holes of contagion.

I believe that the quiet restaurant will return. Oh, not all of them, but a certain number will make a comeback.

 

[JoeWras]

Suburbia shall RISE again!

When this is over, probably in 2 years, there's going to be a change in the way we desire to live. And it is going to be 2 years of high vigilance that is going to really put an impression on all of us.

Suburbia will no longer be out of fashion. Suburbia will rise again.

Suburbia has had it tough the last 15 years or so. Millenials and iGen will suddenly value having a little distance. Especially Millenials. Many are having children now, finally. And they will know (or a friend of a friend will know) of someone their age who died in this.

Sharing that elevator, or sharing that car, or sharing that space, may not seem like as much fun as it used to be.

I would never rent my place out for an AirBnB before this started, mainly because of bedbugs. Bedbugs look like trivia today. Would you like to rent your home out to a super-spreader?

Car sharing. I joked about absorbing the fart smells in the cushions from the previous driver. Now, you'll be putting your hand on that well sneezed and coughed on set of controls. Just lovely.

Basically, my parents and grand-parents moved to suburbia for a reason. The cities before the gentrification awakening of the 80s were hell holes. Coal smoke. Dirt. Crime. Etc. My mom specifically hated the coal smoke which was primarily a pre-WWII issue. That's why she wanted out.

Now, I'm not saying cities will die. But I really think the huge trend of dense living and sharing is going to slow. It is gonna be different.

 

[Freedom56]

I foresee a lot more temperature screening going on in the future at restaurants and retail stores. Restaurants will have to do a lot more cleaning and disinfecting if they want clients to return. What I still see today is sick people still going out in public and spreading germs. It's not clear how the cruise industry is going to recover given images of what is happening with people stranded at sea. Airlines will recover faster but will have to step up screen of passengers at check-in and prior to boarding and cleaning of aircraft.

 

[Gumby]

People may rethink the wisdom of late in life congregate living arrangements for themselves or their elderly parents.

 

[REWahoo]

When this is over, probably in 2 years, there's going to be a change in the way we desire to live. And it is going to be 2 years of high vigilance that is going to really put an impression on all of us.

Suburbia will no longer be out of fashion. Suburbia will rise again.

Suburbia has had it tough the last 15 years or so. Millenials and iGen will suddenly value having a little distance. Especially Millenials. Many are having children now, finally. And they will know (or a friend of a friend will know) of someone their age who died in this.

Sharing that elevator, or sharing that car, or sharing that space, may not seem like as much fun as it used to be.

I would never rent my place out for an AirBnB before this started, mainly because of bedbugs. Bedbugs look like trivia today. Would you like to rent your home out to a super-spreader?

Car sharing. I joked about absorbing the fart smells in the cushions from the previous driver. Now, you'll be putting your hand on that well sneezed and coughed on set of controls. Just lovely.

Basically, my parents and grand-parents moved to suburbia for a reason. The cities before the gentrification awakening of the 80s were hell holes. Coal smoke. Dirt. Crime. Etc. My mom specifically hated the coal smoke which was primarily a pre-WWII issue. That's why she wanted out.

Now, I'm not saying cities will die. But I really think the huge trend of dense living and sharing is going to slow. It is gonna be different.

Maybe. A lot depends on medical research.

If a vaccine is developed to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus there will be a massive undertaking to vaccinate everyone - think Polio after the Salk vaccine was approved in 1955. Then life will likely go back to something that very closely resembles pre-2020.

 

[JoeWras]

Maybe.

If a vaccine is developed to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus there will be a massive undertaking to vaccinate everyone - think Polio after the Salk vaccine was approved in 1955. Then life will likely go back to something that very closely resembles pre-2020.

The change will be a shift, not a complete reversal. You'll get a certain percentage of people back off who previously embraced density and close sharing. Others won't care, especially those who've gone to spring break.

I'm thinking 2 years for the vaccine. I hope I am wrong. Those two years are going to scar us. Yes, temperature checks will soon be in place everywhere. We'll constantly be reminded we're possibly spreading disease.

This scar will keep us vigilant for the *next* thing after COVID. Sure, COVID will be conquered, but I don't think the mind-set will go away right away. TB and Polio never completely melted out of my parent's generation consciousness.

 

[statsman]

If a vaccine is developed to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus there will be a massive undertaking to vaccinate everyone - think Polio after the Salk vaccine was approved in 1955. Then life will likely go back to something that very closely resembles pre-2020.

At the moment, I don't think Europe and the US are looking all that kindly at China. I gather there are going to be some serious reactions to COVID-19 that may make returning to anything closely resembling life at the end of 2019 darn near impossible. Vaccine or no vaccine.

 

[Dtail]

People may rethink the wisdom of late in life congregate living arrangements for themselves or their elderly parents.

Yep, I would think twice now about the CCRC and 55+ settings.

 

[JoeWras]

Yep, I would think twice now about the CCRC and 55+ settings.

It's got me thinking! I think this is spot on.

 

[braumeister]

People may rethink the wisdom of late in life congregate living arrangements for themselves or their elderly parents.

You bet!
Two of my neighbors decided to move out of their single family homes on my street into senior living residences (one CCRC, the other just assisted living). One was in her 80s, the other in his 90s. Coincidentally, they both decided in the same week and immediately put their homes up for sale in early February and have already moved out. Absolutely the worst possible time for this IMHO, but they didn't see the danger. If it had been me, I would have done everything possible to stay in my home as long as I could. Since both of them still drove with no problem, I just couldn't see it.

 

[athena53]

People may rethink the wisdom of late in life congregate living arrangements for themselves or their elderly parents.

What are the alternatives? You can get home health care 24/7 but it's expensive and isolating. I will NOT move in with DS and DDIL- I don't want them burned out by caregiving if I become senile or incontinent- or both. Frankly, if I get to the point that I can no longer live on my own and need assistance with bathing, toileting, etc. and it's a virus that takes me out, I'm good with that.

My own list of things that will change:

1. Agreed that I will ALWAYS have a stock of TP since that seems to be the first thing to go in any panic. I need to think about it but should add to that list. Canned soup would be another item to keep on hand.

2. Yes, many businesses will be forever changed and doing business in new ways if they survive: more takeout, home delivery, telework, telemedicine.

3. I think my attitude towards germs and viruses will be forever changed. I was raised in a family of 5 kids and Mom never tried to make the place germ-free although she kept it very clean. That's worked well- my 5 siblings and I all have healthy immune systems. Now I wash my hands thoroughly and frequently and travel with a little bottle of hand sanitizer.

4. After I resume travel, I will scrupulously drill down into the cancellation provisions of every booking and the terms and conditions of every travel insurance policy I buy. I'm still sorting out the repercussions of my curtailed tour of South America and am fighting AIG on a $1,700 airfare for a trip I was unable to take after Colombia closed its borders.

 

[JoeWras]

What are the alternatives?

Delay it as long as possible or until your mind is gone. It sounds like that's where you are.

We were instead thinking of going early, while still fairly healthy. Not anymore.

 

[Music Lover]

When this is over, probably in 2 years, there's going to be a change in the way we desire to live. And it is going to be 2 years of high vigilance that is going to really put an impression on all of us.

Over 12,000 people died of H1N1 in the US and very little changed once it was over. But maybe people will learn this time.

Now, I'm not saying cities will die. But I really think the huge trend of dense living and sharing is going to slow. It is gonna be different.

I've never been a fan of crowded living, this is just one more reason not to live in a high density area. Subways, buses, crowded streets, parades, etc. are no longer appealing to many people. Even shared rides and re-usable cloth bags are now frowned upon.

 

[CaptTom]

Now, I'm not saying cities will die. But I really think the huge trend of dense living and sharing is going to slow. It is gonna be different.

Joe makes some good points. This reminded me of some rambling thoughts I had today about new trends which aren't so appealing any more.

Joe mentioned Uber, Air B&B and self-driving cars you can summon as needed instead of owning.

But some less obvious things are happening, too.

Already we can't get most things from Amazon in less than a month. Our local supermarket stopped their on-line order and drive-through pickup service. Employees at these places are either unable to keep up, or in some cases are striking or calling in sick because of dangerous working conditions.

So now we can't count on the outsource-everything lifestyles we've only just recently been getting used to.

And that's only at the consumer level. The whole just-in-time-delivery concept is showing its weakness. Not only masks and ventilators at hospitals, but retail stores and just about any business which relies on a supply chain is feeling the pinch.