What Covid Measures May Become Permanent?

[Turkeytop]

Covid brought about a lot of changes to the way we live, Some of them may be here to stay.

I still see some people wearing masks. I expect those people will be wearing them for the rest of their life.

The plexiglass dividers at the checkout counters are probably going to be there for good.

One thing I hope they keep are the cart wipes and hand sanitizers in the stores for those who want to use them. We used them even in pre-covid times where they were available.

I expect the covid shots will become a regular thing the like flu shots.

One thing I don't miss and never want to see again are the lineups to get into the stores and banks

[radioandtventhusiast]

I think the shots will be permanent, and I also believe masks will be permanent at medical facilities.

[CurlyHoward]

yeah, now that it's been proven without a doubt that getting Covid once doesn't give you lifetime immunity I think seasonal boosters for those who want them are here to stay.

Every time I go shopping at Kroger here in the Toledo burbs I see about 15-20 percent of people wearing masks.

DId the lineups to get into stores last a long time in Canada? That was done around here by the summer of 2020 IIRC.

I also think any store or restaurant that was open 24 hours pre-pandemic but hasn't returned to it yet, like Meijer even though their signs still say "24 hours", is never going to. Can't find workers and there's not a lot of profit overnight especially in retail, plus they're targets for shoplifters at those hours. Buddy of mine's smoke alarm started doing the dead battery chirp at 3 am not too long ago and he had to go to three different gas stations trying to find a battery because that's all that's open around here at that hour anymore besides the Waffle Houses.

[radioandtventhusiast]

Yeah, so many stores in and around Toledo aren't even open 24 hours anymore these days. Also, good luck finding a fast-food restaurant open for dine-in at times.

[Turkeytop]

I think a lot of the shortened business hours is due to staff shortages.

[radioandtventhusiast]

I think a lot of the shortened business hours is due to staff shortages.

At several of the Big Boys in the area, they're now only open until 3 in the afternoon. Previously, they were open for dinner, and in some cases, 24 Hours!

[CurlyHoward]

There were fewer places open 24 hours even by early 2020 than there once were in Toledo. Fewer people employed in factories running three shifts than even 20 years ago has the domino effect on services. I think almost every Big Boy around town was open 24 hours at one point and many Kroger stores were too, even the one on Woodville near the refinery that's now closed. The pandemic just sped up the process with that.

[ADD in TC]

I believe that the medical telehealth is here to stay.

[Chrocket87]

I work as a nurse and masks are probably here to stay in medical facilities. I renewed my CPR certification back in April and the instructor explained that prior to AIDS, nurses rarely wore gloves when in contact with patients. I still have to wear gloves when I’m anywhere near a patient (thankfully).

Family visiting hours are probably here to stay awhile longer. Pre-COVID, we had no restrictions on visiting hours. We imposed a 10PM limit and limited visitation to two visitors at a time (thank God, some patients would bring in their ENTIRE families and the rooms were small). The visitation hours have not changed since.

[TC Talks]

My local post office just removed the sneeze guard at each counter, my doctor's office no longer requires masks in the waiting room, New York has returned to being a 24-hour town.

I think that some of the pre-covid activities are returning.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

My local post office just removed the sneeze guard at each counter, my doctor's office no longer requires masks in the waiting room, New York has returned to being a 24-hour town.

I think that some of the pre-covid activities are returning.

None of that is true down here. My doctor's office is all wearing masks except for a rogue PA, but they are also attached to Ascension Oakland.

[bmw]

I've noticed some plexiglass barriers coming down in businesses around here in recent months.

What measures do and do not remain permanent largely depends on a lot of yet-to-be-determined factors. It pretty much comes down to how long it takes for Covid to fade into the background and be treated by most people like the flu. That depends largely on any new variants and what kind of spike of cases we see this winter.

[Bobbert]

I still see some people wearing masks. I expect those people will be wearing them for the rest of their life.

Like Paul McCartney once sang:

"You were only waiting for this moment to arrive."

[Bobbert]

The genie is out of the bottle on remote working guidelines for workplaces. Witness the recent rebellion at General Motors, one of the largest companies in the world.

[craig11152]

As a school bus driver in Ann Arbor masks are now optional.
I wear a KN95 mask when kids are in the bus.
If I had to guess I'd say about 60% of the kids are wearing them. Maybe more.
I think I'll keep track for a few days.