COVID-19 aftermath: What things will change forever?

[adambr2]

So I do think that maybe, even though we're not there yet, it's fair to discuss what a post COVID-19 world will look like. Some thoughts:

 

1) "Post" COVID-19 probably won't really be that way, we'll be dealing with this for awhile, at least until a safe and effective vaccine is proven.

 

2) Handshakes. Is it just time to do away with this custom? Is there an "acceptable" alternative? Bowing? Saluting? Elbow bumping? Just a polite nod of the head? I think we can all agree that something culturally should exist to substitute for the handshake. Just maybe, this is something that has run it's course and just doesn't make good hygienic sense anymore.

 

3) Maybe, just maybe, the travel industry, arenas, stadiums, etc, are going to have to figure out that, maybe we shouldn't pack human beings in like sardine cans in the name of profits anymore. Maybe sports stadiums will need to reduce their capacity by 40% to space fans out a little more (I can't even imagine the ramifications for season ticket holders, but here we are). I do believe we'll have live in fan sports again, but maybe it'll be forever different. And maybe it should be. But consequently, I'm sure these things will cost even more.

 

Just common sense stuff can probably reduce viral spread much more than we've grown accustomed to.

[DuWayne Steurer]

adam, we have already adopted elbow bumps at work. At first it was kind of a funny, almost comical thing. But now it's custom, and I kinda like it.

[homer]

Our building is trying to go "touchless" as much as they can. Touchless faucets, automatic doors, touchless elevators, etc etc.

[hawing]

My pandemic sleep pattern has devolved into a "Midnight Deep Thoughts" pattern where no matter how tired I am, I'm up around midnight wondering about things like this. I can't believe the level of minutiae that occur to me. Besides handshakes:

 

- Casual hugs? I'm in the non-hugger part of society, so for me that's like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, but I know plenty of people for whom that would be a tough adjustment.

 

- Paper coupons. I'm a coupon clipper, whether from the Sunday paper (the only print one we get) or the coupon books that come in the mail for something like a deal at Rocky Rococo. I've stopped even looking for them because who would want a piece of paper from my wallet at this point? Plus they've been kind of on the way out anyway.

 

- Think of the sheer number of retail outfits that were already considered to be hanging by a thread pre-pandemic. How many of those won't be back? This clearly applies to businesses of many sizes, and some which weren't hanging by a thread, but I'm mostly thinking of big box stores like Penney's or Kohl's or Bed Bath and Beyond.

 

- At Brewers games, those season seat holder pregame opportunities to have your photo taken with a player. I am a total sucker for those, even when it's a dude at the bottom of the roster like Boone Logan. If that resumes, it won't be soon.

 

- Along those lines, how the heck do you have an event like Brewers On Deck going forward? The last few years have been at the level of crowdedness that would put me off if it weren't my main chance for a mid-winter Brewers fix. Now I look at the FSWI highlight reel from this year's On Deck and kind of cringe at the sheer volume of people.

 

- At ballgames, the post-pandemic era might be the Brewers' golden opportunity to just ban bags and purses altogether. Being a bag checker there seems trying enough under pre-pandemic conditions. Imagine staffing one of those lines and having to be in contact with oodles of bags while hundreds of people pause right next to you. Who is going to be willing to do that?

I'd hope there could still be a provision for bringing in factory sealed water/soft drinks and snacks - if only because I do not know how eager I'd be to buy concessions at the park for the time being.

 

I'll check back in after a few nights' worth of additional midnight deep thoughts.

[MrTPlush]

If they get coronavirus figured out to make the dangers near zero (whether treatment or vaccine) I assume life will essentially resort back to normal. There may be changes, but I doubt handshakes are suddenly non existent or sporting events being limited in size. No handshakes or sporting event sizes being limited etc. would have changed absolutely nothing about this virus getting out or having to go into a lockdown.

 

Changes need to be on the world and government scale for being better prepared in the future. Not whether we shake hands or not.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

If they get coronavirus figured out to make the dangers near zero (whether treatment or vaccine) I assume life will essentially resort back to normal. There may be changes, but I doubt handshakes are suddenly non existent or sporting events being limited in size. No handshakes or sporting event sizes being limited etc. would have changed absolutely nothing about this virus getting out or having to go into a lockdown.

 

Changes need to be on the world and government scale for being better prepared in the future. Not whether we shake hands or not.

 

We will hopefully see priorities start to change. Perhaps the world's top research minds could be better utilized to combat issues like this happening again, rather than developing features and apps for the newest iPhone release.

[LouisEly]

Paper coupons - take a picture of them with your phone. If they have a barcode it usually works to scan a picture of the barcode. Or take a picture of your screen for digital coupons (they usually post the weekly flyer on their website).

 

Many big chain grocery stores have already adopted e-coupons that you can scan when you download and enroll in their app.

[Samurai Bucky]

Paper coupons - take a picture of them with your phone. If they have a barcode it usually works to scan a picture of the barcode. Or take a picture of your screen for digital coupons (they usually post the weekly flyer on their website).

 

Many big chain grocery stores have already adopted e-coupons that you can scan when you download and enroll in their app.

This works well in an urban / suburban environment, but maybe not in a sparse, rural environment. There are also older folks, like my parents, who refuse to get a smart phone. This is for a few reasons including the cost.

 

As an aside, I went up to their house this past weekend and without too many details, their neighbor told me to get off his lawn.

[MrTPlush]

It’s becoming ever more common for places to just scan the weekly ad and the system will automatically register any coupons you are eligible for. My rural grocery store does it.

[nodakfan17]

I work for a local bank. For years, we’ve been shifting dollars from physical branches to digital solutions, but COVID-19 will be the catalyst that coverts long time holdouts. In 10 years, I bet the total branch count in the US will be about 50% of what you see today. If it’s higher than that, it’s because banks will be building new branches with 1/2 the square footage of the old branches they’re replacing.

[nodakfan17]

My wife and I don’t watch a lot of TV. We’ve gotten by just fine with broadcast TV and a TiVo for many years. If the major networks aren’t able to air new content in the Fall due to COVID-related production issues, we may add a streaming subscription and never look back.

[jerichoholicninja]

It will be interesting to see which things we thought we couldn't live without before, and then had to give up, we decide weren't really that important after all. I'll be honest, I thought not coaching baseball this spring and watching it on TV would be excruciating but I really haven't even noticed I'm missing it.

[burnzy24]

One thing I hope continues is how more stores are offering the ability to order online and then pick up in store. Someone just told me that Fleet Farm is doing this now and I hope more adopt this approach since it's incredibly convenient. I also hope that medical clinics continue to move to more virtual visits.

 

This virus has taught me how many in-person shoping and other experiences I can live without. I really wouldn't miss most retail stores and malls and I do all my banking in an app now.

[TURBO]

Our building is trying to go "touchless" as much as they can. Touchless faucets, automatic doors, touchless elevators, etc etc.

 

I truly hope this is an outcome.

 

The fact that anyone has to touch anything in a public bathroom is just plain gross to begin with.

 

How many times do you see people come out from a stall, the kind with doors, where 99% of the time, that person just took a dump, and don't even bother to wash their hands, they just leave the restroom? I've seen it a lot, A LOT! Stadiums, box stores, restaurants, you name it. From what I hear from others, this is not just a male thing, females are guilty too.

 

When I see it at the high school I teach at, I have no issues telling the kid to get back here and wash up. Kids will do it, but these are just the ones I see/catch. I'm sure it happens frequently. I see it after urinal use as well. Again, I just flat out tell the kid to get over to the sink and wash their hands.

[LouisEly]

I wonder if it will change the priorities for industries/companies to work for. For the past decade, post-recession, there has been a shift to start-ups, tech companies, innovators, etc., looking for either a big payout for when the company goes public or just wanting to work for a company they think is cool or connects well with their generation.

 

Now, I'm wondering if they will start to strongly consider whether a company is in an "essential" industry. While historically unpopular with younger people, will industries such as health care, pharma, fast food, food supply, education, government, etc., now be in higher demand?

[nodakfan17]

I used to think ordering groceries online was pretentious, but finally tried it when Pick-n-Save dropped its $5 fee to promote social distancing. They’ll probably bring the fee back eventually, but permanently convert some shoppers to online-only in the process.

[Outlander]

Hopefully places get rid of hand dryers, those ones you stick your hands in particular.

[wallus]

I used to think ordering groceries online was pretentious, but finally tried it when Pick-n-Save dropped its $5 fee to promote social distancing. They’ll probably bring the fee back eventually, but permanently convert some shoppers to online-only in the process.

 

I would highly assume they will as that has to cost them a lot of money.

[LouisEly]

Hopefully places get rid of hand dryers, those ones you stick your hands in particular.

Those are touchless - how are they an issue?

 

With paper towel rolls, they always get jammed up or the sensors don't work and you have to manually turn the knob to get them to dispense the next towel.

[AKCheesehead]

I don't know if the whole "hygiene hypothesis" is right, bunk, or somewhere in between. Germaphobia is going to be big for a good long while after this comes to pass, so through data down the road we should find out.

[owbc]

Most of the changes are an acceleration of things that were already happening...

 

1. The gig economy is going to be even bigger than before, there are hundreds of thousands of people delivering food/groceries who used to drive for Uber/Lyft. People are going to continue to expect delivery so there will be plenty more jobs in that sector. One class of minimum-wage workers supporting a much wealthier class of white collar workers.

 

2. Remote work will continue to expand. People will be less inclined to have long work commutes. Companies will permanently reduce business travel.

 

3. Research will continue to move ever more to private sector and away from universities/government labs. This is a personal one as a university researcher myself. The starting pay gap is already massive for PhD scientists (~$60K at a university vs. ~$150K in the private sector). Related--the university bubble is definitely going to burst as students move to cheaper online learning.

 

4. Small businesses are going to be a much smaller chunk of the economy.

 

5. People will keep many of the hobbies that they picked up during COVID. Gardening, DIY projects, cooking, etc.

 

6. I don't know about crowds...I bet they will return once COVID is completely gone. Although people will certainly be more hygienic in general.

 

7. Lots of political instability thanks to the oil crash. There is a good chance that oil demand never returns to previous levels and there will (hopefully) be additional political pressure to accelerate green energy as people demand that government is better prepared for other crises that may or may not be on the horizon...

[owbc]

Hopefully places get rid of hand dryers, those ones you stick your hands in particular.

Those are touchless - how are they an issue?

 

With paper towel rolls, they always get jammed up or the sensors don't work and you have to manually turn the knob to get them to dispense the next towel.

 

There was a Mythbusters episode on this. It turns out the blowers send germs flying everywhere. Paper towel is more sanitary.

[igor67]

I share the hope that there is a permanent decline in driving. On the K-12 side though we are getting our noses rubbed in the digital divide and I don't see that changing. Also online teaching is acceptable if your goal is to hand out pieces of paper, but real education requires something more.

 

I hope we think about how to be more local, not purely for environmental or business reasons. Also a little bit of survival. I used to joke on occasion with my students that the only thing being the dominant species on the planet meant was that we were a great big ecological niche waiting to be exploited. It is less funny now.

[DHonks]

It would be nice if this helps us get lower class sizes. Our rooms were built for 25 or so, but typically our classes have 40. We can't effectively social distance. Additionally, how do kids social distance in the hallways?

 

Lots of questions, but few answers. This is my first foray with distance teaching, but our district has offered online classes that a lot of students take for about 15 years.

 

Hopefully parents are quick to keep sick kids home in the future. Too many sick kids come to school as it is. It's a giant petri dish

[DHonks]

4. Small businesses are going to be a much smaller chunk of the economy.

 

 

I don't know about that. They make up 70% of all businesses. What is "much smaller," 65%?