COVID-19 Thread [V2.0]

[sveumrules]

So it took us a little over four months, but we hit 100 pages on the first C19 thread. Really though, that's nothing compared to the 91 pages we generated in less than 20 hours for Game 4 of the 2018 NLCS...

 

viewtopic.php?f=65&t=37735

 

Anyway, it doesn't seem like this whole thing is going anywhere anytime soon, so let's start a new thread & hopefully in another four months/one hundred pages (whichever comes first) we'll have a better handle on it all.

[nodakfan17]

Has anyone been able to find Clorox wipes in stock anywhere?

[Jimbo]

Has anyone been able to find Clorox wipes in stock anywhere?

 

No. And a couple of months ago I gave my stash to my wife to use at work.

[Outlander]

I am impressed that Wal-Mart will start requiring face coverings. After they made that decision their competitors are pretty much forced to follow them. Target/Kohl's/Meijer/CVS/Best Buy and others have already changed their position.

[CheezWizHed]

Has anyone been able to find Clorox wipes in stock anywhere?

 

No. And a couple of months ago I gave my stash to my wife to use at work.

 

I'm pretty sure I saw some at Sam's club last time I was there. But it might be the generic brand too.

[jerichoholicninja]

I am impressed that Wal-Mart will start requiring face coverings. After they made that decision their competitors are pretty much forced to follow them. Target/Kohl's/Meijer/CVS/Best Buy and others have already changed their position.

 

Why would that force their competitors to do so? I would think they would prefer to not require masks so they could get the anti-mask shoppers.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There is a reason they fell like dominos after Walmart went the mask-required route. It was literally within hours that Kohl's, Target etc. followed suit. It's harder for the others to do so when the biggest retailer in the world won't; it's just another mildly annoying thing and if the leader isn't doing, the others aren't going to risk enforcing the policy and have any customers decide to just go to Walmart and not deal with it. Many of them are operating on paper thin margins right now and cannot risk making the in-store experience "worse" if the captain isn't doing it.

 

WM doesn't deserve kudos though, this is way too late. Costco does, as usual. Their entire response was lightyears ahead of all retail and the government.

[jerichoholicninja]

Those that don't want to be around people without masks are already avoiding places that don't require them. If your competitor is going to require people to wear masks and alienate a large group of their customers shouldn't you try to attract that group of people and say masks are optional? That would make sense to me from a business perspective at least.

 

And from what I've read, the amount of virus transmission that's going on while shopping is minimal anyway.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

You can't avoid Walmart in many places in the country, including where I live unless you want to pay $7 for a $3 box of Cheerios, it's not even an option for many people to pay the premium at the alternative. You're talking about a store where 95% of US consumers entered a physical location last year. It's simply that if Walmart says you have to do it, it's completely normalized. People won't abandon Walmart because of masks, most of them couldn't if they wanted to.

 

In full disclosure, I work for Kohl's corporate. The mask policy was a direct result of Walmart's. People talk a big game on social media about taking their money elsewhere when companies mildly irritate them, but basically nobody does it once the increased cost of their new behavior comes into play.

[owbc]

Getting back to the school topic, my niece’s summer program is now in a 10-day shutdown because of a suspected COVID case from one of the staff. You can imagine what the odds are of finding someone to watch your kid when she’s at home because of suspected COVID exposure. Seems like this is a preview of what will happen with schools this fall—a complete nightmare for parents.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The dates for when this was here keep getting shoved earlier and earlier. A lot of those "I was sick and coughing over Valentine's Day" stories that were dismissed don't look as irrelevant now. I have a feeling way more people had this than we think.

[homer]

The dates for when this was here keep getting shoved earlier and earlier. A lot of those "I was sick and coughing over Valentine's Day" stories that were dismissed don't look as irrelevant now. I have a feeling way more people had this than we think.

 

It's the "I was sick over Thanksgiving" stories that should be dismissed. There were cases here in very late Dec/January but the spread was probably limited at that point. Odds are most people still had the regular ole flu in February.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

You can't avoid Walmart in many places in the country, including where I live unless you want to pay $7 for a $3 box of Cheerios, it's not even an option for many people to pay the premium at the alternative. You're talking about a store where 95% of US consumers entered a physical location last year. It's simply that if Walmart says you have to do it, it's completely normalized. People won't abandon Walmart because of masks, most of them couldn't if they wanted to.

 

In full disclosure, I work for Kohl's corporate. The mask policy was a direct result of Walmart's. People talk a big game on social media about taking their money elsewhere when companies mildly irritate them, but basically nobody does it once the increased cost of their new behavior comes into play.

 

 

I believe they were one of the first to go with using masks months ago. I've avoided Menards up until now because of the mask use. I went yesterday to Menards and people may have had the mask on when walking through the door, but I'd say half of the people had their mask around their neck while shopping.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Walmart is the one store where I felt I probably should have worn a mask my whole life shopping there.

[owbc]

Walmart is the one store where I felt I probably should have worn a mask my whole life shopping there.

 

 

We use Instacart for most grocery shopping, even before COVID it was an incredible deal in terms of time and convenience but now with eliminating the risk of going to grocery stores it's even better. The other day I quick dropped in he grocery store late in the evening and ended up impulse buying about $50 worth of stuff I didn't need. I assume we will eventually have smart kitchens that automatically manage food inventory...as someone who hates shopping that day can't come soon enough.

[MrTPlush]

Walmart is the one store where I felt I probably should have worn a mask my whole life shopping there.

 

Ha...I stopped going to Wal Mart years ago for my safety.

[reillymcshane]

If your competitor is going to require people to wear masks and alienate a large group of their customers shouldn't you try to attract that group of people and say masks are optional? That would make sense to me from a business perspective at least.

My guess (and it's just a guess) is that there is not a 'large group' of customers alienated by wearing a mask. Many people don't like it. Many people don't think it's necessary. But most people probably agree that a private business has the right to set safety standards within their place of work. And let's face it - it's not like they're having blood drawn or getting hit in the head with a mallet. It's a mask. It's uncomfortable and it fogs up my glasses, but it's not really that big of a deal to most people. Thus, people tolerate it.

 

Those people who only wish to go to a store that allows them to NOT wear a mask is (again, I'm guessing) probably not that large of a segment of the population. They will shop at Walmart (or Pick n Save or wherever) because that's where they always shop, they know where things are, they like the prices, or whatever attracted them before COVID.

 

Thus, trying to gain customers by saying 'we don't require masks' is not a huge selling point to most people.

 

Also, I would argue there are as many people (if not more) on the flip side of the argument - people who refuse to go to a specific store because they don't require masks - than those who won't go to a store that requires a mask (my wife is like this - she hasn't gone back to her hairstylist because she won't wear a mask. And she'll go to Menard's before Fleet Farm due to the mask requirement at the former).

 

As I said, this is just a guess on my part. Many people will grumble about wearing a mask, but they'll grit their teeth and do it for the most part.

 

And don't get me wrong - some people will be very vocal about it. And they will abandon Walmart for (insert other grocery store) so they don't have to wear the mask. I'm just not sure how many of those people are out there.

 

There may also a safety issue that the stores are addressing in the mask ruling. They want their employees to stay health so the stores can stay open and operate in a profitable manner, and they don't want to be on the bad end of any lawsuits or public relations nightmares. Better safe than sorry is probably better for them. Again, just a guess.

[stoutdude04]

I am battling Darwin this weekend for a bachelor party in the dells. I feel selfish, but I am not sure I can just sit around.

[madbad2000]

 

Those people who only wish to go to a store that allows them to NOT wear a mask is (again, I'm guessing) probably not that large of a segment of the population. They will shop at Walmart (or Pick n Save or wherever) because that's where they always shop, they know where things are, they like the prices, or whatever attracted them before COVID.

 

Thus, trying to gain customers by saying 'we don't require masks' is not a huge selling point to most people.

 

Also, I would argue there are as many people (if not more) on the flip side of the argument - people who refuse to go to a specific store because they don't require masks - than those who won't go to a store that requires a mask.

 

I agree Reilly. I think those that are anti mask are more vocal than active while those that are promask seem to be both vocal and active. Living in Alabama, we lean towards the anti mask side, but you'll still see them pull their vehicles up to Walmart today and face mask up. They will complain to any and everyone, but they will do it. Promaskers will go out of their way to avoid shopping at places that don't require it. I'm glad Costco jumped on the mask policy early so I could still shop there during this time period and keep the wife happy.

[igor67]

I was kind of hoping Peach might answer a question. So they are getting ready for a phase III vaccine trial. I'm curious what the failure rate (estimate is fine) for vaccines that make it that far. For drugs it is unpleasantly high, not horrible or anything but it is a huge loss for the company after all the investment.

[3and2Fastball]

Has anyone been able to find Clorox wipes in stock anywhere?

 

Yes. Woodmans West in Madison. A couple of weeks ago. They might be out again.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Was at my local Costco today, and left just generally annoyed by people. Everyone had their mask on, to be sure - but it was impossible to consistently gain ANY separation between myself and other shoppers even though Costco does a really good job of laying out their shopping space to allow for more room, let alone maintain a consistent ~6' of space. Exhausted air might be held up a bit in a cloth mask directly out of the mouth/nose, but it still readily passes vertically or out the sides - if people are consistently too close to one another there's no point to requiring masks.

 

Too often people still feel like wearing a mask protects themselves from being infected regardless of distance from others, and it gives them a false sense of security to tailgate others in the check out line or have no problems rolling side by side down an isle within a few feet of complete strangers.

 

If I had a choice between being in an indoor space for any length of time with everyone not wearing cloth masks but steadfastly keeping their space, or everyone wearing a mask but constantly being within 4' of people, give me the non-mask option every time.

 

What about rubbing alchohol? Any stores you all are frequenting that actually has that in stock?

[homer]

 

If I had a choice between being in an indoor space for any length of time with everyone not wearing cloth masks but steadfastly keeping their space, or everyone wearing a mask but constantly being within 4' of people, give me the non-mask option every time.

 

 

I think indoors in a crowd with windows closed and AC on might turn out to be the worst place to be regardless of what you have on your face. Not sure social distancing matters either in that case.

[DuWayne Steurer]

My wife and I went through the Arby's in Janesville Drive through (yes, I will shame them) on Friday night. Not one employee that was visible from the window (which was probably 6 employees) was wearing masks or gloves. I haven't been to a single other food service place in the last few months that the employees aren't wearing masks and gloves. At the very least, it's just not a good look. Not great optics for customers. Also..... don't make sandwiches with your bare hands. Won't be going back.

[TURBO]

My wife and I went through the Arby's in Janesville Drive through (yes, I will shame them) on Friday night. Not one employee that was visible from the window (which was probably 6 employees) was wearing masks or gloves. I haven't been to a single other food service place in the last few months that the employees aren't wearing masks and gloves. At the very least, it's just not a good look. Not great optics for customers. Also..... don't make sandwiches with your bare hands. Won't be going back.

 

My wife and I have had very little take-out since this started. A couple of pizzas, one taco bell stop, and that is all.

Today, we ordered a couple subs online at Subway for pick-up. The one on the North side of Appleton, right near Appleton North High School. I didn't even consider for a second whether or not they would be wearing masks. I just assumed they would be.

 

That assumption was wrong. I show up in my mask, walk in the store, and there are 2 teenage employees, neither wearing a mask.

I was honestly flabbergasted. I don't know if that is the companies policy, or they were told to wear masks and they just weren't. I almost said that I didn't want the sandwiches, but they were already paid for, and I didn't want to make a scene.

 

I did leave them a bad survey though when I got home and went online.

 

I still can't believe that a Subway didn't at least make the appearance that they cared. I'm still pretty surprised, and like you, they will get no more of my business.