Permanent Industry Changes in the Post-COVID World

[drjeff]

Honestly, the PPE recomendations in my line of work in my home state have been relaxed at bit.

Don't need to wear my face shield any more (definitely helps with dealing with fogging of my work glasses and their maginification lenses for sure with the shield gone!). Option, to wear a level 3 surgical mask instead of an N95 respirator - that has actually been inplace for over a year. Don't need to wear full head covering, and it's even now a bit of a gray area if we need to wear full surgical gowns anymore - clearly stated for those treating active COVID patients, whic more often applies to hospital based practitioners.

The reality is, that there have been some COVID positive patients who I have treated, folks who found out AFTER they had been to my office, not before, and my entire staff has been safe. The reality is it seems that for the vast majority of folks, what it takes to contract COVID is extended exposure in small(er) generally poorly ventilated areas. And frankly the majority of data from things like grocery shopping (or shopping in any retail location with a sizable square footage and higher ceilings and ventilation, to large outdoor gatherings, backs this up. Sure there are some occasional cases that happen in those settings, however the reality is that those are the outliers and not the norm.

The reality is that for the overwhelming majority of society (both those vaccinated or with naturally acquire antibodies as well as a good chunk of the unvaccinated still) you can safely live your life as normal now. Again as I said yesterday, there will be some for whatever personal reasons, who may choose to "never" live their lives as normal again, and that is there own choice, and in some instances, that is a sad thing for themselves

 

[abc]

it seems that for the vast majority of folks, what it takes to contract COVID is extended exposure in small(er) generally poorly ventilated areas.

Or you got unlucky to be sharing air with a super spreader!

Remember the guy in New Rochelle? He infected his neighbor who drove him to the hospital! How long does that drive last?

 

[2Planker]

It's not a bad idea.

It's either wash hands after pumping gas, or wear gloves. It's not just Covid. Who knows what the person before you had touched before they pump gas?

Bonus - Our town has a 100 year old law stating NO SELF SERVE GAS

 

[2Planker]

Honestly, the PPE recomendations in my line of work in my home state have been relaxed at bit.

Don't need to wear my face shield any more (definitely helps with dealing with fogging of my work glasses and their maginification lenses for sure with the shield gone!). Option, to wear a level 3 surgical mask instead of an N95 respirator - that has actually been inplace for over a year. Don't need to wear full head covering, and it's even now a bit of a gray area if we need to wear full surgical gowns anymore - clearly stated for those treating active COVID patients, whic more often applies to hospital based practitioners.

The reality is, that there have been some COVID positive patients who I have treated, folks who found out AFTER they had been to my office, not before, and my entire staff has been safe. The reality is it seems that for the vast majority of folks, what it takes to contract COVID is extended exposure in small(er) generally poorly ventilated areas. And frankly the majority of data from things like grocery shopping (or shopping in any retail location with a sizable square footage and higher ceilings and ventilation, to large outdoor gatherings, backs this up. Sure there are some occasional cases that happen in those settings, however the reality is that those are the outliers and not the norm.

The reality is that for the overwhelming majority of society (both those vaccinated or with naturally acquire antibodies as well as a good chunk of the unvaccinated still) you can safely live your life as normal now. Again as I said yesterday, there will be some for whatever personal reasons, who may choose to "never" live their lives as normal again, and that is there own choice, and in some instances, that is a sad thing for themselves

Similar here in Boston, But we see almost 1,000 Pts/day so it's still Full PPE for us.
Yes, hate the shield over my loupes

 

[drjeff]

Or you got unlucky to be sharing air with a super spreader!

Remember the guy in New Rochelle? He infected his neighbor who drove him to the hospital! How long does that drive last?

Pretty sure that a car is a small space, and about the time of the New Rochelle outbreak as I recall it was late Winter/early Spring, so the car windows were likely closed thus making it a small space with poor/limited ventilation.

Add in that if one is driving someone else to the hospital with significant enough symptoms to make them want to go to the hospital in the first place, odds are their active viral load was high.

Not sure even with a brand new, fit checked N95 respirator on in that scenario that I'd want to be in that car myself

The patients in my office whom we later found out were likely positive while they were in my office when they called to notify us, all to my knowledge had at worst very minimal symptoms, if any at all. And all had passed health screening checks including temperature prior to entering my office that day. So chances are their active viral load wasn't very great. Add in an open, airy environment that my office is, along with the 3 air purification units we have that have the ability (or atleast per the manufacturers rep the ability) to filter the entire volume of air inside my office every 3 minutes, so that New Rochelle car situation isn't an apples to apples comparison situation.

 

[abc]

that New Rochelle car situation isn't an apples to apples comparison situation.

It may not be comparable to your office. But how many other indoor space has what you have in your office "open, airy environment that my office is, along with the 3 air purification units we have that have the ability (or atleast per the manufacturers rep the ability) to filter the entire volume of air inside my office every 3 minutes"???

Did you have three air purification units before the pandemic?

 

[PAabe]

I feel like HVAC improvements/airflow/fresh air have been hugely overlooked and not implemented these past 1.5 years which possibly could be far more effictive than certain other measures being taken.

 

[drjeff]

It may not be comparable to your office. But how many other indoor space has what you have in your office "open, airy environment that my office is, along with the 3 air purification units we have that have the ability (or atleast per the manufacturers rep the ability) to filter the entire volume of air inside my office every 3 minutes"???

Did you have three air purification units before the pandemic?

Actually we had our 2 main (big) air purification units since 2018. Added a 3rd, smaller one for what basically amounts to a "dead end peninsula" wing of my office as the world wide COVID reality started ramping up in January 2020, about 2 months before the stay at home directives went into place.

So while an extra air purification unit was added in my office at the start of COVID, the majority of our system had been in place long before anyone (except maybe for a few folks working in the Wuhan Institute of Virology ) knew what Sars Cov-19 was

 

[deadheadskier]

At work, I do what it's needed for safety. I'm now working at a desk. But there was a time I had to wear all sort of protective gear. It's never exactly comfortable. But it's work. I managed. Besides, I got paid, to do thing I may not exactly like!

But for recreation? Watching a show/concert for 3 hours wearing a mask that aren't comfortable? I'd rather not. (there're of course exceptions. I wore mask for short period say, on the chair lift, elevator of hotels, etc. But not for the entire duration of my time there like in a concert)

I honestly don't have anything against masks. Not in theory anyway. But that's until I wore them for extended period of time. That's when I realize I just can't get comfortable with the thing. So I don't want to do anything that requires me to wear a mask for extended period of time that's not paying me.

So no plane rides?

 

[abc]

So no plane rides?

I don't have a problem with a short plane ride per se. But am hesitant on long ones, mostly due to comfort level with a mask. So the 12 hour flight to Japan or even the 6 hour to Europe or California will be out. Denver at 4+ hr is really borderline. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about even that one.

To be more specific for this winter, I'm not getting on a plane. And that's got nothing to do with Covid safety or mask comfort level though. It's the uncertainty of flight scheduling. I've heard many, many story of flights got cancelled due to labor shortage (pilot, crew).

Instead, I'll simply drive to ski.

I've got a lot of vacation days carried over from last year and probably to next year. Between that and the "new normal" of working remotely being more tolerated, I'll be able to at least make it to Colorado without getting on a plane, easy! I may even be able to stretch it to Whistler! If not, possibly to Tahoe.

With skiing taken care of, I don't have to think about plane ride just yet.

 

[deadheadskier]

I'm generally not bothered by wearing masks. But coming home from California last week spending 9 hours straight wearing one other than while eating did rather suck.

 

[2Planker]

I'm generally not bothered by wearing masks. But coming home from California last week spending 9 hours straight wearing one other than while eating did rather suck.

After having to wear an N95 40 hours/week for the last 1 1/2 years, air travel is no poblem w/ a regular mask.
Just brooked a Nov. St Thomas/St John/BVI's trip. Can't wait

 

[Edd]

I think wearing a mask at work is irritating the skin on my face. It’s subtle, but consistent. With the breaks I take during the day, I’m wearing it >10 hours/day. Still hoping against hope they get rid of them but, in the pharmaceutical industry, things are more uptight than other businesses.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I feel like HVAC improvements/airflow/fresh air have been hugely overlooked and not implemented these past 1.5 years which possibly could be far more effictive than certain other measures being taken.

Yeah, there have been some studies on this trying to put some quantification on it, but needless to say HVAC & airflow are very effective mitigatory measures. For probably the most obvious example of this, think about how successful jet airplanes have been.

 

[drjeff]

Yeah, there have been some studies on this trying to put some quantification on it, but needless to say HVAC & airflow are very effective mitigatory measures. For probably the most obvious example of this, think about how successful jet airplanes have been.

Or outdoor stadiums full of 10's of thousands of people the past few months.....

Let alone the entire ski industry and the actual act of skiing/riding and lift usage all of last season.....

Makes any sane person wonder why you still actually see people outside for say a walk/run or a bike ride wearing masks? But I am quite sure the fear mongering media loves every one of those people who refuse to actually look at the data rather than just watch CNN/MSNBC/CBS/ABC/NBC or read the NY Times/Washington post/The Atlantic/etc

 

[abc]

Makes any sane person wonder why you still actually see people outside for say a walk/run or a bike ride wearing masks?

I can think of plenty of reason why people wear masks outdoors. The hassle of having to fuss with putting them back on for every shop one enters within 30 second after taking the mask off being one I can identify with!

Is that insane?

Or can you say the same about every skier who kept their mask on or hanging on their chin while skiing down last season? That’s about half of the people from what I saw.

Is that insane?

Or are the people who had the time to wonder about their sanity just plain bored (or worse)?

 

[Smellytele]

I can think of plenty of reason why people wear masks outdoors. The hassle of having to fuss with putting them back on for every shop one enters within 30 second after taking the mask off being one I can identify with!

Is that insane?

Or can you say the same about every skier who kept their mask on or hanging on their chin while skiing down last season? That’s about half of the people from what I saw.

Is that insane?

Or are the people who had the time to wonder about their sanity just plain bored (or worse)?

plenty equals 1?

ever try putting a mask on or taking it all the way off with a helmet and gloves on. That is why they leave it on or part way on.

 

[ThatGuy]

I can think of plenty of reason why people wear masks outdoors. The hassle of having to fuss with putting them back on for every shop one enters within 30 second after taking the mask off being one I can identify with!

Is that insane?

Or can you say the same about every skier who kept their mask on or hanging on their chin while skiing down last season? That’s about half of the people from what I saw.

Is that insane?

Or are the people who had the time to wonder about their sanity just plain bored (or worse)?

Theres a big difference between wearing your mask on a city street when you’re popping in and out of shops and wearing a mask to mow your lawn or go for a walk. I live right by the ADKs and the amount of people who wear a mask hiking or on a boat is still significant. Which in my opinion is borderline insane if you follow any data.

 

[drjeff]

not too many masks in Gillette Stadium this afternoon.

Pretty sure that riding a full chair for all but those with so many co-morbities that they're probably not riding a chairlift anyway won't be an issue this coming season

Go Pats! (And sorry Jets fans )

 

[Smellytele]

View attachment 52022not too many masks in Gillette Stadium this afternoon.

Pretty sure that riding a full chair for all but those with so many co-morbities that they're probably not riding a chairlift anyway.

Go Pats! (And sorry Jets fans )

Sorry jet fans for the last 50+ years