Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Roy G. Dis]

Unfortunately, yes. I know folks don't want to hear it, but the truth is - this is not over, even once everyone gets this round of vaccinations. We don't even know how long these vaccines will last yet, let alone what variants they may or may not be good for. And of course, the virus continues to mutate as we speak, and it will continue to do so. At the very least, this is likely going to be a yearly-thing like a flu shot, that they will be desperately trying to keep updated as new variants keep appearing.

We aren't going back to "normal" any more than we did after 9/11. Particularly indoors - things like social distancing, plexiglass everywhere, etc. are not going to just magically go away.

Has a single variant posed a serious threat to the vaccinated population? I agree that Covid-19 will remain a constant threat that we should protect ourselves against with vaccines and boosters and whatnot but are you suggesting we should continue to be doing all these interventions like social distancing and plexiglass even when the vaccine is out there?

I'm far from a Covid-denier but I mean.. I'm pretty hopeful we can get over this hump and start getting back to it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It's pretty straightforward, really. If masks were no burden, as I define burden, then people would have been voluntarily wearing them everywhere long before March 2020.

no they wouldn’t have.

but that doesn’t make it “burdensome”

they are uncomfortable...if that’s “burdensome”...we need to toughen up and stop depending on the spa at Aulani

 

[DisneyCane]

This though.

I live in the NYC area and can confirm I used to leave my house at 6:30am, and wouldn't get home until 8pm. Everything you've said is one thousand percent true in regards to the benefits of remote work, less sick time and PTO are being used, and productivity and morale are through the roof.

Higher ups have actually noticed such a huge boost in productivity that they sold our two-floor office space on 48th and 3rd. Our company has decided that this setup works better for the company, and the employees, so it's truly win-win. They acquired a much smaller space in a different part of town for any meetings that require in-person meeting, so that's an option when deemed necessary.

There's a long list of benefits of a remote workforce. Sure, there will be those sticklers feel like they need a full in-person workforce, but don't expect that to be the standard going forward. I truly think the fallout of Miss Covita really will impact society in so many ways we aren't fully aware of yet. I expect a much more hybrid working experience with the option of working from home a few days a week to be extremely popular going forward.

Widespread availability of high speed internet access combined with advances in IT have enabled this type of shift. I remember it was a huge deal when Jetblue first started that they had their customer service phone agents all working remotely. It made a ton of sense. The agents didn't have to commute and the company didn't need to lease or buy space for a call center.

However, the downside to what your company did is that it is going to devalue downtown commercial real estate and give people fewer reasons to live in cities which will devalue the residential real estate as well. If you work remotely 95% of the time, you can live on a farm upstate.

 

[Tom P.]

Unfortunately, yes. I know folks don't want to hear it, but the truth is - this is not over, even once everyone gets this round of vaccinations. We don't even know how long these vaccines will last yet, let alone what variants they may or may not be good for. And of course, the virus continues to mutate as we speak, and it will continue to do so. At the very least, this is likely going to be a yearly-thing like a flu shot, that they will be desperately trying to keep updated as new variants keep appearing.

We aren't going back to "normal" any more than we did after 9/11. Particularly indoors - things like social distancing, plexiglass everywhere, etc. are not going to just magically go away.

For those who claim that I am exaggerating when I say that there are folks saying that we will need to continue these measures forever, I give you Exhibit A.

 

[DisneyFan32]

Has a single variant posed a serious threat to the vaccinated population? I agree that Covid-19 will remain a constant threat that we should protect ourselves against with vaccines and boosters and whatnot but are you suggesting we should continue to be doing all these interventions like social distancing and plexiglass even when the vaccine is out there?

I'm far from a Covid-denier but I mean.. I'm pretty hopeful we can get over this hump and start getting back to it.

I think COVID-19 will be no longer a threat anymore soon in the future as we will getting vaccinated to get back to normal.

 

[DisneyFan32]

For those who claim that I am exaggerating when I say that there are folks saying that we will need to continue these measures forever, I give you Exhibit A.

Masks forever? NOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Widespread availability of high speed internet access combined with advances in IT have enabled this type of shift. I remember it was a huge deal when Jetblue first started that they had their customer service phone agents all working remotely. It made a ton of sense. The agents didn't have to commute and the company didn't need to lease or buy space for a call center.

However, the downside to what your company did is that it is going to devalue downtown commercial real estate and give people fewer reasons to live in cities which will devalue the residential real estate as well. If you work remotely 95% of the time, you can live on a farm upstate.

actually the disincentive to urbanize should create a crunch on surburbia not seen since the 80’s.

people moved to the burbs because they wanted access to retail crap without the congestion....then when services became more eclectic in the city 20 years ago that became attractive. May reverse again.

nobody is moving to a mountain in West Virginia because they can work remote...because it’s really hard to find a chef that can prepare fried roadkill correctly at the sheetz down the street in the holler

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Masks forever? NOOOOOOOOO!!!

No. He's pointing out that there are people who *think* they should stay, not that they WILL stay.

 

[DCBaker]

Orange County announces they are now accepting requests from organizations/businesses to request a mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic -

 

[Roy G. Dis]

A year ago people were bragging about how they could live cheaply and do their job remotely in bufu Alabama and how they were never going back. I wonder if they'll change their tune when they see people living their lives again?

 

[DisneyCane]

Has a single variant posed a serious threat to the vaccinated population? I agree that Covid-19 will remain a constant threat that we should protect ourselves against with vaccines and boosters and whatnot but are you suggesting we should continue to be doing all these interventions like social distancing and plexiglass even when the vaccine is out there?

I'm far from a Covid-denier but I mean.. I'm pretty hopeful we can get over this hump and start getting back to it.

So far all indications are that the current vaccines are highly effective against all variants to date. Here's some data from two days ago:

https://www.jns.org/israeli-data-shows-pfizer-vaccine-97-percent-effective-against-british-variant/

 

[GoofGoof]

For those who claim that I am exaggerating when I say that there are folks saying that we will need to continue these measures forever, I give you Exhibit A.

Who cares. Majority rules. If a small number of people want these restrictions to last forever they have no more control over making that happen then the small number of people who never wanted any restrictions.

 

[DCBaker]

 

[DisneyCane]

Orange County announces they are now accepting requests from organizations/businesses to request a mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic -

This is a great step and I hope other Counties follow. These types of events completely remove the inconvenience factor for people. The only down side is that if a large percentage of your workforce is vaccinated on the same day, there may be staffing issues the day after shot #2.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It’s wasteful theater. Offer a free vaccine with a voucher for a free quick-serve dinner in those tents lol

 

[hopemax]

The virus *cannot* hit us the way it did last year. It's mathematically impossible. We're not at herd immunity levels of vaccination but we're absolutely at prevent-2020 levels of vaccination.

I know your post was talking about the pandemic as the acute period we've been living in for the last 14 months, but for the benefit of examining the post-acute period...

This is entirely dependent on not believing that long-COVID, or PASC as @Heppenheimer keeps reminding us is the official designation, is a thing. There are 33 million official cases of COVID in the US. The UK research indicates that 1 in 7 people experience continuing symptoms after the acute infection. Including 10% of young people rising to 22% of older people. So for the US that would be 4.7 million people.

If we get to 60% vaccinated, including children, that would leave 132 million people, unvaccinated 70% - 99 million . So what are the odds that there are still 33 million people left to still be infected (or re-infected, or breakthrough) the natural way? IMO, pretty good. It won't come in surges like last year. But this virus is infectious enough that everyone who isn't vaccinated will probably get sick with it over the next few years. Just like it was hard to avoid getting chicken pox as a kid. So in terms of long-COVID, there is a reasonable chance of doubling to 9.4 million people.

Even though we've greatly diminished death and hospitalization as an acute situation, the jury is still out on the chronic, long term consequences, and will be for years. If, as an example, the continued organ inflammation people are experiencing continues through their life, especially if it's silent like heart disease, and when people turn age 50, start dying in large numbers due to organ failure, that would be a significant "hit" from the virus; just not today. For comparison, 1.9 million people develop cancer every year, and there are 17 million people alive who have a cancer history (2021 CDC cancer fact book). So 9.4 million people potentially being at risk, IMO, is significant enough that we should be cognizant that this may not be over. Even if we are most definitely, entering a new phase of it. If people believe we've seen the worst of COVID, that may not be true. But all we'll be able to do at that point, is count the pre-mature deaths and earlier loss of quality of life.

 

[Stupido]

It’s wasteful theater. Offer a free vaccine with a voucher for a free quick-serve dinner in those tents lol

It's sad, but I could actually see that moving the needle in vaccine rates.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It's sad, but I could actually see that moving the needle in vaccine rates.

Imagine how powerful of a statement that would be from Disney. It would make national headlines. And if it makes the Covid-is-a-hoax crowd refuse to ever visit the parks again, even better.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

For those who claim that I am exaggerating when I say that there are folks saying that we will need to continue these measures forever, I give you Exhibit A.

but it’s not an unreasonable concept...and we’d adapt.

time will tell

 

[Tom P.]

but it’s not an unreasonable concept...and we’d adapt.

time will tell

It is a totally unreasonable concept. And one which will not happen. Our society will not adapt to endlessly practicing masking, social distancing, and limitation on activities. Eventually, we will reach a point where people just will not do it and it becomes unenforceable. Like it or not, society will go back to 100% normal in the not too distant future.