The New Normal

[tirolski]

At least in the southeast. My experience in Costco last week was that 30-50% of the customers and perhaps 50% of the employees were masked. It was a lot more crowded than I expected mid-afternoon on a weekday.

Costco around here was giving out food samples last week. Not may folks in masks, wasn’t crowded.

 

[MarzNC]

Costco around here was giving out food samples last week. Not may folks in masks, wasn’t crowded.

There were samples in Raleigh too.

I also went on Tuesday morning last week during the senior hour. Mostly just to satisfy my curiosity. Not as many seniors as there were back in April 2020. I went to Costco weekly on the same morning during senior hours for a couple months. The changes over time were interesting. Last week most seniors were masked but not all. A fair number of seniors in the Triangle moved south when they retired. Tend to be pretty well off and highly educated. My mother was ahead of the crowd back in the early 1970s when she decided Chapel Hill would be better than NYC as a retirement home.

There was plenty of toilet paper.

 

[Ripitz]

There was plenty of toilet paper.

Like a shit ton of it??

 

[Campgottagopee]

There was plenty of toilet paper.

? really is back to normal.

 

[tirolski]

A fair number of seniors in the Triangle moved south when they retired. Tend to be pretty well off and highly educated. My mother was ahead of the crowd back in the early 1970s when she decided Chapel Hill would be better than NYC as a retirement home.

Triangle area used to have the most PhD’s per square mile in the USA. Almost moved there but they wanted me to start before Christmas a while back. My grandmother came to live with us before she got a new hip before Christmas and I didn’t want to move at that time.
It’s seemed like a nice place and people.

 

[MarzNC]

Triangle area used to have the most PhD’s per square mile in the USA. Almost moved there but they wanted me to start before Christmas a while back. My grandmother came to live with us before she got a new hip before Christmas and I didn’t want to move at that time.
It’s seemed like a nice place and people.

Still a lot of PhD's, plus MDs, JDs, MBAs, and techie types. Our neighborhood is full of them. My parents, myself, and my husband all had/have PhDs. I went to UNC-Chapel Hill for undergrad and grad school. What there wasn't in the 1970s was traffic or a wide selection of restaurants. If you wanted anything besides pizza, burgers, fried chicken, or steak, pretty much had to drive to Atlanta or DC. Although the bigger culture shock moving from NYC was that the airport was tiny. There was one small terminal that had only 4 gates! Chapel Hill had 4 traffic lights in the entire town back then. Although Chapel Hill hasn't changed that much, the rest of the Triangle is very different. The Triangle is quite different from most of the rest of North Carolina. Can be hard to find a native Tarheel.

UNC-Chapel Hill has a lot of researchers working on assorted projects related to the pandemic. One of studies I'm more curious about is following college students and young adults. A local UNC grad helped develop Moderna.

July 6, 2021

Study testing how well COVID-19 vaccine prevents spread of SARS-CoV-2 among university students expands to include young adults not in college - UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

July 6, 2021 The Prevent COVID U study, which launched in late March 2021 to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission among university students vaccinated with the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, has expanded beyond the college setting. The study is now enrolling young adults ages 18 through 29...

sph.unc.edu

Jan. 27, 2021

Orange County native and lead scientist for Moderna vaccine honored by county

UNC alumna Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is one of the lead scientists for Moderna's coronavirus vaccine. The Board of Commissioners honored the Orange County native by declaring Jan. 20 "Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett Day."

www.dailytarheel.com

 

[MarzNC]

Seems pretty clear that universities will be using a some combination of vaccination, indoor masking, and/or regular testing (usually weekly) to try to stay in control of community spread when classes start in a few weeks. No one wants to have to close a campus within weeks of students arriving, as happened for the 2020-21 fall semester at several large campuses. Everyone prefers to have in-person classes at this point. While there are close to 700 campuses that will require vaccination, there are other approaches being set up. This article has examples of both carrots and sticks (incentives, disincentives).

August 9, 2021

At This West Virginia Campus, There’s a $750 Fee for Unvaccinated Students

Rather than offering a reward for students to get vaccinated, this college will charge a fee for those who won’t.

www.chronicle.com

 

[raisingarizona]

Seems pretty clear that universities will be using a some combination of vaccination, indoor masking, and/or regular testing (usually weekly) to try to stay in control of community spread when classes start in a few weeks. No one wants to have to close a campus within weeks of students arriving, as happened for the 2020-21 fall semester at several large campuses. Everyone prefers to have in-person classes at this point. While there are close to 700 campuses that will require vaccination, there are other approaches being set up. This article has examples of both carrots and sticks (incentives, disincentives).

August 9, 2021

At This West Virginia Campus, There’s a $750 Fee for Unvaccinated Students

Rather than offering a reward for students to get vaccinated, this college will charge a fee for those who won’t.

www.chronicle.com

Yeah, good luck with that. The junk is everywhere right now.

 

[MarzNC]

Yeah, good luck with that. The junk is everywhere right now.

When the vaccination rate is high, meaning well over 80% and preferably 90%, there will obviously be some people who get COVID-19. But for the small percentage of people who are vaccinated and end up with symptoms, they won't be at risk of ending up in the hospital with serious illness. That was the case for vaccinated people who were in Provincetown in early July. Only 7 people were hospitalized and I think two were vaccinated. That's 2 out of 60,000 people, with perhaps 75% fully vaccinated, and few people taking any precautions like social distancing or masking.

There were colleges that successfully had in-person classes in the northeast during the 2020-21 school year. Mandatory testing multiple times a week for everyone who went to campus worked. Granted these were small private colleges, but the point is that when a particular community is cooperative, life doesn't have to be that different from how things were pre-pandemic.

 

[MarzNC]

Jeremy Lin was fully vaccinated before he left for his annual tour in China in early August. He tested negative twice before leaving the USA. But had minor symptoms during mandatory quarantine in Shanghai and tested positive. He was treated in a hospital to be extra safe. Delta is clearly very sneaky and contagious. Jeremy is very careful but can only do so much on a long trans-Pacific flight. Usually end up on the plane for at least 12 hours.

August 7, 2021

Jeremy Lin tests positive for COVID-19, in quarantine in Shanghai

Jeremy Lin said he is fully vaccinated, which is why he believes his case is a mild one.

sports.yahoo.com