# Assuming America survives this: Name permanent changes to American life **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [May 4, 2020, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112 "2020-05-04T07:21:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/81 "2020-05-05T19:45:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Changes already occurring will just occur faster. Sure, but even then, accelerating changes compared to those changes happening organically over time will likely lead to different ways those changes are felt in society. Increasing teleworking may have been going on, but it was happening slowly (the vast majority of employees still go to an office) and infrastructure changes were also moving slowly to accommodate that. I actually don’t know if teleworking was going to be something that the majority of workers would be doing in the future (more of a significant minority, but most would still go into the office - in fact a few months ago, my office which had a policy that you could telework 4 days a week if your manager was ok with it, put it a 2x a week limit - because it was deemed important to have people in the office, rather than calling in, for meetings). Now, I think it may be something that is far more adopted. And that does have impact for how our society looks I think. Now, what those changes will be, I have no idea. But I do think it’s a different course than prior to pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/82 "2020-05-05T19:59:26Z")
I almost forgot. One of the more interesting things I’ve participated in (workwise) during lockdown has been a virtual deposition. We’ve always been told that in person depositions are essential to do our jobs - with us and the court reporter in the room. Well the virtual deposition worked just fine. We were told this is a ‘only because of pandemic’ sort of thing, but I can easily see that as an option moving forward. So some of the changes may be due to people forced to doing things virtually and realizing hey, that wasn’t so bad. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/83 "2020-05-05T22:06:47Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I expect hand sanitizer will be standard stuff in offices and homes. And probably places like cinemas. The same way as hospitals have it everywhere, with dispensers nailed to the walls. As you enter a place, etiquette will demand that you clean your hands with it. Has been. Our offices have had hand sanitizer available for years. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/84 "2020-05-05T22:13:13Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I almost forgot. One of the more interesting things I’ve participated in (workwise) during lockdown has been a virtual deposition. We’ve always been told that in person depositions are essential to do our jobs - with us and the court reporter in the room. Well the virtual deposition worked just fine. We were told this is a ‘only because of pandemic’ sort of thing, but I can easily see that as an option moving forward. > > So some of the changes may be due to people forced to doing things virtually and realizing hey, that wasn’t so bad. We’ve been doing video conference depositions for years, but the thought was always the “important” ones should be done in person. I hope I never have to fly across country for a two hour deposition again. It’s working fine this way. Also, I’ve had three zoom meditations in the past few weeks. It’s as good as in person. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/85 "2020-05-05T23:09:44Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Sure, but even then, accelerating changes compared to those changes happening organically over time will likely lead to different ways those changes are felt in society. > > Increasing teleworking may have been going on, but it was happening slowly (the vast majority of employees still go to an office) The vast majority of employees will still go to work, because they don’t have an “office.” Teleconferencing isn’t going to send more than a very small portion of employees home. It seems to be repeatedly forgotten by people who are lucky enough to have office jobs than most people don’t, and many who have them don’t have the sort you can do from home. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/86 "2020-05-06T02:12:19Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Umm, that’s a bit drastic. Kinda like then old patent office quote from 1889 about every thing that can be invented has been invented. No, it’s nothing like that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/87 "2020-05-06T16:27:20Z")
> [@MrsTime](#): > > Canadians and Americans have already had a certain amount of personal space (I remember my son talked about how close people would stand in line in Germany, he liked the country but that really bothered him), anyway I suspect personal space will in fact be longer. “Canadians and Americans” don’t belong in a single group in this respect. Americans are glommy and can’t stop touching one another and, when I’m in range, me. Canadians only touch each other to mate. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/88 "2020-05-06T17:02:24Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > Americans are glommy and can’t stop touching one another and, when I’m in range, me. Sorry for your bad experience when you were last in the U.S. But, I don’t believe it is representative of Americans in general. You should travel more. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/89 "2020-05-06T17:27:02Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Has been. Our offices have had hand sanitizer available for years. Mine too I think there was a push to install them after SARS or H1N1 outbreak. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/90 "2020-05-06T18:21:31Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Well, if this is ever “over-over” (successful vaccine or herd immunity) I honestly think that almost everything will go back to “normal” as if we hadn’t learned a damn thing. I think it’s pessimistic to think that going back to normal indicates that we learned nothing. I think it mostly indicates that the measures we’re taking right now _aren’t generally necessary_. > [@](#): > > I don’t see people wearing masks in perpetuity. Americans are too vain for that, and uh, FREEDOM! Given how difficult it has been to get them to wear masks _during a pandemic_ this seems like a pretty safe assumption. I am moderately hopeful that the people who are wearing masks now will do so the next time there’s the threat of a pandemic. Of course, it’ll be easier to get that to happen if WHO and the CDC don’t spend the critical early months telling people not to wear masks. I also think you _might_ see a change of norms in public transit in dense urban areas and people will continue wearing masks there. They’re a lot more generally useful there, and there’s a lot less “COUGHING ON PEOPLE IS A CIVIL RIGHT” sentiment in those cities. I don’t think this is likely, but it’s not crazy if it happens. > [@](#): > > My biggest hope for all this is that we ACTUALLY have a PPE, ventilator, and other stockpiles fully stocked, forever, for another event like this. I think that ALL life-or-death products and should be made at home from now on. And that we convert hospitals to be able to quickly ramp up for another such events. I think this will probably happen, too. We’re pretty good at preparing for the last disaster. Of course, it’s not clear that ventilators will be what’s needed for the _next_ pandemic, but PPE stockpiles and the ability to ramp production and hospital capacity up will be generally useful. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/91 "2020-05-06T19:38:22Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I think this will probably happen, too. We’re pretty good at preparing for the last disaster. Of course, it’s not clear that ventilators will be what’s needed for the _next_ pandemic, but PPE stockpiles and the ability to ramp production and hospital capacity up will be generally useful. One of the biggest needs aside from PPE are various therapeutic and anesthetic drugs, and hospitals current try to manage these in a ‘just-in-time’ inventory with a small reserve because they take a lot of space, have fairly rigorous controls, and many have a limited shelf life, but having a ‘strategic pharmaceutical stockpile’ that can be rapidly shipped to wherever it is needed is crucial to an effective response regardless of what the next epidemic pathogen is. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/92 "2020-05-06T20:19:28Z")
Assuming enough GOP pols contract COVID, universal basic healthcare in USA may result. But hold not thy breath. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/93 "2020-05-06T20:47:41Z")
I think a lot of people are underestimating the impact of this event. It happened in the context of our national already being on incredibly shaky ground. Or government has been dismantled and our institutions are in collapse. There’s not going to be some kind of return to normal, the past few years _are_ The new normal, America will lurch from crisis to crisis, being diminished every time; pandemic season will bleed into hurricane season, which will bleed in to some other horror. Our lack of resilience and inability to respond are the only thing we can count on. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/94 "2020-05-06T20:49:35Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Sorry for your bad experience when you were last in the U.S. But, I don’t believe it is representative of Americans in general. You should travel more. It wasn’t a bad experience. And yes, I should. I’d been planning to when all this happened. Not necessarily to the US, though. ---
**Author:** ![medicated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@medicated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medicated)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/95 "2020-05-07T07:24:58Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Agreed. I think people are way, way overestimating the effect this will have on society in general. (For comparison purposes, we’ve heard a lot about the Spanish flu of late, but there are two pandemics _within living memory_ that killed 1,000,000+ people worldwide, in [1957-58](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957%E2%80%9358_influenza_pandemic) and [1968-69](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_flu). And … nobody remembers them. I asked my parents, who are old enough to remember, and they had no idea these events even occurred. There was, I have heard, a rather well-attended music festival in 1969, a matter of months after 100,000 people in the US died of flu.) Did most of the developed world’s economies shut down in either of those years? Did unemployment reach levels unseen since the Great Depression? Do you really think those are good analogies to 2020? Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Mirtha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@Mirtha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirtha)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/96 "2020-05-07T17:03:57Z")
I dunno about North or South America but in the States - the permanent changes will be: OnLine Learning - school lessons Homeschooling - that’s where the guardians decide the lessons (probably why the devos family planted all those anti-quarantine facebook pages) Less school shootings Less business flight travel Working from home Have methods in place for prisons since the occupants aren’t able to social distance Gen Y and Z won’t buy cars or houses. They’ll accumulate less stuff and be part of the Van Movement. Less car travel Maybe the cost of concerts will come down and Ticketmaster can go away. Ditto, sports. Nonetheless, handshakes will resume, folks will still think antibacterial sanitizers kill a virus and there won’t be universal health care. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/97 "2020-05-07T17:12:40Z")
> [@Mirtha](#): > > Maybe the cost of concerts will come down and Ticketmaster can go away. Ditto, sports. Nonetheless, handshakes will resume, folks will still think antibacterial sanitizers kill a virus and there won’t be universal health care. _Hand sanitizer kills viruses._ All the reputable hand sanitizer a normal person can buy is around 70% alcohol. It kills bacteria and viruses. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/98 "2020-05-07T17:16:06Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Umm, that’s a bit drastic. Kinda like then old patent office quote from 1889 about every thing that can be invented has been invented. The **mythical** patent office quote, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/99 "2020-05-07T17:21:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > _Hand sanitizer kills viruses._ All the reputable hand sanitizer a normal person can buy is around 70% alcohol. It kills bacteria and viruses. Nope, my job shipped my office cases of hand sanitizer last month. It very clearly said “alcohol free” ( which no one noticed until I was opening boxes) - had Benzalkonium chloride instead. Probably works for 99.9% of bacteria- but not viruses. And reputable brands [make non-alcohol](https://www.usamedicalsurgical.com/purell-sf607-non-alcohol-hand-sanitizer-foam-bottle/) sanitizer ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112/100 "2020-05-07T18:09:40Z")
I hope a lot changes politically / socioeconomically, but as far as day-to-day behavior, I don’t think much will racially change. I think the plastic dividers at stores, businesses and post offices will stay. Possibly more public events (lectures, etc.) will be available virtually. But I think there will still be crowds and handshaking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-america-survives-this-name-permanent-changes-to-american-life/853112.md?page=6)