# Is this category still useful?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-category-still-useful/1025371>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Created:** [December 3, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-category-still-useful/1025371 "2025-12-03T19:00:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-category-still-useful/1025371/1 "2025-12-03T19:00:07Z")

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None of the threads has had a post since Oct. 31.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-category-still-useful/1025371/2 "2025-12-03T23:33:16Z")

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We have discussed this before:

> [@Do we still need a quarantine zone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-still-need-a-quarantine-zone/1000738):
>
> Covid is not really a hot topic anymore. How does SDMB decide it no longer needs this section?

> [@Poll: Should we retire the Quarantine Zone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-should-we-retire-the-quarantine-zone/996173):
>
> We launched the Quarantine Zone at the start of the pandemic, when the coronavirus was the chief topic of discussion. Now that the crisis has ebbed, QZ gets minimal traffic and the staff is debating what to do with it. We have no plans to delete QZ threads, but we might want to move them to one or more other forums - we’re investigating how much trouble this would be. Alternatively, we could just close QZ to new posts. (Covid questions could still be posted to other forums.) We’ll figure out the…

With Kennedy and Trump in charge I think there is a good chance a massive public health emergency will occur.

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-category-still-useful/1025371/3 "2025-12-04T01:01:06Z")

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If they removed this category, a new pandemic would start within a week. So yes, this category is useful.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-category-still-useful/1025371/4 "2025-12-04T01:13:55Z")

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This has been discussed frequently. The official thought is that it’s easier to leave than change. More pandemics are coming. And in an an officially vax-hostile country rather sooner than later.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-category-still-useful/1025371/5 "2025-12-04T01:29:18Z")

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Eh, this forum is specifically about the covid pandemic. Even if another one comes along, it’ll probably be something else.