Wearing a mask not the necessarily the new norm forever?

[TbhDisney128]

After listening to the this week's podcast episode and also listening to them each week/reading articles and posts etc.... it seems there is a certain idea that wearing a mask once Disney opens up is assumed to be the new norm for a long time. From what I'm hearing/reading and my understanding is that wearing a mask is only temporary until this disease either completely disappears (which seems unlikely) or more likely a vaccine is created (which could be as soon as next year). I hear some of the guys on the podcast repeatedly say that wearing a mask is how it will be from now on and certain things like long lines, large groups, etc we won't see again and I wonder if maybe my thinking on this is incorrect? So I guess my question to others here is what are your thoughts ... do you assume wearing a mask is going to be permanent now? Or is it as I understand it that at some point these distancing measures, masks, etc will no longer be?

Side note - i do believe everything happening now will change our day to day lives now and in the future with certain measures such as more sanitizing, cleanliness etc - its just the things like wearing masks in public, business having to decrease capacity etc that i don't see being permanent

looking forward to hear what others think and really hoping this doesn't start any kind of arguments haha

 

[siren0119]

I do not believe that mask wearing is going to be the "normal" for extended periods of time. But I DO hope that as a culture, we become a bit more ok with wearing masks when we are feeling ill and need to be out in public (it's already very normalized in Asian culture in heavily populated areas). There is a lot of buzz going about that makes it sound like semi-permanent measures, but I do not for a second believe that is the intent or the plan. Things that will have an effect on how long distancing measures and mask wearing will be needed include *relative ability of medical resources to keep up with patient influx, *development of a vaccine, *development of a consistent treatment for those who test positive that prevents them from developing more serious illness, *information on our immunity, and how long it lasts, and *willingness of people to be uncomfortable in a short term to continue to buy us time on the other points.

That's way too many variables to make a prediction on how long extra measures will need to be in place, but I don't expect that any of the more restrictive measures will last more than a year-ish. That's a spitball with no specific data to back it up, but an understanding that we are learning about this virus rapidly, and working as fast as possible toward a solution that involves both vaccines and a reliable treatment.

 

[greg9x]

Mask wearing is not the answer to the problem...it's just one tool to mitigate the spread along with the more important isolation rules. Again, I don't see how the theme parks will function if mask are needed (reduced capacity or not) since that means the virus is still actively infecting people (without a medicine that is proven effective).

Society is showing there is a percentage who do not care about the rules about distancing and mask wearing because it violates their 'freedoms'. Have seen plenty of people on theme park boards complain how miserable wearing a mask in Florida heat would be and that they won't do it (Even to go as far as to say it will affect a medical condition so they will have an 'out' to not wear one). Violent confrontations have been occurring over the enforcing of rules... imagine that happening in the theme parks several times a day. What would you do if people in front or behind you decided they didn't feel like keeping distance or wearing mask ?

Yes, maybe Shanghai is going to test these procedures...but China is much more draconian in enforcing rules and the populace is much more obedient. Even then, still think the final outcome will not be positive.

So, to your posted question.... if mask are the norm (due to necessity and not just a general precaution some may decide to take), then large gathering places like theme parks and sports stadiums will cease to exist unless they run at much reduced capacity that would not make them profitable. Although I don't think that will happen since a vaccine will eventually be produced that will allow more relaxed behavior that mask will not be needed.