[shajznnckfke]

I do think there will be a permanent adjustment in society to deal with the risks created by this type of virus in the future. Tell everyone to start wearing masks as soon as the outbreak starts, instead of telling them that masks are only for idiots and healthcare workers. Isolate travelers from affected areas before it has a chance to spread, and so on. But I also expect that just about every occupation from industries that are shut down will continue to exist in this new world.

[DoreenMichele]

Well, I didn't say anything about eliminating jobs. Just that I, personally, see no reason to tie the idea of going back to work to a vaccine.

I think we would do better to look for germ control solutions that are already proven and available currently. As one example, ordering online or calling ahead and picking up is a way to support local eateries while minimizing the spread of germs. I'm a big fan of Little Caesar's pizza portal as a contactless pick-up option and I don't see any reason we can't actively promote such existing practices right here, right now, instead of seemingly hanging all hopes on "there will be a vaccine and after it comes out, we can just keep doing the same things the same way."

That seems like needless suffering to me. We don't know how long that will take and, in the mean time, people need to survive right now. Not having any money/resources at all coming in for X months is not survivable for most people who don't have savings and the like to live off of.

[shajznnckfke]

I agree that we should try to adjust to the world we find ourselves in, but there’s only so much problem-solving effort to go around, and I think most people are already trying to do what they can. It’s tough to reshape society on a dime.

[DoreenMichele]

I, personally, think there is insufficient focus on doing what is doable in the here and now. Society is reshaped all the time, every day, by every choice ever person makes. If we aren't even trying to push it in X direction because we are spending our energy justifying not bothering to try that -- "because it's too tough" -- then that strikes me as self-fulfilling prophecy.

I get really tired of self-fulfilling prophecy. Given what is at stake, I think we can and should do better than simply justifying our failures to adequately rise to the occasion.