[Solocomplex]

Anecdotally, Covid hasn't changed my schedule or interaction with coworkers (essential business), but whereas I would usually get some kind of cold or flu in previous winters, I haven't gotten so much as a sniffle the entire last year. It's either the masks or increased hand washing...

[jfengel]

And the social distancing. It's not just about your coworkers, but about all the people they interact with. Each of you is still seeing each other, but (presumably) seeing far fewer other people.

The protective measures you're each taking reduces the chance that the entire crew will get what any one of you gets. But I think the big win is likely the herd immunity wherein each of you has a lower chance of bringing it in to the office in the first place. We've all collectively reduced the R below 1 for a lot of things, and that has an exponentially beneficial effect in exactly the same way that having R above 1 was so dangerous.

[wahern]

It's worth pointing out that seasonal flu tends to have a rather low R0 to begin with, especially as compared to coronaviruses and other respiratory infections.

Unlike some others in this thread here I'm probably less sanguine about a permanent change in habits. The Americas and many European countries are still as individualistic as ever, and have manifestly faired rather poorly considering their wealth. What is most likely to change, IMO, is efficacy of flu vaccines. Marginally better efficacy and marginally more voluntary vaccinations may be sufficient to push the already low R0 to below 1 at scale.