When will we be back to normal? - place your bets

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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No masks, no social distancing, just normal the way it was pre-covid. When you saying?

I’m gonna go summer 2023.
 

Stack

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I think masks are here to stay for a long time, in diminishing frequency of course but a cultural shift is under way. Asia has used masks for years now, its socially unacceptable to go into public spaces without a mask if you feel even slightly ill or have even the smallest of sniffles.
Relative normality I think will come roughly in the time you have mentioned I think. I think the world is still going to be struggling with this pandemic next year (2021) even as the vaccine rolls out. The roll out will mean too many will approach life as normal and the virus will still run in waves. Im with you on 2023
 

acnumber9

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What qualifies as normal? Because there’s no way the current status quo can last even as long as this time next year.
 

The Purley King

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If you live in iom then it’s been normal for 3 months or so.
Only that you can’t leave the island without struggling to get back in. The worst sort of “golden” handcuffs. I don’t live there btw ....
 

SalfordRed18

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No masks, no social distancing, just normal the way it was pre-covid. When you saying?

I’m gonna go summer 2023.
That's not happening.

People use to question why Asians wore masks in London and the past year has shown why.

I suspect many will carry on wearing a mask.


They won't be mandatory, mind.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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That's not happening.

People use to question why Asians wore masks in London and the past year has shown why.

I suspect many will carry on wearing a mask.


They won't be mandatory, mind.
People have always been free to wear a face covering if they choose (although certain establishments would tell them to take it off) normality will be not being forced to wear one to get your groceries for example.
 

Schmeichel's Cartwheel

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What qualifies as normal? Because there’s no way the current status quo can last even as long as this time next year.
Just normal, being able to go out with crowds, without having to worry about “social distancing”, wearing a mask or having to go home by 10pm because of a curfew. Just freedom, the way things were.
 

acnumber9

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Just normal, being able to go out with crowds, without having to worry about “social distancing”, wearing a mask or having to go home by 10pm because of a curfew. Just freedom, the way things were.
I’d imagine you’d be allowed by this time next year at the latest. With some kind of vaccine passport for events etc. Some may still be reluctant mind you because people will still be getting sick. I just don’t see how the current restrictions could survive the other side of next summer.
 

SalfordRed18

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People have always been free to wear a face covering if they choose (although certain establishments would tell them to take it off) normality will be not being forced to wear one to get your groceries for example.
That's not what you said though? No masks and not being forced to wear a mask are two different things.
 

VeevaVee

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I think masks are here to stay for a long time, in diminishing frequency of course but a cultural shift is under way. Asia has used masks for years now, its socially unacceptable to go into public spaces without a mask if you feel even slightly ill or have even the smallest of sniffles.
I dunno. I don’t think British people will take that much responsibility for themselves or others, especially not left to their own devices. Can imagine it quickly fading out
 

Massive Spanner

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It'll never go back to how it was before. There has been a fundamental lifestyle/work change from Covid that will never be reversed. More people buying online, working from home, less focus on city centers, more on rural areas, a global recession like no other. People will also see things differently and be reluctant to go back to old ways, even when Covid itself has largely faded away.

Sadly it's probably opened up an even bigger wealth divide too. Not just that the big tech companies got even richer but that most of the people who kept their jobs working from home were high income earners and most who lost (and may permanently lose) them are low income earners. The former will have saved a fortune this year.
 

calodo2003

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We will never get back to the normal we knew in late 2019. Historical events like this unalterably change history, they don’t bend it.

We could be as close to it by mid 2023. This ‘close’ won’t be that close, unfortunately.
 

acnumber9

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What is the new normal that people anticipate? More remote working? I don’t see people wanting to give up social interaction too quickly. And when they face a long spell working from home they’ll see they’re missing a lot I think.
 

Wibble

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What is the new normal that people anticipate? More remote working? I don’t see people wanting to give up social interaction too quickly. And when they face a long spell working from home they’ll see they’re missing a lot I think.
I've worked from home since March and I love it. I never want to go back but if I get the funding I'm requesting I'll probably have to. I'd still prefer to spend as little time in the office as necessary.
 

Wibble

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It’ll never be the way it was before. The world has changed now
To some degree I agree. How long it is before we get back to more or less normal is going to largely depend on how widespread and quickly vaccinations are rolled out.

I think we will see some return to normality by late 2021 but wouldn't disagree with 2023.
 

acnumber9

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I've worked from home since March and I love it. I never want to go back but if I get the funding I'm requesting I'll probably have to. I'd still prefer to spend as little time in the office as necessary.
Everybody will feel differently of course. And I think a lot will depend on age and social situations. But I know I would miss the social side of interacting in work. And I would’ve missed it a lot more when I was younger.
 

Wibble

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Everybody will feel differently of course. And I think a lot will depend on age and social situations. But I know I would miss the social side of interacting in work. And I would’ve missed it a lot more when I was younger.
Totally agreed. I've never really depended on work for social stuff and less and less as I've got older, but others obviously do and the type of workplace makes a difference. I can see hot-desking becoming even more common with people working partly from home on a roster to save office space/expense. My place is hitting capacity on my floor so this is an obvious solution.
 

Wibble

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My "normal" will be if I can fly to California in Nov 2021 to see my son for his sporting finals and 23rd birthday. It will have been nearly 2 years which is a long time :(
 

utdalltheway

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Wibs, you may be able to do that or even have him go home, maybe even in the summer of 2021 (July/august).
Though I notice it depends which news I read about the timelines.
 

LARulz

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It won't. Ways of working for example - be crazy to think flexible working will no longer be an absolute staple of any office based job/company (or at least one that was able to do it this year). Telling people to come back in 5 days a week and take out 11 hours of their day including commute is not going to return in my opinion.

I think masks will be interesting - I think quite a few will wear it still no matter what as a general thing

Social distancing - I think people will try and keep a general distance from people more now. Nobody wants to stand right next to a stranger unless forced. Social distancing may not be an enforced thing but people will keep more distance between strangers than they used to

Travelling - won't be the same as I imagine you will need a vaccine passport or do tests before and after flying
 

Mickeza

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There is no way current restrictions and the state dictating what people can do at the level it currently is will continue after the most vulnerable have been vaccinated. After May it’ll be up to personal choice whether you meet with friends, socially distance, wear masks, attend mass events et al. Normality will have resumed for those that want it by the summer. Obviously some sectors will be permanently damaged and the way people work will have changed forever but that’s a totally different question.
 

Wibble

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Wibs, you may be able to do that or even have him go home, maybe even in the summer of 2021 (July/august).
Though I notice it depends which news I read about the timelines.
The issues are a) cost as flight are very expensive at the moment and most economy seats get cancelled in favor of business class passengers as the airlines can only fly with a fraction of the seats filled because, b) we have very limited quarantine capacity and currently 40,000 Australians are on the waitlist (plus far far more who haven't bothered registering because it is futile), c) if he returns getting back is both expensive and not guaranteed and finally d) unless coming back for a long time the 14 day quarantine makes it a bit of a waste of time.

The best bet is mass vaccination which will allow us to go out in Nov 21 or that it makes getting back easier and cheaper so he can come back in summer and do summer classes here online and return for the fall semester/season.
 

Suv666

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The first world should achieve some normalcy by late 2021- early 2022. The poor will be struggling with Covid at least till 2023-2024.
 

Oggmonster

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There is no way current restrictions and the state dictating what people can do at the level it currently is will continue after the most vulnerable have been vaccinated. After May it’ll be up to personal choice whether you meet with friends, socially distance, wear masks, attend mass events et al. Normality will have resumed for those that want it by the summer. Obviously some sectors will be permanently damaged and the way people work will have changed forever but that’s a totally different question.
YEah I agree, people are fed up with it now and getting pissed off and I guarentee more are breaking the rules currently than are letting on. No way the Tiers/household mixing/6 people stuff is here by back end of next year, I reckon all that stuff will be gone by the summer.

The masks part in shops/public transport may stay around for a while and stuff people don't mind such as work flexibility with home working and office working but I'd be surprised if any of the "socialising" measure are still in place by next summer personally.
 

Pogue Mahone

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Everybody will feel differently of course. And I think a lot will depend on age and social situations. But I know I would miss the social side of interacting in work. And I would’ve missed it a lot more when I was younger.
I’ve been thinking about this recently. Would younger me have enjoyed working from home? Hell yes, was my considered conclusion. I don’t think it’s about age, so much as how your perceive your job/colleagues. Other than a couple of years as a junior doc I’ve always kept my work and social life completely separate and found socialising with work a chore. Conversely, I know there are people at my current job (of all ages) who are finding life very hard without the social interactions they get at work. This “new normal” is fantastic for people like me, shit for people like them. No idea what the ratio is between these two types of people.
 

altodevil

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Civil Service looking at April 2021 for going back to offices. Expect that will coincide with other restrictions lessening.
 

rcoobc

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Yeah I think Mid 2021 in Europe

Not everyone will have had the vulnerable will have done, and that will lead to a general relaxation

Although having said that, I'm sure there will still be masks at Euros and Olympics so going by no masks - 2022
 

Camilo

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Soon enough I think, maybe even by late 2021, but more likely spring 2022. There will be significant changes to life long before that.

I think the whole "working from home" thing needs to be handled carefully - it'll destroy inner city life really.. And socially it's pretty horrible. Obviously many businesses are going to think "hey, we can save money by making our workers pay for their own offices", but I hope people push back.

I don't think they'll be any significant cultural changes from this - people just want normality. Masks are a horrid thing and should be discouraged as soon as possible; they're completely unnatural. People get ill - this year shouldn't allow an irrational fear of illness to take over. An exception like this doesn't change anything. But I'm not particularly worried about that becoming a reality - very few people are actually that daft.
 

Camilo

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I’ve been thinking about this recently. Would younger me have enjoyed working from home? Hell yes, was my considered conclusion. I don’t think it’s about age, so much as how your perceive your job/colleagues. Other than a couple of years as a junior doc I’ve always kept my work and social life completely separate and found socialising with work a chore. Conversely, I know there are people at my current job (of all ages) who are finding life very hard without the social interactions they get at work. This “new normal” is fantastic for people like me, shit for people like them. No idea what the ratio is between these two types of people.
I think for a lot of semi-older people, the thing that allows them to work happily from home was built on the social life of the workplace in their mid 20s. Every single one of my friends met their partners through work or social events organised by work. It'll be pretty weird if that gets taken away.