I hate this "new normal". Whatever evidence you see for or against these policies, they are incredibly depressing to me. I don't want to spend the rest of my life 6 feet away from everyone afraid that they might infect me.
There's a real risk of a segment of our populace forever marked by this fear. Phobias and obsessions will be around for a lifetime.
Not to mention, further isolation of the old. Keep away from old people! They're fragile and you could kill them with a hug!
It will be a difficult time for the next generation. And the aging previous one.
Hey! Some old folks have money. How about a permanent-quarantine old-folks community? Live in Healthy-Town, where Covid is banished! No young people ever allowed; no risk of infection! Electrified fences and sterilized goods in and out! Just pay a down payment to make your reservation now.
I think you're interpreting the "new normal" too literally. My understanding of it is that this is just until we get to a place where people can contract the virus without overwhelming hospital capacity. i.e. we have established better treatment options, perhaps achieved some level of herd immunity or immunization, and improved hospital triage plans.
More than that - there's a population at-risk of death. At 3-5X the ordinary disease rate. They'll be isolated until a vaccine becomes available - months or years.
I recognize the level of choice I have in it, but like you mention, it's the other worrywarts - if I'm willing to be <2m away from someone, but they are not, it's still the same...
To be honest I figure it's going to just be obvious as time goes on. When the pubs re-open in the UK I'm just going to assume that anyone there doesn't care about this nonsense, otherwise they'd barricade themselves inside.
