Dining Out: Where would you go?

[Orik]

56 minutes ago, joethefoodie said:

Well the other factor is how much exposure one is willing to offer oneself up to. In my case, pretty close to zero, as I won’t dine out anywhere.

For sure. Part of the story is that restaurant covers are down 85% yoy and that's just fine.

[joethefoodie]

11 minutes ago, Orik said:

For sure. Part of the story is that restaurant covers are down 85% yoy and that's just fine.

Well, it ain’t fine...it’s fucking horrible. But that discussion would probably veer off into territory not allowed. 

[Orik]

It's fine in the epidemiological sense. 

[Wilfrid]

If masks are ineffective, do you put the low infection rate here down to people not congregating, or something else?

[joethefoodie]

I believe N-95 (and even KN-95) masks are as effective, provided they're properly used, replaced, etc. etc.

But constantly touching them, pulling them down and then up, and all the other things I see people doing with their masks - not so good.

[Anthony Bonner]

I was under the impression the point of masks is to prevent you from giving someone an infection, not to prevent you from getting it.  

I.e. for most people (those not in an environment with a high probability of contact with active infections) the n95 masks are not really doing much.

[Orik]

1 hour ago, Wilfrid said:

If masks are ineffective, do you put the low infection rate here down to people not congregating, or something else?

Remember that we got to the low infection rates by having everyone hide at home for a while, and it hasn't gone down (in fact it's been going up slowly) since people started going out in a reduced manner.

Masks of the type most of us use are very slightly effective and it's possible their contribution is nonlinear - meaning if you're infected and just going about your business and breathing viruses into the air there's almost no effect because they lack any filtering power at that order of magnitude, but if you're coughing or sneezing (or speaking at American volume levels) in a closed room they do block a lot of the larger droplets. 

What is effective is a combination of people still largely keeping their distance, going out less, throwing fewer large parties, not being here at all, being already immune, etc. Masks are probably more of a symbol of being in an environment where this is the norm than anything else. To illustrate the point, there was nobody wearing masks in the current red zones any time I've been there, but still everything was just fine until the return to school and preparations for the high holidays. 

Effective, fit tested, respirators distributed widely would have made a significant difference during the high infection rate period, but it seems like getting a good supply of those is not a problem humanity can solve. 

[small h]

1 minute ago, Anthony Bonner said:

I was under the impression the point of masks is to prevent you from giving someone an infection, not to prevent you from getting it.  

I.e. for most people (those not in an environment with a high probability of contact with active infections) the n95 masks are not really doing much.

Evidence suggests they're doing something.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/cloth-masks-do-protect-the-wearer-breathing-in-less-coronavirus-means-you

[Orik]

Yes, just not a lot, and mostly when things are getting very bad they slow down the process. 

 

Anyway, my point is it's safe to eat from the sushi chef's hand if the probability of him or someone in the room being sick is extremely low, and otherwise it doesn't really matter what they're wearing. 

[joethefoodie]

The real sad part is we're basically having this same discussion some 6 months in. With no real solutions offered, other than complete isolation by everyone.

[small h]

I happened to look back at an Anderson Cooper town hall from back in March, and it made me nostalgic for those first magical days, when social distancing was novel and we all went out on the balcony to clap at 7pm.

[joethefoodie]

55 minutes ago, small h said:

I happened to look back at an Anderson Cooper town hall from back in March, and it made me nostalgic for those first magical days, when social distancing was novel and we all went out on the balcony to clap at 7pm.

Oh we were supposed to stop clapping?

[small h]

1 hour ago, joethefoodie said:

Oh we were supposed to stop clapping?

I thought I heard something last night when I went out to get some chives. I guess it was you!

[mitchells]

3 hours ago, joethefoodie said:

The real sad part is we're basically having this same discussion some 6  8 months in. With no real solutions offered, other than complete isolation by everyone.

188 new cases in the last week in my town where the average per day was less than 10 since end of June. 

[Sneakeater]

On 10/27/2020 at 6:29 PM, Sneakeater said:

The fish was great.  Excellent.  Superb.

My thing with LeB is, when I'm not actually eating there, I think of the food as boring and overrefined.

But when I am actually eating the food, I can't believe how well it works.