Respiratory illness activity is elevated or increasing across most areas of the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In total, 15 states plus New York City are experiencing “high” or “very high” levels of respiratory illness activity, defined as people going to the doctor with symptoms from any respiratory disease including flu, COVID, RSV and the common cold.
COVID-19 and flu hospitalizations appear to be trending upward while RSV hospitalizations appear to be to be stable, the data shows.
You thinking I’m some sort of absolutist here? I didn’t say going in was always useful, some of us find it more annoying than helpful. But there are times when there’s a clear benefit.
So you don’t view the workplace as a social situation? You don’t have any sort of on-the-job social interaction with your coworkers? You don’t think humans evolved to work together, built all kinds of rules and behaviors around that requirement? I honestly don’t know how to respond to that.
Social != Physical
Doesn’t it?! I mean not 100%, but there’s a hella impact from physical association.
Had a team meeting in Nashville last year. Despite seeing each other on Zoom daily, we were still strangers. After that? Everyone knew each other better, and that was nice. There was more comfort, camaraderie and respect. Looking someone in the eye and hugging them kinda works that way.
Funny thing to your point, my “best friend” at the company and I were so tight, despite never having met in person, our boss said, “So, uh, you guys met before? Already know each other?”
But that relationship took a LOT of afterhours calls and shooting the shit, plus just being compatible. Pretty unusual.
One of the few guys I know from the office, when we had one, was the only person to come to my wedding. Think he would have done that if he had never sat down and ate lunch with me?
Look, we can agree to disagree on this, I think that for some people the physical aspect is not needed for good and tight work relationships. Heck, some people date over the internet, which I think goes to show that there is no magical “this thing always is better then that”