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There are some divisive topics people will never agree on Coke vs. Pepsi, toiler paper over or toilet paper under, Star Wars vs. Star Trek. In baseball, the longest running, most polarizing debate for decades has been the designated hitter.

Some people love it and want it adopted universally around the game. Some people loathe it. Theres very little middle ground. Its downright partisan.

And yet, after all the years, an easy solution may be on its way because of the coronavirus pandemic.

MLB Networks Jon Heyman is reporting that the universal DH is expected to be adopted as part of the plan to restart baseball that the league and the players union are currently working through. There are contentious topics in the plan mainly related to money. Safety also is a very important topic.

And the DH? After all these years of arguing, it sounds like it might just slide right into both leagues without much trouble.

Its kind of wild what a pandemic can do, isnt it? Make everyone buy toilet paper and throw down their gloves regarding the DH.

This isnt official yet, its pending approval of the larger deal to restart baseball, but with so many other things up for debate, it makes sense that the league and the union wouldnt raise too much of a stink. It makes sense in a time of chaos and transition.

A DH gives pitchers one less thing to worry about. But its effects are much wider ranging than just fans losing out on seeing Madison Bumgarner or Clayton Kershaw at the plate. It affects the way bullpens are used, how lineups are constructed and as Heyman points out how rosters are built. Kyle Schwarber as a DH? Cubs love that. Dodgers, Mets, Nats? Happy. Happy. Happy.

The flip side of that is we lose the unexpected joy of when Bartolo Colon hits a homer.

What remains to be seen is whether the DH sticks around permanently in both leagues. Will the return of baseball be such a relief that even the biggest DH haters stop their years-long fight? Or, when life is back to normal, will we trudge up the old DH arguments like we used to?

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The pandemic may have solved MLB's most polarizing debate: Get ready for the universal DH - Yahoo Sports

MANILA, May 14 (Reuters) - Philippine authorities started moving 200,000 people away from their homes in coastal and mountainous areas because of fears of flooding and landslides as a typhoon made landfall on Thursday, disaster officials said.

Typhoon Vongfong, the first to hit the country this year, slammed into the eastern Philippines packing winds of 155 kph and gusts of up to 190 kph, the state weather bureau said.

Social distancing measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus are likely to complicate efforts to move thousands of people into evacuation centres, such as classrooms and school gymnasiums.

Provincial disaster officials said they had asked the education department for more schools they could use as temporary shelters.

The Philippines has reported more than 11,000 cases of the new coronavirus, most in the capital Manila, and more than 700 deaths.

Authorities told people in areas in the path of the Category 2 typhoon to brace for intense rain and to be on alert for landslides, storm surges and floods.

An average of 20 typhoons a year hit the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema)

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Philippines evacuates hundreds of thousands as typhoon makes landfall - Yahoo News

Gargling with mouthwash may prevent infected patients spreading the coronavirus, scientists have claimed. (Getty Images)

Scientists from Cardiff University are calling for research into whether high-street mouthwashes could reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

The virus is surrounded by a fatty membrane. The scientists have argued the membranes of similar pathogens were disrupted when exposed to ingredients commonly found in mouthwashes, like ethanol, povidone-iodine and cetylpyridinium.

Gargling with mouthwash could inactivate the coronavirus in the throat, helping to prevent it spreading via coughs and sneezes, they added.

Although it is unclear whether this would be the case, the team argued there has been no discussion on the potential role of mouthwash in combatting the outbreak.

Early research suggests the coronavirus is mild in four out of five cases, however, it can trigger a respiratory disease called COVID-19.

Safe use of mouthwash as in gargling has so far not been considered by public health bodies in the UK, said Professor Valerie ODonnell, lead author of a paper on the subject.

In test tube experiments and limited clinical studies, some mouthwashes contain enough of known virucidal ingredients to effectively target lipids in similar viruses.

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What we dont know yet is whether existing mouthwashes are active against the lipid membrane of [the coronavirus].

Ourreview of the literature suggests research is needed as a matter of urgency to determine its potential for use against this new virus.

This is an under-researched area of major clinical need and we hope research projects will be quickly mobilised to further evaluate this.

Studies have suggested the coronavirus replicates in the salivary glands and throat, the scientists wrote in the journal Function.

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They argued the pathogen is highly sensitive to agents that disrupt lipid bio-membranes.

The circulating coronavirus is one of seven strains of a virus class that are known to infect humans.

Other strains cause everything from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which killed 774 people during its 2002/3 outbreak.

The scientists argued past research has demonstrated inactivation of coronaviruses by biocidal agents.

Mouthwashes vary widely in composition, with an ethanol content that typically ranges from 14% to 27%.

Ethanol the chemical compound in alcohol has been shown to kill fellow coronaviruses severa acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) at concentrations of 60% or higher, like in hand sanitisers.

The scientists set out to uncover the effectiveness of oral-based ethanol solutions at dampening or reducing viral load.

They concluded there is a paucity of data on whether lower, and therefore less toxic, ethanol concentrations inactivate viruses with a fatty membrane.

Most studies simply reiterate the use of higher concentrations.

One 2007 paper found 20% ethanol completely inactivated three viruses in the laboratory.

In 2017, scientists found exposing a coronavirus to 34% ethanol completely prevented subsequent viral replication.

Research has also suggested low-concentration ethanol can kill off viruses like herpes and flu when combined with anti-viral essential oils.

These studies indicate that relatively dilute ethanol will be highly effective against enveloped viruses, wrote the Cardiff scientists.

However, there is an urgent need to determine how coronaviruses are impacted by dilute alcohol under biologically-relevant conditions (mucosa, mouth etc), and whether in combination with non-toxic, membrane-disrupting agents, oral inactivation of [the coronavirus] could be achieved.

They argued existing mouthwashes and those specifically-tailored to combat the infection could be tested in the laboratory, clinical trials and at-home settings.

We highlight that already published research on other enveloped viruses, including [other strains of] coronaviruses, directly supports the idea that further research is needed on whether oral rinsing could be considered as a potential way to reduce transmission of [the coronavirus], wrote the scientists.

The team stressed, however, it is unclear whether mouthwashes would have any effect. Safety and length of exposure also need to be investigated.

While we await potential studies, they insisted the public continue to adhere to official guidance on how to ward off infection.

People should continue to follow the preventive measures issued by the UK government, including washing hands frequently and maintaining social distance, said Prof ODonnell.

Since the coronavirus outbreak was identified, more than 4.3 million cases have been confirmed worldwide,according to Johns Hopkins University.

Of these cases, over 1.5 million are known to have recovered.

Globally, the death toll has exceeded 297,400.

The coronavirus mainly spreads face to face via infected droplets expelled in a cough or sneeze.

There is also evidenceit is transmitted in faecesand cansurvive on surfaces.

Symptoms include fever, cough and slight breathlessness.

The coronavirus has no set treatment, with most patients naturally fighting off the infection.

Those requiring hospitalisation are given supportive care, like ventilation, while their immune system gets to work.

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Coronavirus: Scientists want to investigate if mouthwash kills the infection - Yahoo Lifestyle

Art Howe, a former MLB player who managed the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics and New York Mets, is hospitalized in an intensive care unit due to the coronavirus, according to Houstons KPRC 2.

Howe reportedly confirmed the diagnosis himself to the outlet.

[ Coronavirus: How the sports world is responding to the pandemic ]

The 73-year-old Howe said he first felt symptoms on May 3, then was tested and told he had the virus two days later. His symptoms reportedly worsened this week and he was hospitalized on Tuesday.

Howe is reportedly still receiving treatment and needs to go 24 hours without a fever in order to be released, calling the wait for improvement slow.

All of the teams Howe has managed in the past sent out statements in support of the manager.

Known by many fans for his role as manager in the 2002 Oakland Athletics of Moneyball fame Philip Seymour Hoffman played him in the 2011 movie Howe enjoyed an 11-season career as an MLB player and a 14-season career as an MLB manager.

Howe got his start as a player in 1974 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, then broke through as a versatile infielder for the Astros. The Astros also gave him his start as a manager in 1989. He stayed in Houston until his firing in 1993, later managing the As from 1996 to 2002 and the Mets in 2003 and 2004.

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Former MLB manager Art Howe in ICU with coronavirus - Yahoo Sports

Soprano Veronica Antonelli sings "Amazing Grace" from her balcony in Paris despite her continuing struggles with COVID-19. (Nicolas Garriga / Associated Press)

An angelic voice singing Hallelujah echoes off the stately stone and brick canyons of a narrow Montmartre street. It's the voice of Veronica Antonelli, who is still struggling with complications related to COVID-19 two months after falling ill.

The Parisian soprano wanted the impromptu performance from her third-floor balcony to project hope. Hours earlier, her doctor had delivered troubling news: The lung scarring that sometimes makes her too tired to sing may last for months. Or perhaps years.

It makes things a bit complicated, given my profession, Antonelli said.

The coronavirus that has sickened over 4 million people around the world and killed more than 280,000 others is so new that patients face considerable uncertainty about what they can expect in recovery and beyond.

The short answer is that were still learning, said Dr. Jay Varkey, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University in Atlanta. What we know has been gathered mostly by anecdotal reports from COVID-19 survivors.

In support groups created on social media sites, survivors post head-to-toe complaints that read like a medical encyclopedia: anxiety, heart palpitations, muscle aches, bluish toes. Its hard to know which ones are clearly related to the virus, but the accounts help fuel doctors increasing belief that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory disease.

Persistent exhaustion is a common theme, but every survivors story is different, said Brandy Swayze, a coronavirus sufferer who created a Facebook survivors group after developing pneumonia. She was hospitalized in late March and early April. Her fatigue comes and goes. Insomnia is another concern.

Were just people who have more questions than anybody else about this thing because were going through it, said Swayze, 43, of Cabin John, Md.

On top of her lung damage and fatigue, Antonelli has issues with her memory and diminished senses of taste and smell a common early symptom that lingers for many, which doctors say stems from the virus attacking nerves.

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Two-thirds of patients in a study in Italy had a loss of smell and taste. Some reports suggest these problems last only a few weeks, but its been almost two months for Antonelli. She said that when she asked a voice specialist when she would be able to smell again, his answer was, We know nothing. We just have to be patient. We have no solution.

Antonelli, 45, needs her stamina back to resume her offbeat career singing opera a capella at outdoor monuments and historic sites, a profession she chose because she liked how natural environments shaped her voice.

Stuck at home, she sings at her balcony when she can to bring happiness and thank health workers, grocers and others for their service during the pandemic. Some days, though, shes simply too tired to leave her bed.

In Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus emerged late last year, physicians first considered it a type of pneumonia. But they came to realize this virus is so smart. It just attacked everywhere in the body, said Dr. Xin Zheng of Wuhan Union Hospital.

Lungs, hearts, kidneys, even the brain can be affected. Some hospitalized patients develop blood clots, while others have elevated enzymes suggesting liver abnormalities.

Thats a very unique characteristic of it, said Dr. Thomas McGinn of Northwell Health hospitals in New York. He co-authored the largest U.S. study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and a follow-up is planned to see how theyre faring in recovery.

Alex Melo, a retired Marine from York, Maine, became critically ill with COVID-19 last month. He spent a few days on a ventilator for pneumonia but also developed blood clots that threatened his heart and lungs. After two weeks in the hospital, he was sent home on blood thinners he must take for at least a few months.

The drugs make him prone to bleeding, and he worries how that will affect his work as a survival instructor for a Department of Defense contractor. But hes not ready for that work anyway. After two weeks at home, his lungs are still recovering, and he cant run without getting winded.

"I need to take this slow," Melo said.

Reports from China suggest those with mild infections recover two to three weeks after first showing symptoms. For those with more serious infections, recovery may take six weeks, said Varkey, the infectious disease specialist.

But recovery may take much longer for those with the most severe infections, including patients who spent time in intensive care on ventilators or dialysis.

Wuhan doctors have reported heart problems in a small portion of hospitalized patients, including inflammation of the heart muscle and irregular heartbeat, both of which can increase risks for heart failure, Varkey noted.

Many of the problems may be caused by the virus itself, a hyperactive immune response to the virus, the treatment involved, or a combination of all three, he said.

Some survivors who had long stays in intensive care may require oxygen therapy or dialysis at home. Some may develop a condition called post-intensive care syndrome, which can include persistent muscle weakness, fatigue, attention and memory problems, and anxiety. The condition has been seen in COVID-19 survivors who were put on ventilators, but it can happen after any critical illness and may be related to treatment, including sedation and prolonged bed rest.

Considering that most COVID-19 patients on ventilators dont survive, western Illinois truck driver Scott Dobbels is making a remarkable recovery.

Dobbels spent 17 days in the hospital, eight of them on a ventilator. He returned to his home in Silvis weighing 20 pounds less and pushing a metal walker. The next day, he went to check in on things out at the lumber yard where he works and returned exhausted.

It put me back in bed for three days. Too much, too soon, he said.

At first, just brushing his teeth was an effort. After several sessions with a physical therapist, hes regaining muscle and strength. And to exercise his damaged lungs, he blows into a special device several times a day.

Dobbels says he feels great, despite lingering muscle pain and some weakness, and plans to return to work this week.

He also has lingering questions about why his case was so severe when his wife, Elizabeth, became infected but experienced only mild symptoms.

Why me? he said. Why did I get it, why did I almost die, when others werent as severely affected?

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Surviving the coronavirus is one thing. Recovering is another - Yahoo News

The U.S. unemployment rate soared to 14.7% in April, but the headline unemployment number might not tell the whole story for how deeply the novel coronavirus has hurt the labor market.

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate rose to the highest level on record since the monthly data collection began in 1948.

The 14.7% figure comes from the BLSs measurement known as U-3 unemployment, which presents the total amount of unemployed people as a percent of the civilian labor force.

[See also: What is a recession: Yahoo U]

The BLS defines unemployed people as people who do not have a job but are currently looking for one. That definition presents unique challenges in capturing job loss among the millions of Americans who lost their jobs and still want one but are not actively searching.

The BLS has other classifications of labor underutilization not counted in U-3 unemployment:

Marginally attached: People who are not working and not looking for work, but indicate that they want and are available for a job

Part-time: People who want full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule of less than 35 hours a week

These two groups likely constitute a large amount of workers pushed to the sidelines in the pandemic. People who had been abruptly laid off are likely to want a job when the recovery comes, but in the meantime are not actively searching for a job (for safety reasons or because there are no jobs available).

People walk past empty stores and restaurants closed due to impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Beverly Hills, California on May 8, 2020. - An unprecedented 20.5 million jobs were destroyed in April in the world's largest economy, the biggest amount ever recorded, the Labor Department said in a report released Friday, the first to capture the impact of a full month of the lockdowns. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP) (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

Many others may have been former full-time employees who were forced to take on reduced work schedules, in which case they would not have been counted as an unemployed person under U-3 unemployment.

The BLS has an alternate unemployment measure called U-6 unemployment, which adds marginally attached people and part-time workers to the base of unemployed workers.

For April, the U-6 unemployment rate was 22.8%, an eight percentage point difference from the U-3 and U-6 rate.

Both the U-3 and the U-6 unemployment rate could still understate the true unemployment rate because of a measurement error that may have defined furloughed workers as employed.

Economists have warned that the April unemployment rate is unlikely to be the peak. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard told Yahoo Finance May 11 that the unemployment rate will likely rise further.

Brian Cheung is a reporter at Yahoo Finance and Valentina Caval is a producer.

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Why 14.7% unemployment doesnt tell the whole story: Yahoo U - Yahoo Finance

(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is planning to build a multibillion-dollar chip plant in Arizona, a potential realignment of global trade designed to allay U.S. concerns over supply chain security.The Taiwanese company is negotiating a deal with the administration of President Donald Trump to manufacture semiconductors in the U.S. to create jobs and produce sensitive components domestically for national security reasons, according to people familiar with the situation. Talks have been progressing swiftly in recent days and an announcement could come as early as Friday, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the deal is not public yet.

We are now actively evaluating the U.S. fab plan, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu said on a recent analyst conference call, referring to fabs, the industry term for chip factories. There is a cost gap, which is hard to accept at this point. Of course, we have -- we are doing a lot of things to reduce that cost gap.

TSMC is the largest and most advanced maker of chips for other companies. Its factories, which are primarily located in Taiwan, produce important components designed by Apple Inc. and most of the largest semiconductor companies, including Qualcomm Inc., Nvidia Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Chinas Huawei Technologies Co. That makes TSMC a crucial part of many electronic devices, such as smartphones, laptops and servers running the internet, and corporate and government computer networks.An agreement would call for TSMC to build a plant in Arizona by 2023, according to the people. Its unclear what type of support the project will get from the federal government or the state of Arizona.

A cutting-edge fab is expensive to build. TSMC spent NT$500 billion ($17 billion) to build an advanced facility in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan that will churn out components for new iPhones this year. It plans another $16 billion in capital spending this year.

If the federal government provides cash for a U.S. plant, itll mark a shift in policy and rhetoric from a Republican administration. Trumps White House has rarely supported such direct industrial intervention, favoring market dynamics. However, emerging trends may be forcing a reconsideration. The U.S. government is already giving or lending billions of dollars to keep companies afloat in the midst of a pandemic-fueled recession. The crisis has also highlighted how vulnerable global supply chains are to such shocks.

Meanwhile, Trump has attacked international trade deals and tried to limit Chinas access to semiconductor technology. A TSMC deal to bring high-skilled work to Arizona may help Trumps re-election prospects this year. However, a similar government-backed effort with Foxconn in Wisconsin has so far not created as many jobs as expected.

Read more: Foxconn Factory Subsidy Estimate Slashed by Wisconsin Agency

Shares of Applied Materials Inc., Lam Research Corp. and KLA Corp. rose on optimism that these U.S.-based providers of chipmaking equipment may face fewer export controls when supplying TSMC.

By producing chips for many of the leading tech companies, TSMC has amassed the technical know-how needed to churn out the smallest, most efficient and powerful semiconductors in the highest volumes. Concentrating such valuable capabilities in the hands of one company in Asia, is a concern for the U.S., especially when, across the Strait of Taiwan, China is rushing to develop its own semiconductor industry.

TSMCs local rival, GlobalFoundries Inc., has given up on advanced manufacturing and Intel Corp., the worlds largest chipmaker, mainly manufactures for itself. Its attempt to become a so-called foundry, has failed to gain major customers. TSMCs only other significant challenger is South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co.

(Updates with details on Wisconsin project in eighth paragraph.)

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TSMC to Build Chip Plant in Arizona With Government Support - Yahoo Finance Australia

For one manicurist at a nail salon in Texas, May 18 looms large. Its the tentative date that she must return to work, but her fears over the coronavirus pandemic remain.

Doing someones nails is an extremely close contact job. Youre constantly in someones face, said Anh, 54, who asked to go by her first name only to avoid any conflict with her employer and customers. Many customers didnt think COVID-19 was something to be afraid of, and therefore did not halt travel and social plans.

Ahn is scared to return to work because she gets sick easily and her husband, who is 65, is at a higher risk of developing a serious illness if he contracts the virus. But many of her customers have been messaging her and her manager, asking when the salon will reopen.

Theres a pressure to open and keep customers happy, said Ahn, who is the sole provider for her family.

Laura Spencer, a recruiter at the corporate offices of the Fox Restaurant Concepts' Phoenix-based eateries, cleans off surfaces as she helps out at Flower Child restaurant as Arizona slowly relaxes restrictions due to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Ahn is one of many workers facing the prospect of going back to work as states reopen their economies during a pandemic. Questions of whether you can be forced back to work are mounting, and in most cases, employees have to return unless the work environment isnt safe or theyre considered high risk.

Generally speaking, if the employer requires you to return to work, you must return to work, said Daniel Feinstein, a labor and employment lawyer at Davis & Gilbert LLP, unless you could show that there's an imminent danger of returning to work.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act, or OSH Act, allows workers to refuse work if theres an imminent danger or your employer is not taking responsible steps to ensure a safe working environment.

Read more: Workers rights: Here's how the new coronavirus legislation protects you

So, if your employer is taking steps to protect you such as promoting social distancing measures, having the office cleaned regularly, and ensuring people who have tested positive for COVID-19 don't come to the office this means you likely wont be protected under the OSH Act.

In Ahns case, the employer is taking extra precautions, which means her employer likely would have the right to let her go if she refuses to return to work.

My employer is requiring masks for customers upon entering the store, Ahn said. Workers will also have masks and will be sitting six feet apart from each other.

People who are at higher risk for a more severe illness if they contract the disease may be allowed not to return to work. That could include those who have diabetes, chronic lung disease or are immunocompromised, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A customer arrives for a pickup dinner at a downtown restaurant In Lawrence, Kan., Monday, May 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

If returning to work or commuting to work could endanger them, then they may be protected under the disability laws, Feinstein said. If an employer lets them go for not returning to work, they could have legal exposure.

Guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says employers must find ways to mitigate the risk for people with underlying conditions under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If employees refuse to return to work and arent protected by ADA or OSH Act, they likely will lose access to unemployment benefits, too, unless they have a good cause.

Story continues

Read more: Coronavirus: How to find a job in a tough economy

A good causeincludes situations such as having a health issue or needing to care for a close family member who has a health issue. If you must provide childcare because your child is not in school is also considered a good cause, along with having unsafe working conditions.

But the outcome is really decided on a case-by-case basis.

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In the absence of good cause, if an employee refuses to return to work, that will generally mean that they're not entitled to unemployment insurance, Feinstein said.

Some states such as Ohio, Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and South Carolina are asking employers to report to the state department of labor if an employee refuses to come to work without good cause.

If you have health reasons for not returning to work, you may have the legal right to negotiate your future work arrangements.

Your legal right will really be dependent on if you have a reason why it's necessary, Feinstein said. You and your employers are supposed to engage in what's called the interactive process to determine how best to accommodate that medical condition.

Read more: Coronavirus: Here's how to make the best work-from-home arrangement

Employers may be more open than before to negotiate work arrangements after offices reopen. One in 6 employers are investing in the development of their employees and my provide re-skilling and training, according to a survey by Society for Human Resource Management.

Signs are posted for social distancing as Dan Loftus organizes books at Half Price Books, Monday, May 11, 2020, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

I always advise any worker and any employer to have honest conversations and to request things in any situation, said Alex Alonso, SHRMs chief knowledge officer. The worst possible outcome is that you're told no. As long as youve asked for it and make a case, there's a good reason to pull this together.

The recently-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) gives more leeway to employees who cant work because they have childcare responsibilities because schools are shut down.

Theyre now entitled to these 10 weeks of leave at partial pay, Feinstein said. The partial pay is around two-thirds of the employees usual pay.

Yes. Under the FFCRA, many employers are required to provide paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for COVID-19-related reasons through the end of 2020.

Read more: How to file for unemployment insurance

The paid sick leave provisions apply to certain public employees and private employers with fewer than 500 employees, while small businesses with fewer than 50 employees may qualify for exemption in some cases.

If employees are sick or if they've been quarantined, Feinstein said, then they're entitled to two weeks of sick leave at their regular salary for coronavirus-related reasons.

Denitsa is a writer for Yahoo Finance andCashay, a new personal finance website. Follow her on Twitter@denitsa_tsekova.

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Coronavirus: What American workers should know about their rights as the economy reopens - Yahoo News

Officials are delineating the parameters of relaxing stay-at-home orders that have throttled the global economy, yet a few companies are already giving the public a glimpse of life once stringent coronavirus restrictions begin winding down.

Currently, states and cities are crafting a pell-mell retreat away from lockdowns designed to contain the COVID-19 crisis but that have decimated growth and the jobs market. Yet, it's widely acknowledged that social distancing protocols that enforce small crowds and require the use of face masks in public will remain in effect.

Already, a range of big and small businesses around the country are actively implementing the post-lockdown new normal. Its become a catchphrase that has defined public discourse since COVID-19 upended societal norms, and brought the global economy to its knees.

Its also a dynamic consumers will be forced to navigate in the near-term, with many citizens desperate to resume public life, but without an approved coronavirus treatment or vaccine on the immediate horizon.

From cashless transactions, to smaller office footprints with fewer on-site workers, to cleaner hotels and less crowded casinos (alas, with no buffets), the post-lockdown era will be characterized by changes to public life that will be both subtle and dramatic.

To be honest I think were going to be seeing structural changes within the U.S. economy, and other economies around the world as well, because this has opened up new opportunities too, ING Chief International Economist James Knightly told Yahoo Finance in a recent interview.

Knightly believes that with so many white-collar professions working remotely, employers are likely to ask hard questions about whether they need as much office space, and whether business travel is necessary.

Last month, Barclays (BCS) CEO Jes Staley told reporters that the notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past. And already, companies are reconfiguring existing offices to conform to the imperatives of preventing the spread of the deadly virus, and planning for more to work from home.

There could be longer-term implications for the airline industry, hotel chains and of course hospitality, INGs Knightly said.

That runs the risk of making the recovery story last longer, or take longer to come to fruition, the economist said adding that it could take 2 years to recoup the growth lost in the wave of lockdowns that put the economy in suspended animation.

There are over 1.3 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. (Graphic: David Foster/Yahoo Finance)

The hospitality industry, which includes hotels and casinos, have been hemorrhaging money, and are deeply invested in a return to normal. However, whether consumers feel safe returning to public life in droves is very much an open question.

Hilton (HLT) CFO Kevin Jacobs told Yahoo Finance on Monday that the chain was pushing heightened level of cleanliness for guests, while Las Vegas Sands (LVS) COO Robert Goldstein warned on an earnings call that it will take time for Americans to 'acclimate' to this new world.

Separately, Andre Carrier, the COO of Eureka Casinos in Las Vegas said recently that the gaming industry is in the process of imagining what a socially-distant casino experience will look like once the city reopens for business.

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Clearly distancing is part of that, were blessed that by their nature, casino floors are large, and we do have the ability to spread out games and equipment, Carrier told Yahoo Finance last week.

Casinos will have more equipment and processes to sanitize and enforce social distancing, he said. Meanwhile, at the behest of Nevada regulators, elaborate open air buffet dining a staple of the Las Vegas dining experience will be a thing of the past for now, as will jam-packed casino floors.

I think you may see fewer games on the floor to provide the spacing required, so some casino environments have 2000 games, there may be fewer when we come back, the executive said.

NEW YORK, NY- MAY 11: Antibody Testing for MTA Employees at Grand Central Station's Vanderbilt Hall during the coronavirus pandemic in New York City on May 11, 2020. Credit: Rainmaker Photos/MediaPunch /IPX

The wealthy yet densely populated East and West Coasts have been epicenters of the U.S. outbreak, which has infected over 1.3 million and killed about 80,000.

According to some observers, a major overarching theme in the post-coronavirus future is the potential for a migratory shift away from bustling coastal regions that include New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, all hotbeds of coronavirus infections.

A subplot to this global vs. local dynamic is urban vs. rural. The virus outbreak has been hardest felt in dense urban areas, which are also major hubs of business activity, according to Antonio DeSpirito, a managing director and CIO of U.S. Fundamental Active Equity at BlackRock.

Along with turbocharged virtual life trends like online learning, streaming and gaming, DeSpirito thinks the move away from traditional office spaces may fuel a move away from big city life.

We could see a shrinking office footprint as populations gravitate away and remote workforces grow, he wrote in a recent note to clients.

Meanwhile, less-urban areas could benefit in several ways: on-shoring of manufacturing would likely go to these areas; the ability to work remotely means people can relocate from urban hubs; and retirees who preferred culture centers like New York City may see disadvantages of dense areas and look to more rural settings, DeSpirito added.

INGs Kingsley cautioned that the staggering job losses seen over the last two months could take longer to come back, mainly because protocols that block large crowds will still be in effect while consumer psychology may take longer to heal.

We have to be cognizant of the risks people dont want to take, people dont want to go to as many bars or restaurants, they dont want to go to as many stores, Kingsley said. These issues all do make it... a risk that we see a much more prolonged period before we regain the lost output.

Javier David is an editor at Yahoo Finance. He can be reached at @TeflonGeek.

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Companies are dropping big hints about the 'new normal' once coronavirus lockdowns end - Yahoo Finance

People line up for coronavirus testing in Wuhan, China, where the city government has required that all residents be tested after new cases were reported on May 10, 2020. (For The Times )

Red lanterns swayed in the wind above beeping thermometers. A queue jerked forward every few minutes, moving like toy soldiers through a socially distanced assembly line. Medical staff in goggles and face shields manned three tables: one for registration and temperatures, two for testing.

Open your mouth, the staff commanded over and over. The residents in the Jade Belt apartment complex obeyed, wincing, sometimes gagging, as the workers scraped the backs of their throats with long cotton swabs. Security guards hovered around the area, cordoned off with string.

The Jade Belt residents a few wearing raincoats as protection were among the first in line after the city government ordered Monday that all Wuhan residents be tested for the coronavirus within 10 days. The action was a swift response to six new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday the first such infections since early April.

The 10-day time frame appeared implausible based on the citys testing capacity. It was also somewhat impractical given that the limited accuracy of the nucleic acid virus tests were not followed by restrictions on movement. One could test negative Wednesday morning, have lunch with an asymptomatic person that afternoon, and become infected without knowing.

But this was Wuhan, ground zero for a pandemic, and a city the Chinese government was determined to keep under control. The community workers got the message: Test everyone. All residents. No household left behind, recited Ms. Duan, a worker in the Jade Belt complex.

Chinas residents live under a grid-style social management system: All residential areas are divided into geographical blocks, and street-level authorities assign individual workers to manage each of them.

The system enforces social stability in regular times, with these workers monitoring their assigned residents and reporting them for undesirable activities such as gambling or religious gatherings. During the pandemic, theyve become responsible for enforcing restrictions on movement, registering people for tests, and caring for the vulnerable under lockdown.

Story continues

Everyone is pretty self-aware, Duan said. Four people had died in Jade Belt during the first lockdown, she said. Twenty-eight had been infected, a low number compared with many other neighborhoods. Most residents were now eager to cooperate with testing and anything else that might prevent another outbreak.

Temporary lockdown is for the sake of long-lasting freedom, declared the large white characters on a red banner hung outside the testing area. Yet one month after Wuhans celebrated reopening, that freedom seems still far out of reach.

More than 10 million people were sequestered in Wuhan as the pandemic spread across China in January. Many were kept inside their apartments for nearly three months. Thousands of residents died, many of them at home with their families, unable to find space in overwhelmed hospitals.

The world waited as Wuhan hunkered down in those days. Snow and rain swept the city's empty streets as its people sent endless pleas for help on social media. It took weeks before enough makeshift cabin hospitals were built to house the sick and quarantine mild cases and their contacts, and months before the deaths and infections finally dwindled.

Only when the lockdown lifted on April 8 did the city breathe again.

Green banners were hung on apartment compounds declared coronavirus-free, emblazoned with the slogan: All Peoples Anti-Epidemic War Decisive Battle, Decisive Victory.

One grade of high schoolers was allowed back to school, though some had to wear watches with QR codes tracking everywhere they went. Swimmers returned to the Yangtze River. Nail salons reopened to customers, who complained that they were gaining weight, now that they could finally relax.

Relieved residents punched holes and removed bars from the blockades that had been erected around their communities, climbing out to see their city again. It felt as if an unwelcome stranger had been banished.

Then came the new cluster: only six cases, a seemingly immeasurable fraction compared to the 50,000 total reported in Wuhan and millions more across the world. But rumors took flight, spurred by lingering distrust and anxiety from the lack of government transparency in January. Residents shared unverified videos online of elderly people dragged into ambulances in different compounds, and warned one another to stay home.

Should we get our team back together? wrote a volunteer in a WeChat group of Wuhan citizens whod spent three months braving the first outbreak in makeshift protective gear, delivering medical supplies and driving patients and nurses to and from hospitals when public transportation was shut down.

By Tuesday afternoon, many communities began blocking their streets again.

Residents of one neighborhood in Qiaokou district were caught by surprise as a makeshift roadblock orange, yellow, blue and teal shared bicycles stacked on top of one another appeared at one of their main street entrances.

Whats happening? Were closing again? a woman shouted over the bikes at a security guard on the other side. As he struggled to secure a tarp over the blockade, another woman clambered over the bicycle mountain, determined to take her planned route home.

Please scan and enter. Please scan and enter, a robotic voice in a Hubei accent repeated at a tent outside one building inside the neighborhood. A community worker sat in front of the tent, taking temperatures and pointing to a QR code that residents were asked to scan to keep track of every entry or exit.

One middle-aged woman stepped out of her apartment on the buildings second floor. The room behind her was filled with stacks of sealed cardboard boxes. Her family ran an online stationery store and delivery service, she said, sending school supplies around the country.

During the lockdown, though, theyd only been allowed to go outside once a day, and packages sent to the outside world from Wuhan were restricted. Shed spent 76 days at home with her husband and their undeliverable boxes.

We only just started going out for groceries again, she said. Shed been nervous about a second wave in the fall. But is it already getting worse?

In another neighborhood, a couple stood on their balcony two floors above a supermarket, lowering a plastic bag on a rope to the ground. A worker loaded eggs and vegetables in the bag before they hauled the bag back up, the wife telling her husband to watch out as it swung in the wind.

This is easier than putting on our gloves and masks and goggles to go outside, the woman explained from above.

By Wednesday evening, news of the citywide testing had spread across Wuhan and China, though some residents said they still hadnt received any such notification from their community workers. Another community worker in Qiaokou district said shed notified her residents of testing, but didnt know when it would be done.

Whether restrictions on movement are reinstated makes little difference for some. As residents of one neighborhood hollered from their balconies and bikes on Tuesday afternoon, asking questions about the new tests and roadblocks, a gray-haired woman stood in front of an old building, hunched slightly with her hands behind her back.

She hadnt left her apartment building since January, she said, pointing to her stunted legs: Its hard for me to walk. But she came outside occasionally, blinking at the sudden shift from her dark room, to look at a tree across the street.

See how the leaves are moving, she said then fell silent, gazing as they rustled in the light.

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Wuhan reopened last month. Now, new coronavirus infections spark mass testing and renewed fears - Yahoo News