Whenever the trains stop serving passengers in a restaurant, I will loose a major comfort advantage. I preferred the restaurant even before the pandemic. I’m aware of the privileges to spend the money. Since I know about infection risks in general I continue to stay there the entire travel. In a restaurant, there are less seats than in another wagon. Less people, less risks. Moreover I prefer a table just behind the wall preventing a sick person from sitting just behind me. During the ride I used a ToGo Hepa Filter placed on my seat to breath clean air. Otherwise I switch to a mask, especially with sick people. Guests will come and go. Most have reserved seats and won’t stay the whole ride. I could also stand for a while, especially in a german long distance train (ICE) which has a tiny bistro, too.
In contrast to earlier rides I had the impression of better air circulation this time, staying under 1000ppm the whole ride. For less infectious diseases than SARSCoV2, CO2 values below 1000ppm are still fine.
The behavior of people going into a restaurant where eating and drinking are required to stay is disappointing however and that’s an understatement. I counted at least seven guests with respiratory symptoms, a few with initial cough rather than in the post-infection state, accompanied by sneezing. Staff of the restaurant as well as the train conductor were also among the sick people, frequently coughing during serving and validating the tickets. Peak asshole was an older man with a scarf and a ffp2 mask (!). At first I thought „Great! Another fellow who wants to protect himself!“ Then I noticed his frequent coughing. He looked really sick, sweating forehead with tousled hair, red face, and sneezing, fit of coughing like whooping cough. I would assume he had influenza or RSV. Great he wore a mask but what the heck … he visited the restaurants three times during the ride, drinking beer and eating warm. Other guests besides him put on masks, stood up and went away. The service staff said nothing and disinfected all tables after the guests were gone, not preventing airborne infection. Nobody is on moral high ground wearing a mask but being such foolish. He should have stayed at home, delaying his ride, or at least stay at his seat. The sick staff should have worn a mask at least to prevent infecting the passengers visiting their families, especially the conductor going back and forth.
It shouldn’t be a fringe position to expect some dignity and courtesy to keep the sickness to oneself, instead of endangering others. I don’t expect to do a test on a regular basis, we’re far behind that state, especially without symptoms. I don’t expect to stay at home with light symptoms – that’s a problem of employer protection in the case of illness but wearing a mask then should be minimum, especially working with other people.
Anyway, the flu wave in Austria officially started with Chrismas, and frequent to widespread flu activity is also reported in other European countries. Mass tourism and frequent travel after the holidays until New Year’s Eve will intensify the wave rapidly. There is also some CoV2 circulation and other viruses (hCoV-NL63, RSV, …) which aren’t pleasent if you get them. So my best advice is to wear a mask in crowded places, especially on trains and airplanes, and keep your vaccination schedule updated.