ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico’s restaurant industry is still recovering from the pandemic, but it is still not clear exactly how much damage they will face.
“I think we’re really happy with where we are,” said John Haas, president and co-founder of M’tucci’s Restaurants.
“I think we’re pretty safe as far as surviving it,” said Matt DiGregory, owner of The Range Café.
Conflicting reports from the New Mexico Restaurant Association and the governor’s office tell two different stories.
According to an analysis by the National Restaurant Association, there are approximately 76,000 food service jobs across the state. That’s a 2.7% increase from July 2019. Despite this increase, DiGregory says his restaurants are still struggling to keep positions filled.
“Last week we hired 20 employees and we lost 22, and that’s kind of been the pattern for the last year,” he said.
DiGregory says his turnover is at 100%, despite the increase in wages for most employees. He says the workers who leave often don’t give much of a head.
“The slightest little thing sets them off, and they just turn and walk out the door. It’- there’s no more notice, it’s just ‘I don’t love you, I’m just leaving,'” he said .
Haas says his restaurants are nearly fully staffed, but admits they’ve had to scale back some service while rehiring employees. He says the rental pool has also gotten smaller.
“The cannabis industry has taken off a lot and I think that’s taken away some of the people who would have been looking for jobs in the hospitality or restaurant industry,” Haas said.
Both DiGregory and Haas say rising food prices are forcing all restaurants to make a tough decision.
“We just had to basically raise prices,” DiGregory said. “You know, because we don’t want to take away from what we’re known for. We’re known for generous portions, we’re known for quality food.
“If we want products that are just priced out of their value point, and no longer offer value on the menu, we’re not afraid to take them out if we have to,” said Haas.
The New Mexico Restaurant Association recently claimed rising food costs and labor shortages (both spurred by the pandemic) have forced nearly 1,100 restaurants across New Mexico to close during the pandemic. The governor’s office disputes those numbers, saying its data shows there are actually more restaurants now than before the pandemic.
DiGregory and Haas agree that the pandemic has made it more difficult for restaurants, but add that business has never been easy.
“Unfortunately we’re an industry, we’re, you know, there’s also a lot of closures,” Haas said.
“This is a very challenging business, it’s extremely difficult to make money, the margins are so incredibly slim,” DiGregory said.
Both said their restaurants are incredibly busy and are grateful for the customers who have supported them during the pandemic and in this recovery phase.
“I think we’re going in the right direction,” Haas said. “And I think it’s just, you know, we’re going to need about six months to a year before that, we’re really looking at where everything is.”
Can COVID-19 reduce male fertility?
However, couples had a slightly lower chance of conception if the male partner was infected with SARS-CoV-2 within 60 days before a menstrual cycle, suggesting that COVID-19 may temporarily reduce male fertility. The study was conducted by Amelia K. Wesselink, Ph. D., from Boston University, and colleagues.
Can COVID-19 affect the testicles? “A significant percentage of men experience testicular swelling or epididymis swelling after symptomatic COVID-19 infection,” says Dr. Debert. A recent review of male reproductive health estimated that “10% to 22% of men with acute COVID-19 infection develop orchitis or epididymo-orchitis.
What are some potential long term side effects of COVID-19?
Organ damage could play a role. People who have had severe illness with COVID-19 can experience organ damage that affects the heart, kidneys, skin, and brain. Inflammation and problems with the immune system can also occur. It is not clear how long these effects last.
Which organ system is most often affected by COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that can trigger what doctors call a respiratory tract infection. It can affect your upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose and throat) or lower respiratory tract (trachea and lungs).
What is long COVID-19?
Some people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 may experience long-term effects of their infection, known as post-COVID conditions (PCC) or prolonged COVID.
Can COVID-19 infection affect male fertility?
There is evidence that fertility and sexual function can be disturbed in a part of male patients, especially those who had a severe case and ended up in the hospital and the disease.
Can COVID-19 affect your organs?
People who have had severe illness with COVID-19 can experience organ damage that affects the heart, kidneys, skin, and brain. Inflammation and problems with the immune system can also occur. It is not clear how long these effects last.
Which organ system is most often affected by COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that can trigger what doctors call a respiratory tract infection. It can affect your upper respiratory tract (sinuses, nose and throat) or lower respiratory tract (trachea and lungs).
Can the COVID-19 virus affect your kidneys?
Does COVID-19 affect the kidneys? It can. In addition to attacking the lungs, the coronavirus, which is officially called SARS-CoV-2, can also cause severe and lasting damage to other organs, including the heart and kidneys.
How does COVID-19 affect the heart and lungs?
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, mostly affects the lungs but it can also lead to serious heart problems. Lung damage caused by the virus prevents oxygen from reaching the heart muscle, which in turn damages the heart tissue and prevents it from getting oxygen to other tissues.
Can I get COVID-19 from kissing?
The virus spreads through respiratory droplets that are released when someone with the virus coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can be inhaled or land in the mouth or nose of a person nearby. In contact with a person’s head through kissing or other sexual activities, you can be exposed to the virus.
What is long COVID-19?
Some people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 may experience long-term effects of their infection, known as post-COVID conditions (PCC) or prolonged COVID.
What are some of the potential long-term effects of COVID-19? Other possible symptoms include: Neurological symptoms or mental health conditions, including difficulty thinking or concentrating, headaches, trouble sleeping, dizziness when standing, pins-and-needles feeling, loss of smell or taste, and depression or anxiety. Joint or muscle pain.
What are some of the symptoms of the long haulers from COVID-19?
People with long-term COVID, or “long-haulers”, are COVID-19 survivors but they have persistent symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, headaches, palpitations, and impairments in mental health and cognition.
How long do lingering symptoms last after COVID-19?
Symptoms. People with post-COVID conditions (or prolonged COVID) may experience many symptoms. People with post-COVID conditions can have a wide range of symptoms that last more than four weeks or even months after infection. Sometimes the symptoms may even disappear or come back.
What are some symptoms of the COVID-19 BA.5 subvariant?
BA.5 symptoms are similar to previous COVID-19 variants and subvariants. The most common symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches and fatigue.
What are Post-COVID conditions or Long COVID?
Post-COVID conditions (PCC, or Long COVID) are a wide range of new, recurring or ongoing health problems that people may experience four or more weeks after they are first infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
The typical clinical symptoms in “long Covid” are fatigue, dyspnea, tiredness, brain fogginess, autonomic dysfunction, headache, persistent loss of smell or taste, cough, depression, low-grade fever, palpitations, dizziness, muscle pain and joint pain.
Can COVID-19 cause problems years later?
In some people, the post-COVID-19 syndrome lasts months or years or causes disability. Research suggests that between one month and one year after having COVID-19, 1 in 5 people aged 18 to 64 have at least one medical condition that could be due to COVID-19.
How long could COVID-19 symptoms last?
Most people who test positive with a variant of COVID-19 typically experience some symptoms for several weeks. People who have prolonged COVID-19 symptoms may experience health problems for four or more weeks after they are first infected, according to the CDC.
What is the typical time to recover from COVID-19?
Previous research has suggested that it can take 2 weeks for your body to get over a mild illness, or up to 6 weeks for severe or critical cases. Newer data shows that recovery varies for different people, depending on things like your age and overall health.
How long do COVID-19 symptoms last?
However, how long they last can depend on the person, the severity of their infection and whether or not they end up with long-term COVID. “Some people say they feel better in a day, some people say they still have symptoms for three weeks,” Welbel said.