From what I have read the latest hope on the Medical side is to have the virus eventually morph into something similar to it's cousins that cause common colds. The key word being" eventually"
I would say for one that companies would automate where they could anyhow. It's not like the the Great Resignation was ever going to do anything to change that. Companies will always skimp where they could. They were never going to quit doing that out of the kindness of their hearts.
I also would say they can still throw more money at pay increases considering they have been getting away with paying people too little for a long time now. They aren't giving their employees anything great, they are just getting somewhat a little bit closer to the pay they should have been giving people for a long time now, and still having reached it yet. Adjusting for inflation and productivity the highest a minimum wage was in this country was the equivalent to 24$/hour today and we still managed to do great economically when that was the case so it's not like they don't have the money to pay people.
As a President of a union Local I once belonged to often said. When the owners threatened to fire everyone and hire new, she would say "it's either us or people like us, take your pick.