Seems to me that the best part of remote working is the ability to figure out what the best environment is for you. Don't be a theorist, be an experimentalist: try a bunch of different situations and see what you like best. It sounds like the author started down this path, but stopped too soon (at first).
> Are you sad when a lot of your office is out sick, or are you relieved?
Usually relieved, then I wonder why I bothered with an hour of driving to sit in the office by myself, when I could have done that from home.
> Do you get uncomfortable when you’re in quiet environments for too long, or do you revel in them?
Love quiet! My office at work has no windows (not even internal ones); being able to close the door and cut off the outside world is the best!
> Do you feel weirdly lonely when you’re in a noisy coffee shop, or do you feel energized?
Annoyed by the noise mostly. Coffee shops are for getting coffee and getting out. Libraries are way better for actual work, IMO.