Coronavirus prep

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  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,497 Member
    Talking with my brother today, both of our state had new infection highs today. He was mentioning the debates about whether the local university would require masks next fall. One school of thought was that since governor hadn’t made it mandatory that the u shouldn’t go beyond what was required (for political reasons really). The argument was that if professors wanted masks they could do it. Professors were not happy about that, not wanting to be the enforcers AND the rule makers. Better to just say “it’s policy at this school, so do it” vs “it’s my personal policy, do it”. Professors (so generally older, understanding that the students would likely be partying and in close contact outside of class) lobbies for masks as general policy.

    General handwringing of “how can we make them do this?” Then someone said, “we make everyone get vaccinated. When we had a measles outbreak we made every unvaccinated student go home. Surely we can do the same with masks”. No rejoinder for that. Policy still up in the air.

    Anyone else’s university come out with a definite plan yet?

    The state university in my community as well as the one about 50 miles down the Interstate both said masks will be required on campus.

    All well and good but will be forgotten about an hour after the first beer is cracked at and apartment or Greek house.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I just had a thought as I smacked a mosquito on my arm and there was blood... can mosquitoes spread this?!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Talking with my brother today, both of our state had new infection highs today. He was mentioning the debates about whether the local university would require masks next fall. One school of thought was that since governor hadn’t made it mandatory that the u shouldn’t go beyond what was required (for political reasons really). The argument was that if professors wanted masks they could do it. Professors were not happy about that, not wanting to be the enforcers AND the rule makers. Better to just say “it’s policy at this school, so do it” vs “it’s my personal policy, do it”. Professors (so generally older, understanding that the students would likely be partying and in close contact outside of class) lobbies for masks as general policy.

    General handwringing of “how can we make them do this?” Then someone said, “we make everyone get vaccinated. When we had a measles outbreak we made every unvaccinated student go home. Surely we can do the same with masks”. No rejoinder for that. Policy still up in the air.

    Anyone else’s university come out with a definite plan yet?

    Here's highlights from the UMass policy:

    https://www.umass.edu/coronavirus/health-and-safety

    ...2. Public Health Promotion Measures
    • Students will be required to sign The UMass Agreement in regard to social distancing and other public health practices.
    • Face coverings are required in classrooms, workspaces, and all other common areas, indoors and in any outdoor situation where social distancing is not possible.

    More:

    2020 Reopening Plan: Health and Safety
    The university is using the best science and public health information available to protect members of the campus community; efforts are focused on mitigating the risk of infection and spread of the virus. We are relying upon the guidance and direction of the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC), local, state, and federal health and medical professionals in setting our campus reopening and return to campus plans, and in determining the elements of our reopening and return to campus plans.

    Our newly created Public Health Promotion Center will serve as the campus coordinating and operational hub for COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Its focus is to positively influence public health behaviors, provide critical health screening, and monitor protocols to maintain the health and wellness of our campus community.

    As part of these efforts, we are implementing a multi-layered approach to deter the spread of the virus, help protect our campus, and allow us to rapidly respond when faculty, staff, or students present symptoms or test positive for the virus.

    Fall 2020: A Multi-Layered Approach to Campus Health and Safety

    1. The Public Health Promotion Center

    The university is taking a leading and innovative approach by creating a Public Health Promotion Center (PHPC) to positively influence the public health behaviors surrounding COVID-19 and provide critical health screening and monitoring protocols to maintain the health and wellness of our campus community. The PHPC will serve as the central coordinating and operational center for COVID-19 and focus on the following: asymptomatic testing (symptomatic testing will be conducted at University Health Services); contact tracing; coordinating isolation and quarantine; flu vaccinations; and communication outreach focused on health promotion with public health ambassadors.

    2. Public Health Promotion Measures
    • Students will be required to sign The UMass Agreement in regard to social distancing and other public health practices.
    • Face coverings are required in classrooms, workspaces, and all other common areas, indoors and in any outdoor situation where social distancing is not possible.
    • Appropriate barriers – plexiglass and other similar materials – will be established in high-volume areas.
    • Sanitation and cleaning will be enhanced in buildings throughout the campus, and adequate hand sanitizer products will be made available in all common spaces (lobbies, lounges, academic learning centers, and classrooms).
    • UMass Dining operations will be modified to meet new state requirements for cleaning, social distancing, and customer limits. More than 30 campus locations will be revamped. The plan includes new grab-and-go sites, outdoor dining tents and mobile ordering at some retail locations.
    • Workplaces, meeting rooms, and research laboratories will have modified occupancy. Additionally, residence halls may have modified occupancy.
    • Students will follow classroom operating guidelines that include:
    • Requiring students/faculty to watch an education video prior to the first day of classes on the public health measures in place for the classrooms/laboratories
    • Require students/faculty to wipe down chairs, other commonly touched surfaces, etc. at the start of every class
    • Require face coverings in class
    • No eating or drinking in class
    • Assigned seating, where appropriate

    3. Daily Screening for All
    • Faculty, students, and staff will use either the My UMass app or another application.
    • Faculty, students, and staff must conduct symptom monitoring every day before coming to campus or leaving their residence hall room.
    • A student who does not live in UMass housing must be free of any symptoms related to COVID-19 to be on campus or participate in activities on campus.

    4. Testing
    • In line with current, best scientific practices, UMass will prioritize diagnostic testing and will continue to follow the development of antibody testing for potential use.
    • UMass will execute a screening and testing strategy that mitigates community spread through early identification.
    • Individuals coming to campus will be tested prior to arrival.
    • Individuals who have any of the symptoms related to COVID-19 will be promptly tested by University Health Services. Individuals who are determined to be a close contact of an individual testing positive will also receive testing.
    • Infection rates will be monitored on campus and in the surrounding communities.

    5. Contact Tracing
    • UMass is expanding its case management team, using all relevant departments that provide contact tracing, support services, and coordination of quarantine and isolation. This team will be trained and available to support the campus community.
    • To help determine the risk of potential exposure to others on campus, the UMass Public Health Team will conduct contact tracing with any campus individual who has tested positive.
    • The UMass Public Heath Team will have a dedicated phone number and caller ID, and will actively promote “Answer the Call” to help protect the UMass community.

    6. Isolation and Quarantine

    The CDC defines isolation as separating sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick, and quarantine as separating and restricting the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.
    • Our plan for UMass residence halls for fall 2020 is focused on COVID-19 conditions, meaning we have identified quarantine and isolation locations for our on-campus residential community and will de-densify residential spaces to provide housing that is as safe as possible.
    • The university is committed to supporting all students during any required isolation and quarantine. This includes contact tracing, academic support, health services, and counseling services.
    • All students living on campus will be required to have an isolation and quarantine plan. For those students who can travel in a private vehicle, we strongly recommend isolation and quarantine in the comfort of your own home. For those students living on-campus and cannot travel home, the university will have dedicated isolation and quarantine space.
    • Students living off campus will be encouraged to have an isolation and quarantine plan. The university will provide support services in your off-campus location or at your home. The university will not provide on-campus isolation and quarantine space.
    • All students in isolation and quarantine, both on- and off-campus, will receive a daily wellness call.
    • Students in isolation or quarantine will be encouraged to continue their coursework remotely.
    • The university Public Health Team and/or local board of health have legal authority to issue isolation or quarantine orders, and such orders must be followed at all times.

    7. Required Education for All
    • COVID-19 safety training is mandatory and includes instruction on physical distancing, wearing of face coverings, hand hygiene, and sanitation.
    • A campus-wide approach is being developed to ensure consistent messaging.

    8. High-risk Individuals Are Encouraged to Continue Remote Work and Study
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    mockchoc wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    The Tuscaloosa Alabama story -- students having Covid-19 parties, with a known infected person, putting money into a pot and the first one to officially "get it" gets the money -- makes me believe that we are the dumbest country in history. Sorry, there's no other way to look at it.

    Went out to another outdoor concert last night, much better band this time. AZ rates are soaring. Only states worse are TX and CA, where my kids live! We went out again last night to eat and ate on a patio again.

    I've resigned myself that there is no "back to normal" unless they find a vaccine for this. Or it could mutate so much that it won't be nearly as deadly. But once school is back in session, in the Fall, which I think is a terrible idea BTW, 1.5M dead doesn't seem too outrageous now. Perhaps 2M. The numbers don't lie. 5% have been infected and 130K dead. Multiply X 13. That's the point at which they say we will have herd immunity.

    Our response as a country has been a pathetic combination of finger pointing, selfishness and incompetence.

    Yep.
    My sister lives in Houston, and I'm here in northeast TN, which is itchin' to catch up to TX. We have in this country a large population of entitled, uncaring, thoughtless, brats of widely varying ages. I have friends (30s & 40s), inlaws (60s), a 19-year-old sister-in-law, aunts and uncles (50s-70s) who are being so belligerent, selfish and ignorant. They are proof that unfortunately we can't just blame the lack of leadership of our government. Though they have certainly contributed greatly.

    I'm so sorry. I'd pick you up and bring you here. No cases for now till the tourists show up I'm guessing. Everyone wants to come to Queensland worst luck. Hoping we keep boarders closed. Doubt it'll happen. Yeah.. come up and give us Covid.

    You can open the borders but put restrictions in place. We expect tourists from next week, but they MUST have a test before traveling, and bring a COVID-free certificate to show at Immigration and Customs.


    I take it by the reference to Immigration and Customs that you are talking about international tourists.

    Australia, where mockchoc and I live, is a long way from accepting international tourists.

    I think mockchoc was talking more state borders , especially since she said ' come up and give us Covid ' ie come up from southern states NSW and Victoria where Covid is still very active.

    safe states here have closed their borders to other states - we may start opening to other safe states at some point.

    I would like to go on holiday to Whitsunday islands ( northern Queensland) - may be possible in a few months from South Australia, also safe state.

    Yes and I'll take you out to dinner or cook for you. I'm right near the Great Barrier Reef :)
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    mockchoc wrote: »
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    mockchoc wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    The Tuscaloosa Alabama story -- students having Covid-19 parties, with a known infected person, putting money into a pot and the first one to officially "get it" gets the money -- makes me believe that we are the dumbest country in history. Sorry, there's no other way to look at it.

    Went out to another outdoor concert last night, much better band this time. AZ rates are soaring. Only states worse are TX and CA, where my kids live! We went out again last night to eat and ate on a patio again.

    I've resigned myself that there is no "back to normal" unless they find a vaccine for this. Or it could mutate so much that it won't be nearly as deadly. But once school is back in session, in the Fall, which I think is a terrible idea BTW, 1.5M dead doesn't seem too outrageous now. Perhaps 2M. The numbers don't lie. 5% have been infected and 130K dead. Multiply X 13. That's the point at which they say we will have herd immunity.

    Our response as a country has been a pathetic combination of finger pointing, selfishness and incompetence.

    Yep.
    My sister lives in Houston, and I'm here in northeast TN, which is itchin' to catch up to TX. We have in this country a large population of entitled, uncaring, thoughtless, brats of widely varying ages. I have friends (30s & 40s), inlaws (60s), a 19-year-old sister-in-law, aunts and uncles (50s-70s) who are being so belligerent, selfish and ignorant. They are proof that unfortunately we can't just blame the lack of leadership of our government. Though they have certainly contributed greatly.

    I'm so sorry. I'd pick you up and bring you here. No cases for now till the tourists show up I'm guessing. Everyone wants to come to Queensland worst luck. Hoping we keep boarders closed. Doubt it'll happen. Yeah.. come up and give us Covid.

    You can open the borders but put restrictions in place. We expect tourists from next week, but they MUST have a test before traveling, and bring a COVID-free certificate to show at Immigration and Customs.


    I take it by the reference to Immigration and Customs that you are talking about international tourists.

    Australia, where mockchoc and I live, is a long way from accepting international tourists.

    I think mockchoc was talking more state borders , especially since she said ' come up and give us Covid ' ie come up from southern states NSW and Victoria where Covid is still very active.

    safe states here have closed their borders to other states - we may start opening to other safe states at some point.

    I would like to go on holiday to Whitsunday islands ( northern Queensland) - may be possible in a few months from South Australia, also safe state.

    Yes and I'll take you out to dinner or cook for you. I'm right near the Great Barrier Reef :)

    History will record the event as the great Mock Paper Chocolate Pudding Summit.

    ... and it will be amazing I promise. You can come too if you like. I've already been in the Swiss alps with a bunch of people I never met so all fine.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    edited July 2020
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    mockchoc wrote: »
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    mockchoc wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    The Tuscaloosa Alabama story -- students having Covid-19 parties, with a known infected person, putting money into a pot and the first one to officially "get it" gets the money -- makes me believe that we are the dumbest country in history. Sorry, there's no other way to look at it.

    Went out to another outdoor concert last night, much better band this time. AZ rates are soaring. Only states worse are TX and CA, where my kids live! We went out again last night to eat and ate on a patio again.

    I've resigned myself that there is no "back to normal" unless they find a vaccine for this. Or it could mutate so much that it won't be nearly as deadly. But once school is back in session, in the Fall, which I think is a terrible idea BTW, 1.5M dead doesn't seem too outrageous now. Perhaps 2M. The numbers don't lie. 5% have been infected and 130K dead. Multiply X 13. That's the point at which they say we will have herd immunity.

    Our response as a country has been a pathetic combination of finger pointing, selfishness and incompetence.

    Yep.
    My sister lives in Houston, and I'm here in northeast TN, which is itchin' to catch up to TX. We have in this country a large population of entitled, uncaring, thoughtless, brats of widely varying ages. I have friends (30s & 40s), inlaws (60s), a 19-year-old sister-in-law, aunts and uncles (50s-70s) who are being so belligerent, selfish and ignorant. They are proof that unfortunately we can't just blame the lack of leadership of our government. Though they have certainly contributed greatly.

    I'm so sorry. I'd pick you up and bring you here. No cases for now till the tourists show up I'm guessing. Everyone wants to come to Queensland worst luck. Hoping we keep boarders closed. Doubt it'll happen. Yeah.. come up and give us Covid.

    You can open the borders but put restrictions in place. We expect tourists from next week, but they MUST have a test before traveling, and bring a COVID-free certificate to show at Immigration and Customs.


    I take it by the reference to Immigration and Customs that you are talking about international tourists.

    Australia, where mockchoc and I live, is a long way from accepting international tourists.

    I think mockchoc was talking more state borders , especially since she said ' come up and give us Covid ' ie come up from southern states NSW and Victoria where Covid is still very active.

    safe states here have closed their borders to other states - we may start opening to other safe states at some point.

    I would like to go on holiday to Whitsunday islands ( northern Queensland) - may be possible in a few months from South Australia, also safe state.

    Yes and I'll take you out to dinner or cook for you. I'm right near the Great Barrier Reef :)

    History will record the event as the great Mock Paper Chocolate Pudding Summit.


    m0151.gif

  • karahm78
    karahm78 Posts: 505 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    This outrageous!!!

    Woman spits on 7-Eleven counter after being asked to wear a mask
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/07/02/7-eleven-mask-incident-viral-video-spits-counter/5368869002/

    She’d catch hands.... point blank. 👊 Straight up disrespectful and a health menace to boot.

  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    karahm78 wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    This outrageous!!!

    Woman spits on 7-Eleven counter after being asked to wear a mask
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/07/02/7-eleven-mask-incident-viral-video-spits-counter/5368869002/

    She’d catch hands.... point blank. 👊 Straight up disrespectful and a health menace to boot.

    I hope she gets locked up.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    Gale there is solitary.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    ythannah wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »

    Without disputing the conclusion at all**, I'd observe that the research is influenza research. Is Covid transmitted identically (same droplet size needed in exhalates for transmission, and that sort of thing), same volume of virus bits needed to infect, same effect of environmentals (heat, light, airflow) on life of virus or other aspects that make it more/less contagious via exhalation, etc.?

    I have no idea. Could be identical. Could be not identical. Just because it's a symptomatically similar disease, doesn't make the different virus have the same transmission characteristics, AFAIK.

    I didn't link it because it was symptomatically similar, I did because it was a respiratory spread virus - not a bacteria (a previous thing posted was a guy looking at bacteria coming past a mask/not ) - I thought a meta-analysis of influenza spread that was on actual people getting actually ill was far closer to what you'd see with another respiratory virus.

    I think masks help some, we've had some people sick, like a hairdresser, who saw customers and didn't spread it to them because they wore masks. That kind of one-on-one close contact? Yeah, I think masks will minimize that. Dentists? Yep.

    Me walking down a 10ft wide aisle in a grocery store and passing you for 5 seconds without a mask? Not likely at all. I might not even exhale when I'm walking past you. I don't think masks do crap in this kind of situation. They're just a display.

    Wait, are there dentists who don't ordinarily wear masks for procedures, exams, etc?! Every dentist I've been to for over half a century has worn a mask while coming in to close proximity to look into my mouth or put tools and fingers in my mouth. That's just disgusting to think there are dentists that needed the pandemic to put a barrier between their talking spittle and a patient's open mouth.

    Agreed. For as long as I can remember, my dentist and hygienist have been masked and gloved. If my hygienist leaves the room for any reason she puts on new gloves upon returning. I could even tell when they switched from latex gloves to nitrile because the latex ones had an unpleasant taste.

    I didn't realize that there were medical professionals out there who didn't practice basic infection control.

    I agree. I do remember in the mid to late 70s, my orthodontist did not wear gloves. Could not imagine that now. That was before HIV exploded onto the scene.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    baconslave wrote: »
    The Tuscaloosa Alabama story -- students having Covid-19 parties, with a known infected person, putting money into a pot and the first one to officially "get it" gets the money -- makes me believe that we are the dumbest country in history. Sorry, there's no other way to look at it.

    Went out to another outdoor concert last night, much better band this time. AZ rates are soaring. Only states worse are TX and CA, where my kids live! We went out again last night to eat and ate on a patio again.

    I've resigned myself that there is no "back to normal" unless they find a vaccine for this. Or it could mutate so much that it won't be nearly as deadly. But once school is back in session, in the Fall, which I think is a terrible idea BTW, 1.5M dead doesn't seem too outrageous now. Perhaps 2M. The numbers don't lie. 5% have been infected and 130K dead. Multiply X 13. That's the point at which they say we will have herd immunity.

    Our response as a country has been a pathetic combination of finger pointing, selfishness and incompetence.

    Yep.
    My sister lives in Houston, and I'm here in northeast TN, which is itchin' to catch up to TX. We have in this country a large population of entitled, uncaring, thoughtless, brats of widely varying ages. I have friends (30s & 40s), inlaws (60s), a 19-year-old sister-in-law, aunts and uncles (50s-70s) who are being so belligerent, selfish and ignorant. They are proof that unfortunately we can't just blame the lack of leadership of our government. Though they have certainly contributed greatly.

    Totally agree. We need a national mask law with steep penalties. And strict enforcement.

    With no or reduced funding for enforcement in the USA who's going to be the enforcement ?

    Enforcement doesn't have to take the form of immediate physical restraint , tasering, and/or arrest. It can be in the form of consequences, such as "no-shop" lists like the "no-fly" lists airlines are saying they'll use for customers who won't wear masks. "No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service."

    How do you keep and track a "no shop list" for a Wal-Mart Supercenter, large grocery store, etc? Does the greeter ask everyone for an ID when they come to the entrance then check it to a database?

    I don't know, but retailers like that seem convinced that putting people on a "no shop list" for suspected shoplifters work. I assume the list comes with photos lifted from the ubiquitous security cams. And I imagine the 7-11 clerk who was confronted by a ranting spitter won't forget her face any time soon.

    ETA: Plus, I imagine that after you've found that your time shopping was wasted because the store's computers have been programmed to reject payment from you when using a credit or debit card because you're on the list, you won't bother coming back.

    I worked at a big box store once. The security people would flip through those photos regularly and most of them were pretty good about recognizing someone whose face they had seen in their no-shop photos every day for months when they go through it.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    https://news.yahoo.com/australia-locks-down-high-rise-apartments-virus-cases-100139655.html

    We know in the USA Covid-19 seems to be in control and taking we humans for wild ride. News like this from Australia and other news from China, etc indicates there is currently no stopping of the virus in its tracks but is one the world may be living with for a while.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    Yes, as was mentioned a page or so back, Victoria has seen a surge in new cases.

    Very unfortunate as other states in Australia are all but Covid free now.