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The COVID-19 Megathread

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 9:27 am
by BlueBlood
Any word regarding LU's plans regarding Coronavirus?

I see that several schools across the country are switching to online instruction only (or as much as possible). I haven't heard any speculation about LU. LU would seem pretty uniquely prepared for going this route if necessary.

To date, the 15,000 residential students have probably been pretty secluded to much of the outside world since Coronavirus became a thing. That all changes when the students leave for Spring Break this weekend. They are getting ready to spread themselves out around the world and then regroup back at LU a week later. If LU was going to make a move, now would seem to be the time to make it.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 10:07 am
by thepostman
Keep them at school. Cancel Spring Break :D

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 10:32 am
by BlueBlood
thepostman wrote: March 10th, 2020, 10:07 am Keep them at school. Cancel Spring Break :D
To be honest, its not the craziest idea. They are definitely in somewhat of a bubble right now. That bubble no longer exists after Spring Break.

My Florida-raised daughter (who just made it through her first "northern" winter) would be horrified that I just said that.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 10:44 am
by FlamesHighontheTide
I know it is important to protect people from "corona virus" but just a little flu for thought(see what I did there 8)): Since October 2019 to March 2020 there have been 45 millionish flu illnesses(not including Corona Virus) there have only been 300 cases of Corona Virus. The media has hyped this thing up way too much.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 10:50 am
by thepostman
The Coronavrius scare is over stated for sure, but the percentage of people who die from Corona Virus is 3.4% vs the flue with is less than 1%. More people die of the flu because more people have it. It is much too early to come to any kind of real conclusions. To downplay it is a mistake but to overblow it is just as irresponsible.

https://www.sciencealert.com/covid-19-s ... hould-drop

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 10:50 am
by Jonathan Carone
I doubt Liberty does much of anything other than telling people to wash their hands, putting out hand sanitizer stations throughout campus, and the basic flu season type of precautions.

From most that I've seen, people/organizations who tend to be more conservative have taken a much more "this isn't a big deal yet" approach to things. Then, if there is exposure, they make the changes. Like was said, Liberty is uniquely set up to flip the switch to online teaching if/when the time comes to need to do that. I doubt they panic like many of the more liberal institutions are doing.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 11:13 am
by FlamesHighontheTide
True the percentages for the deaths of corona virus are higher than flu, but I just read that 13 of the 15 corona virus deaths were in 1 location :shock: . That location is a Washington nursing home.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 11:24 am
by thepostman
Right, because just like the Flu older people and those with respiratory issues are more likely to die.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 11:36 am
by A Sea of Red
I heard yesterday that Liberty is "coming up with a plan." And from what I hear it sounds like it will be more than just putting out hand sanitizer stations.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 11:52 am
by BlueBlood
A Sea of Red wrote: March 10th, 2020, 11:36 am I heard yesterday that Liberty is "coming up with a plan." And from what I hear it sounds like it will be more than just putting out hand sanitizer stations.
Interesting. If they are considering extreme measures (cancelling Spring Break or going 100% online), Spring Break is the time to do it. It wouldn't make as much sense to do it later - by then, the kids would have gone all over the planet (collecting germs worldwide), then come back together (mixing germs with each other), only to be sent home (taking their new potpourri of germs home).

Either of the two above options admittedly seems extreme to me, but I 100% see the logic in it.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 1:24 pm
by Purple Haize
Our NSM next week in Scottsdale got cancelled yesterday. Nothing like a week of break out sessions and general meetings via webex and teleconference. At least I can be in my jammies

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 2:14 pm
by thepostman
Yeah. I have a conference out west that was canceled too. It's going to be remote but I've gotten zero additional info from them. Seems about right.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 2:18 pm
by Jonathan Carone
I spent all week last week at a conference in Missouri. No one even brought it up.

Then again, the conference was run by Mennonites so they might not even know what's going on.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 3:05 pm
by Yacht Rock
Jonathan Carone wrote: March 10th, 2020, 10:50 am I doubt Liberty does much of anything other than telling people to wash their hands, putting out hand sanitizer stations throughout campus, and the basic flu season type of precautions.

From most that I've seen, people/organizations who tend to be more conservative have taken a much more "this isn't a big deal yet" approach to things. Then, if there is exposure, they make the changes. Like was said, Liberty is uniquely set up to flip the switch to online teaching if/when the time comes to need to do that. I doubt they panic like many of the more liberal institutions are doing.
It is funny to see people politicizing it. I mean, I think it's fair to say whether people are overreacting or not or that some politicians are taking advantage of the situation for political points, but I'm like, "Do you think rando country across the ocean cares if someone has an R or D next to their name?"

At this point, I just read what the different medical organizations are saying and recommending (not the TV personality doctors or Facebook meme information) and act accordingly. If we all did that, people would probably stop buying all the toilet paper and at the same time, stop dismissing this as a "nothing-burger" to steal a phrase. LOL.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 3:09 pm
by Jonathan Carone
When I said conservative I meant lifestyle/way of thinking more so than politics. The individual freedom mindset says just wash your hands and move on. The gotta protect the group mindset says close everything to protect everyone. It’s fascinating from a sociological standpoint.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 3:16 pm
by Yacht Rock
Jonathan Carone wrote: March 10th, 2020, 3:09 pm When I said conservative I meant lifestyle/way of thinking more so than politics. The individual freedom mindset says just wash your hands and move on. The gotta protect the group mindset says close everything to protect everyone. It’s fascinating from a sociological standpoint.
Yeah, I agree with that as well but I've seen many folks who assume this is just a media conspiracy trying to impact the incumbent president in an election year. Don't get me wrong, that would make a great season of 24, I guess.

I think there's a ven diagram somewhere in here.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 5:35 pm
by Yacht Rock

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 7:51 pm
by Purple Haize
A friend of mine at Bucknell for a swim meet just said Bucknell is shutting down for the semester

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 8:30 pm
by Jonathan Carone
Purple Haize wrote: March 10th, 2020, 7:51 pm A friend of mine at Bucknell for a swim meet just said Bucknell is shutting down for the semester
The semester?!

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 8:39 pm
by Purple Haize
Jonathan Carone wrote: March 10th, 2020, 8:30 pm
Purple Haize wrote: March 10th, 2020, 7:51 pm A friend of mine at Bucknell for a swim meet just said Bucknell is shutting down for the semester
The semester?!
Yep. I tried to screenshot the text exchange but it won’t let me post the picture

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 8:50 pm
by BlueBlood
I assume you mean that they are switching to online classes, which seems to be what a lot of schools are doing. West Chester just announced they are switching to online today.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 8:52 pm
by Purple Haize
BlueBlood wrote: March 10th, 2020, 8:50 pm I assume you mean that they are switching to online classes, which seems to be what a lot of schools are doing.
Here is the text I got. I can at least copy and paste that. Ha

Bucknell just cancelled all classes for the rest of the semester. I’m at Bucknell 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

I would imagine that is what they will end up doing but that might be a logistical nightmare

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 8:53 pm
by BlueBlood
Wow

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 10th, 2020, 10:59 pm
by WinterIsComing
If the University cancels Spring Break, they might as well hand out condoms while they're at it. If they insist students attend classes during Spring Break, double that number. Merry Christmas! Literally.

Also, the Flames MBB should be recalled and removed from playing in the NCAA Tournament, because...FEAR. Fear of the fear of what is basically a form of the flu we didn't predict. Irrational fear. For "their own safety" and because "We know better." Fear of the flu that those 80+ are more affected by and almost no one below 60 is. Over 50% have recovered from the Corona flu already and less than 0.035974002% have died of the 119,000 infected...worldwide. Flee! Flee for your lives! Even if the numbers are inaccurate, even widely, what is your fear gauge? My parents are in their mid-70's, one of them far more susceptible than the other. My scale is a five and even I think I'm over blowing it with a little over 1,000 confirmed cases in the US. Times that by a 40,000 and I'm still not above a five overall.

CoronaVirus is real. It's not, nor will it be (unless a curse from God in which case we can't do anything other than repent and deal with the consequences), worthy of the levels of panic it is at and rising even further from.

Let the kids go home. Let them go to the beach. They're far more likely to catch an STI than the CoronaVirus in Daytona or Northern Virginia or Cabo or Columbus, OH or anywhere in all 50 states, or the world at large. They are even less likely to die from it or have any long lasting repercussions, other than the bonus of immunity to it and possibly its additional strains.

Supposedly exercise and sunshine may help...maybe coitus under the sun is good for us? See how ridiculous this all is?! Not that there's anything wrong with that. Exercise and sunshine is good for basically everything except skin cancer! Eat foods that are good for you, drink water, don't smoke, get some good sleep, wash your hands, avoid public transportation (not a real problem in America unless you live somewhere super liberal where you basically can't drive/bike/walk), don't sneeze on people, if you feel sick try not to infect anyone else, don't shake someone's hand if you just coughed/sneezed in it. Wow, the same advice we are given for common decency... and basically every woe known to mankind whether life saving or not. Nothing has changed!

If the students love their elderly friends/family, hopefully they'll be smart enough not to interact with them in person. Shockingly, kids are better at making more rational decisions than some adults are when sick. Heck, the hormones actually keep them away from the elderly typically.

Oh, and as a nation, we kill more people everyday via abortion than CoronaVirus has killed worldwide...so there's that. Now if only Jerry Jr was fighting that fight...? Imagine the possibilities.

If the US self quarantines itself for two weeks: Russia will move further into Ukraine, China will move troops into Hong Kong, Iran will cross into Iraq, Israel will be forced to respond, the Saudi's seize Yemen, China will blockade Singapore etc etc

Your worst RISK nightmare, other than being a European power invading Russia in winter, will come to pass.

Re: LU / Coronavirus

Posted: March 11th, 2020, 6:17 am
by jbock13
WinterIsComing wrote:If the University cancels Spring Break, they might as well hand out condoms while they're at it. If they insist students attend classes during Spring Break, double that number. Merry Christmas! Literally.

Also, the Flames MBB should be recalled and removed from playing in the NCAA Tournament, because...FEAR. Fear of the fear of what is basically a form of the flu we didn't predict. Irrational fear. For "their own safety" and because "We know better." Fear of the flu that those 80+ are more affected by and almost no one below 60 is. Over 50% have recovered from the Corona flu already and less than 0.035974002% have died of the 119,000 infected...worldwide. Flee! Flee for your lives! Even if the numbers are inaccurate, even widely, what is your fear gauge? My parents are in their mid-70's, one of them far more susceptible than the other. My scale is a five and even I think I'm over blowing it with a little over 1,000 confirmed cases in the US. Times that by a 40,000 and I'm still not above a five overall.

CoronaVirus is real. It's not, nor will it be (unless a curse from God in which case we can't do anything other than repent and deal with the consequences), worthy of the levels of panic it is at and rising even further from.

Let the kids go home. Let them go to the beach. They're far more likely to catch an STI than the CoronaVirus in Daytona or Northern Virginia or Cabo or Columbus, OH or anywhere in all 50 states, or the world at large. They are even less likely to die from it or have any long lasting repercussions, other than the bonus of immunity to it and possibly its additional strains.

Supposedly exercise and sunshine may help...maybe coitus under the sun is good for us? See how ridiculous this all is?! Not that there's anything wrong with that. Exercise and sunshine is good for basically everything except skin cancer! Eat foods that are good for you, drink water, don't smoke, get some good sleep, wash your hands, avoid public transportation (not a real problem in America unless you live somewhere super liberal where you basically can't drive/bike/walk), don't sneeze on people, if you feel sick try not to infect anyone else, don't shake someone's hand if you just coughed/sneezed in it. Wow, the same advice we are given for common decency... and basically every woe known to mankind whether life saving or not. Nothing has changed!

If the students love their elderly friends/family, hopefully they'll be smart enough not to interact with them in person. Shockingly, kids are better at making more rational decisions than some adults are when sick. Heck, the hormones actually keep them away from the elderly typically.

Oh, and as a nation, we kill more people everyday via abortion than CoronaVirus has killed worldwide...so there's that. Now if only Jerry Jr was fighting that fight...? Imagine the possibilities.

If the US self quarantines itself for two weeks: Russia will move further into Ukraine, China will move troops into Hong Kong, Iran will cross into Iraq, Israel will be forced to respond, the Saudi's seize Yemen, China will blockade Singapore etc etc

Your worst RISK nightmare, other than being a European power invading Russia in winter, will come to pass.
OK boomer.