Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #67

[JerseyGirl]

Ivy League coaches expect 2020 college football season to be moved to spring 2021, per report
The official announcement should be sometime today.

Falls Sports At Johns Hopkins, McDaniel College Suspended

 

[Lilibet]

It has always been the U.S. Department of Education's policy that F-1 student visa holders can only take 1 online course per semester, or they are out-of-status. This is not new. In March when colleges and universities pivoted to online learning due to COVID-19, the U.S. Dept of Education granted a temporary exception for the spring and summer semesters, so that F-1 student visa holders could take all their classes online. So it looks like that now the exemption is not being offered for the fall semester, and we have gone back to the long-standing policy for international students. We are working with our international students to make sure they stay in status and only take 1 online course this fall. Our international students abroad, mostly from China, who are not able to get visas at all due to travel restrictions, will be taking all their courses online, or deferring admission to the spring semester.

BBM

Thank you for the explanation and for your institution’s efforts to help international students retain their status. In normal times the policy makes sense. It just makes no sense to me that this temporary exemption is not being extended to student visa holders at a time when the pandemic is not under control in the US.

VP Pence in the task force presser this morning made a point of saying that obviously not all schools (speaking of elementary and secondary) are in a circumstance that makes it possible to open due to the large number of cases in their community...and that the government would work with them. So I would think that the same consideration would be given colleges and universities in those areas, such as Los Angeles, for example. And students from China and other countries who are already here shouldn’t have to leave just because the area where they go to school can’t offer in person classes. Transferring to a different school for this reason is very disruptive. This is not fair to these students.
JMO MOO

 

[JerseyGirl]

Coronavirus: 'Don't wear deodorant,' says Berlin's transport company

Berlin transport operator BVG is appealing to commuters to stop using deodorant to encourage people to wear their masks properly on public transport.

"Given that so many people think they can wear their masks under their noses, we're getting tough," the company declared in a bright yellow ad posted to social media.

Mouth and nose coverings are mandatory on public transport and in shops in Germany as part of efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus. People who flout the rules face steep fines. Still, it's not unusual to see people wearing masks incorrectly — usually by covering just the mouth, leaving their nose out in the open.

The BVG said it was hoping to harness the power of body odor, which can be especially potent on a packed underground train in summertime, to help offending mask-wearers change their ways. It suggested people forgo deodorant, adding cheekily: "So, now do you still want to have your nose out?"

<modsnip>

 

[tresir2012]

Brazil's Bolsonaro tests positive for Covid-19

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive for coronavirus.

He took the test, his fourth, on Monday after developing symptoms, including a high temperature.

Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly played down risks of what he has called the "little flu", saying he would not be seriously affected. He has opposed lockdowns, which he says hurt the economy.

Brazil has the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the world, after the US.

What did Mr Bolsonaro say?
He made the announcement in a TV interview on Tuesday, saying the fever he had been experiencing had gone down and that he felt "very well".

Mr Bolsonaro said that he had started experiencing symptoms on Sunday. He said he had had a high temperature, a cough and had felt unwell.

Media captionFrom 21 April 2020: The BBC's South America correspondent Katy Watson looks at how Bolsonaro has responded to the virus in Brazil
He added that on Monday he had felt worse, which prompted him to take the coronavirus test.

Mr Bolsonaro is in a higher-risk group because of his age, 65.

He said he was taking hydroxychloroquine - championed by US President Donald Trump - and azithromycin, an antibiotic, to treat the illness. Neither has been proven to be effective against the virus.

More at above link

BTW IMO that last sentence is completely untrue but MSM still keep trying to discredit this drug even though it is saving lives and being used in scores of worldwide studies.

See this one study as an example below.

Drug Combo with Hydroxychloroquine Promising: NYU Study

The study looked at the records of 932 COVID-19 patients treated at local hospitals with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.

More than 400 of them were also given 100 milligrams of zinc daily.

Researchers said the patients given zinc were one and a half times more likely to recover, decreasing their need for intensive care.

 

[MrX]

They (the feds) always say this. I sure hope specific help is on its way to AZ - not just talk. They didn't plan and stock on up test kits and now it's hard to say what the availability of the kits may be. Certainly, the feds have certain drugs (*all* of the Remdesivir, so maybe AZ will get that?)

If that's what is being offered (as it was to Ohio and some other states), that's great - but it doesn't help curb the overall pandemic. Arizona is specifically asking for instructions as well as physical aid.

If Arizona's governor were in touch with her two medical universities, she'd have had a good guesstimate of how many would be positive. It would be a range. But Johns Hopkins has calculated it as 25% (and any epidemiology program can do this calculation - heck, many people can do this calculation if they have the data):

Why Arizona's percent of positive tests is highest in the country

25% of people tested in Arizona over the past 2 weeks are positive. This is a terrible thing.

This is exactly why many of us have a problem with how this whole thing is being reported:

From the Johns Hopkins link (referenced in the new article):
"If a community’s positivity is high, it suggests that that community may largely be testing the sickest patients and possibly missing milder or asymptomatic cases."

From the news article (that linked to Johns Hpokins):
"A high percentage of positive tests means that testing is limited and may only be reaching those who are the most sick, and that the virus is widespread and impacting wide swaths of people."

Notice the difference?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Cornell is plowing ahead with in-person classes, tuition increase, contrary to other Ivy League schools

Cornell has rolled out a series of precautions to ensure the safety of about 15,000 undergraduate students ahead of Sept. 2, when classes will resume.

The measures include mandatory masks for students and faculty, reduced classroom capacity, social distancing in classrooms, and frequent screenings for COVID-19, Cornell University President Martha Pollack said in a letter posted online.

While it plans for an in-person semester, the university said it will also offer remote learning for those who cannot return to campus.

Pollack said in the letter that it is “a better option” to hold in-person classes, when coupled with robust virus screening, rather than an online-only semester -- following epidemiological modeling by one of its professors, Peter Frazier.

This “counterintuitive result” stems from the university’s ability to control screenings, quarantining, and other measures on campus versus its inability to do so if students lived off-campus, according to Pollack.

"If we have a residential, on-campus semester, then we have the authority to put all kinds of expectations and requirements on our students," Pollack told Inside Higher Ed. "If we were only in an online basis, then it would be really difficult to impose regulations on students who happen to be living in Ithaca, as opposed to, say, happen to be living in Atlanta or San Francisco."

 

[JerseyGirl]

Harvard, Princeton And Yale Announce Fall Plans As Covid-19 Causes New Limitations

Princeton will allow half of its undergraduates on campus next year. In the fall, first-year students and juniors will be present, while in the spring, sophomores and seniors will be on campus. Most of Princeton’s undergraduate instruction will be remote, regardless of where students are living. They will receive a 10% discount on tuition.

Princeton will begin its fall semester two days earlier than previously announced, on August 31. It will convert the fall break to a long weekend; and all students will be asked to leave campus before Thanksgiving. The fall reading period and examinations will be fully remote. Princeton’s spring break will also be shortened to just a long weekend in order to reduce travel during the second semester.

Princeton will give all undergraduates the option to complete the entire year remotely. Those choosing to come to campus will find a substantial number of constraints on traditional college activities. According to the school’s announcement, “parties will be prohibited. Masks will be required in indoor spaces, including in all classrooms, laboratories, and libraries. Social distancing will be the norm. Travel will be limited. We will test students for COVID-19 when they arrive, and we expect to test them regularly thereafter. Isolation will be mandatory for students who test positive for COVID-19; quarantine will be mandatory for students who have been in contact with someone who gets COVID-19.”

 

[10ofRods]

Cornell is plowing ahead with in-person classes, tuition increase, contrary to other Ivy League schools

Cornell has rolled out a series of precautions to ensure the safety of about 15,000 undergraduate students ahead of Sept. 2, when classes will resume.

The measures include mandatory masks for students and faculty, reduced classroom capacity, social distancing in classrooms, and frequent screenings for COVID-19, Cornell University President Martha Pollack said in a letter posted online.

While it plans for an in-person semester, the university said it will also offer remote learning for those who cannot return to campus.

Pollack said in the letter that it is “a better option” to hold in-person classes, when coupled with robust virus screening, rather than an online-only semester -- following epidemiological modeling by one of its professors, Peter Frazier.

This “counterintuitive result” stems from the university’s ability to control screenings, quarantining, and other measures on campus versus its inability to do so if students lived off-campus, according to Pollack.

"If we have a residential, on-campus semester, then we have the authority to put all kinds of expectations and requirements on our students," Pollack told Inside Higher Ed. "If we were only in an online basis, then it would be really difficult to impose regulations on students who happen to be living in Ithaca, as opposed to, say, happen to be living in Atlanta or San Francisco."

Really cool that Cornell can afford and organize this. Their capacity to house all students on campus is key here. I assume that high risk faculty will be given other duties (another thing that Cornell can afford, nice).

Also, the positivity rate in New York is getting lower and lower - so they have a lot going for them.

 

[tresir2012]

This is exactly why many of us have a problem with how this whole thing is being reported:

From the Johns Hopkins link (referenced in the new article):
"If a community’s positivity is high, it suggests that that community may largely be testing the sickest patients and possibly missing milder or asymptomatic cases."

From the news article (that linked to Johns Hpokins):
"A high percentage of positive tests means that testing is limited and may only be reaching those who are the most sick, and that the virus is widespread and impacting wide swaths of people."

Notice the difference?

I think a lot of us can see what you mean and I agree . It is similar to MSM still reporting that HXC and Azythromycin are no good based on a now discredited study. <modsnip: Removed opinion stated as fact>

It is also pointless debating school openings while there are thousands of positive tests being discovered and the R rate is increasing in many states. That's putting the cart before the horse IMO.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are declining in Canada, prime minister says

“The situation is stabilizing in Canada because Canadians did their part and followed public health instructions. But we still have to be very careful. Things can change quickly … we still have some hotspots in some parts of the country, including in long-term care facilities and agricultural work settings, so as we continue to gradually reopen the economy, we have to remain vigilant,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

"Canada has one of the most ambitious and comprehensive plans to counter the economic impacts of this pandemic," he added.

Trudeau said they increased financial support to “vulnerable groups like seniors and students” and those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, as well as provided loans to businesses.

 

[Trino]

Harvard, Princeton And Yale Announce Fall Plans As Covid-19 Causes New Limitations

Princeton will allow half of its undergraduates on campus next year. In the fall, first-year students and juniors will be present, while in the spring, sophomores and seniors will be on campus. Most of Princeton’s undergraduate instruction will be remote, regardless of where students are living. They will receive a 10% discount on tuition.

Princeton will begin its fall semester two days earlier than previously announced, on August 31. It will convert the fall break to a long weekend; and all students will be asked to leave campus before Thanksgiving. The fall reading period and examinations will be fully remote. Princeton’s spring break will also be shortened to just a long weekend in order to reduce travel during the second semester.

Princeton will give all undergraduates the option to complete the entire year remotely. Those choosing to come to campus will find a substantial number of constraints on traditional college activities. According to the school’s announcement, “parties will be prohibited. Masks will be required in indoor spaces, including in all classrooms, laboratories, and libraries. Social distancing will be the norm. Travel will be limited. We will test students for COVID-19 when they arrive, and we expect to test them regularly thereafter. Isolation will be mandatory for students who test positive for COVID-19; quarantine will be mandatory for students who have been in contact with someone who gets COVID-19.”

Waiting for the first outbreak and death...

 

[JerseyGirl]

Broward County schools could remain closed despite Florida mandate to reopen in the fall

Despite Florida’s order to reopen schools in “brick and mortar” fashion in the fall, Broward County Schools could remain closed because Broward County is still in phase one of the reopening plan, according to Robert Runcie, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent.

“One other thing to note is that Miami-Dade and Broward have teachers and other employees who live in the neighboring county, which means our fates are interconnected and decisions must ultimately have some alignment across counties,” Runcie said.

School superintendent Alberto Carvalho of Miami-Dade County tweeted his school system would “ONLY proceed with in-person schooling” if Miami-Dade County successfully transitioned to phase two. Miami-Dade is currently in phase one.

 

[musicaljoke]

Trudeau: Canada handled coronavirus better than the US

Canada handled the coronavirus outbreak better than many of its allies, including the United States, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday in a rare public comment on the faltering US effort.

"We were able to control the virus better than many of our allies, particularly including our neighbor," Trudeau told a briefing, saying this would help efforts to restart the economy.

Yikes. I don't like quite so much self praise. I would caution those lofty comments and also point out that Canadians did a horrible job of protecting our vulnerable seniors.

It ain't over yet.

 

[Bravo]

Waiting for the first outbreak and death...

Sadly it will likely happen.

 

[MrX]

Yikes. I don't like quite so much self praise. I would caution those lofty comments and also point out that Canadians did a horrible job of protecting our vulnerable seniors.

It ain't over yet.

Very true - once people start congregating, it all resets to March, unfortunately.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Texas doctors rank activities posing greatest risks for contracting coronavirus

The Texas Medical Association recently announced that it was withdrawing as an advertiser from the Texas Republican Party’s state convention in Houston later this month following a surge in cases in the city.

“Since we are no longer advertising at the event, we urge the party to use our $5,000 to buy masks for people who come to the convention without one.”

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner directs city to explore legal options for canceling in-person GOP convention

The gathering, set to happen July 16-18, is expected to draw roughly 6,000 attendees to the George R. Brown Convention Center as Harris County continues to be the state's biggest hot spot for the new coronavirus. Party leaders announced Tuesday that elected officials are moving their in-person speeches to videos that will be played for attendees at the convention.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a virtual City Council meeting that he has asked the city's legal department to work with the Houston First Corporation, which operates the convention center to review the contract with the state party.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Yikes. I don't like quite so much self praise. I would caution those lofty comments and also point out that Canadians did a horrible job of protecting our vulnerable seniors.

It ain't over yet.

Agreeing from New York, whose numbers are down, but whose seniors also died needlessly in homes.

 

[gngr~snap]

Has this been posted?
I haven't been able to keep up the past few days!

This map shows why it would be 'terrifying' to open Canada-U.S. border

 

[KALI]

I thank you profoundly for this link! Xxxooo

If anyone needs some encouraging news during this time of covid, there are many heartwarming stories here to browse through. (Each story has an MSM link.)

Coronavirus Good News

 

[JerseyGirl]

Coronavirus: Disney reopening safety measures released

Disney released new details about the safety precautions it will be taking at some of their Central Florida theme parks when they reopen to the public on Saturday.

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopen this weekend after a four-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The reopening comes as Florida has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.