General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIn case you're wondering how reopening schools could go horribly, horribly wrong...
I go to one of the more prominent community colleges in Southern California and have been going there very steadily for the last couple of years in my quest to earn a degree. Today the president of the college sent out an e-mail saying that a member of the school's athletic team tested positive for COVID. While that happened, the student in question had been at practice for the last couple of weeks for 2 hours a day while awaiting test results. That means that everyone that person came in contact with could have the virus.
Not only that, the student completed a wellness check while awaiting the test results. Wellness checks right now, are complete and total bullshit. People will lie on them, or not be truthful about where they have been. You can never, ever be too careful right now while the virus is running the show. So because of this one lie, the school shut down the entire athletic department and switched to remote instruction for the rest of the year. And who knows how many of the staff / faculty were exposed while this student was roaming around campus?
Now imagine this one incident multiplied by the entire country. We'd be in a catastrophic, almost apocalyptic nightmare from which we would never recover. The virus would have definitely won at that point, and there would never be even a slight hope of going back to what we had before COVID. This is some seriously, scary shit.
TheBlackAdder
(28,243 posts)Nevilledog
(51,268 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,949 posts)they're on their own! And DAMMIT! - if their parents are brown they'll be in cages!!!!
Initech
(100,129 posts)And a lot of people like me are older adults who are going to night school looking to transfer to a 4 year university. So imagine the position we're in!
Nevilledog
(51,268 posts)soothsayer
(38,601 posts)While figuring out what might be safe to do.
We cant do it while its running amok like this, though.
MyOwnPeace
(16,949 posts)isn't that what should have happened in January?
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,949 posts)I'm wondering how the 140,000+ people who are no longer with us would think about that?
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)asswipe said it would be too expensive to . . . .
help sanitize the schools across the country. Think about that. Money is more important than our children, teachers and staff.
Initech
(100,129 posts)That situation is now. Trump is really crossing a line and putting people in serious danger. He cannot be trusted.
LuckyLib
(6,821 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,064 posts)School openings across globe suggest ways to keep coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaks
By Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Gretchen Vogel, Meagan Weiland Jul. 7, 2020
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/school-openings-across-globe-suggest-ways-keep-coronavirus-bay-despite-outbreaks
From another article, curves of Israel (flattened and got through only to bust it wide open) and USA:
blaze
(6,389 posts)Probably the best overview I've read about schools that have opened and steps taken (or not).
tulipsandroses
(5,131 posts)everyone else. Maybe I missed it.
Its sad that we don't have serious leaders and these assholes want to play politics with children's lives. What is the protocol if a child tests positive?
This is what they say in regards to if a person is positive for Covid 19
Immediately notify local health officials. These officials will help administrators determine a course of action for their child care programs or schools.
You will likely dismiss students and most staff for 2-5 days. This initial short-term dismissal allows time for the local health officials to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting the school and for custodial staff to clean and disinfect the affected facilities.
But what about all the other children that may have been exposed? Try as you may to keep them apart, not to share things, you just never know. Teachers are not going to be able to watch 6 yr olds all the time to know that they were not appropriately distanced at all times. Do you quarantine the other kids in the classroom? Will parents be notified that a child in the classroom tested positive? I think I would want to know that.
regnaD kciN
(26,045 posts)If Republicans force schools to re-open everywhere (don't think they can, but if they could) in August and September, there's an increasing likelihood of a true "second wave" (as opposed to what we're seeing now) developing within a few weeks of children heading back to class. That means that a new tsunami of cases and deaths, one which will be hitting predominantly families of school-age children, will be the story for the final month or so of the election campaign - not to mention Trump's role in forcing this to happen.
Something tells me the Trump and the Republicans didn't think this through carefully.
Initech
(100,129 posts)They never think things through, which is why we got so fucked by this virus.
hedda_foil
(16,376 posts)The kids pass the disease to their parents and grandparents and the economy crashes beyond recognition. In addition, that is, to overwhelming the healthcare, food and financial systems and God only knows what else. And how many deaths will result? Putin's puppet may kill America as a going proposition
GopherGal
(2,010 posts)Are indeed complete and utter bullshit. But it doesn't require any lying. What part of "asymptomatic transmission" don't they understand?
FakeNoose
(32,854 posts)What's WRONG with this picture?
It wasn't like that while many of us were growing up and getting our degrees. Yep I'm a boomer, matriculated from 1969 to 1973. Then went back from '75 to '78.
Why are universities so driven for that sports income - to the point that they're making very bad decisions for everyone involved? I'm thinking it's time to re-examine the educational priorities in this country. College sports (and TV money) should not be a factor in managing our higher education system. I'm sure that's all Chump cares about, but he'll be gone in a few months.
Tipperary
(6,930 posts)We are all on our own. Our government has opted out.
louis-t
(23,309 posts)is horseshit, too. Normal temp doesn't mean you are not infected.
CRK7376
(2,204 posts)concerned, health-wise. I teach in a Title 1 High School, half our kids do not own a computer, many do not have internet or it has been cut off for non-payment. Our System just changed Learning Platform to Canvas with no training for the faculty (I'm a dinosaur and not good tech wise so it's really challenging for me)....Anyway, new platform, no local training, just watch these videos, and send in your email questions for tech help/support.....Half our kids completed the second semester of Distance Learning by using their phones this past spring....And it looks like our school will be used by 6-9th graders (more room available that in the middle schools for social distancing....10-12 will be doing online education....at least that's the proposal for now. And trumpster/devos demand we open our schools.....
And were at the point that about 1% of our population has tested positive. The hospitals in some southern major cities are already reaching capacity.
Weve got a long and painful way to go