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Coronavirus

• BogeyOne 1,967 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 7:21 AM

  I am 68 years old and taking all the suggested precautions.  

   

  • Staying home as much as possible
  • Avoiding crowds when I have to go out
  • Washing hands 
  • Keeping as much distance from others as possible when I am out
  • Not touching face unless necessary and then only after having thoroughly washed hands
  • Covering mouth when sneezing
  • As an aside, getting lots of sleep and rest

   

• Robert1893 7,668 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 7:44 AM

  For the next month, I'll be working from home. Along with a number of other universities, my university moved all instruction to being online. 
  
  It's actually been a fairly smooth transition. Overwhelmingly, both faculty and students are adapting to the "new normal" quite well. 

• Cicero733 2,296 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 7:56 AM

  Robert1893

  Do you see this temporary transition to virtual classrooms and online instruction lasting beyond the virus response? I’m wondering if the move away from physical facilities will foster in some a desire to permanently integrate significantly more online instruction into college curriculums, e.g. Coursera, Phoenix, edX.... not so much as an “enhanced” learning experience (learn at your own pace on your own schedule, etc.) but as move to cut costs and increase revenue. More curious than anything...

• SimonTheBeetle 3,510 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 8:09 AM

  Social distancing. The oldest and most effective measure for infectious disease prevention. Stay safe and well, folks.

• Miantiao 401 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 8:25 AM

  Covid-9  gives no clues to where it came from, or why.

  However, the Chinese government spokesperson said today it may be a US military plot. Apparently, according to the official Chinese government spokesperson, the US military unleashed the virus in Wuhan, China.

  Motives were not expounded upon, and neither were motives for the accusation.

  For some, it's all about the narrative, not the truth.

  Here in Taiwan, the virus is named Wuhan Pneumonia.

  Stay safe peeps.

   

   

• carlosdev 2,529 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 8:58 AM

  Be safe everyone.

  We will overcome this!! :)

   

• BogeyOne 1,967 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 9:40 AM

  Robert1893:

  For the next month, I'll be working from home. Along with a number of other universities, my university moved all instruction to being online.

  My alma mater, the University of Washington, has done the same thing.

  Additionally, Amazon - which is based in Seattle - is attempting to get as many of its workers to work from home. 

  Starbucks, another Seattle company, is not allowing customers to bring their own cups in and are also being encouraged to start using the drive thru.

   

• overtheedge 5,878 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 10:35 AM

  Robert1893:

  For the next month, I'll be working from home. Along with a number of other universities, my university moved all instruction to being online. 
  
  It's actually been a fairly smooth transition. Overwhelmingly, both faculty and students are adapting to the "new normal" quite well. 

  I will be ABSOLUTELY SCREWED IF our Dept of Epidemiology closes. I work at a Hospital. 

  With HIPPA regulations most of us doing any type of "Clinical Research" will NOT be able to work from home.

  We will be forced to use ALL of our accruals and then if accruals run out BEFORE we are back to work - WE WILL NOT BE PAID. In my life time I thought I would NEVER experience a Pandemic. No matter - My family is ready to do whatever WE need to do to eliminate this nasty virus.

  I'm always thinking of a more natural disaster such as an Asteroid or Comet and its over. A Rock - 50 yards in diameter - hitting anywhere on this planet - it would be the end of mankind and the earth would turn into one big ball of ice in less then a year. To be honest I would like to be dead middle of impact.

  Either way......off topic. Im optimistic. I'm thinking over the next week / 10 days they will have a grip on what ALL OF US WILL HAVE TO DO in order to eliminate this virus. 

  God Bless everyone and your families. WE WILL PREVAIL.

• alosso 21,040 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 11:45 AM

  No German Soccer Bundesliga tomorrow. Schools and Kindergartens will be closed here from Monday.

  I have a home office anyway but I'm going to stay away from music practice and the like. I postponed a holiday journey by train across the country to August.

  Enjoyed a game of golf though today ;)

  As a first for me, I now prefer card payment even for small amounts to cash which is still dominant in Germany and in my habits.

  But, cash only in the bakeries and other small businesses.
  "Nur Bares ist Wahres" (only cash is true money).

• Robert1893 7,668 Posts

  Fri, Mar 13 2020 12:34 PM

  Cicero733:

  Robert1893

  Do you see this temporary transition to virtual classrooms and online instruction lasting beyond the virus response? I’m wondering if the move away from physical facilities will foster in some a desire to permanently integrate significantly more online instruction into college curriculums, e.g. Coursera, Phoenix, edX.... not so much as an “enhanced” learning experience (learn at your own pace on your own schedule, etc.) but as move to cut costs and increase revenue. More curious than anything...

  I don't see it having any effect, or the effect will be minimal. The movement to offering more online instruction had already begun and will continue. But I don't see this moving it on more quickly.
  
  The major impetus to include more online offerings is really being driven by a desire to increase enrollment numbers (especially at tuition-dependent universities like my own). That will continue. But I don't see this event causing that to take place more quickly.