Just got this from the Gradschoolkid:
They had all been so proud of being able to stay open- this is wrenching.
Cornell had a great year last year and a great fall, until this week. How devastating.
Looks like Omicron. Are people getting very ill with this? Tulane also has an Omicron outbreak.
I cant imagine how a professor can shift an exam to online in just hours . (and to prevent cheating. :(. I guess if they are timed, googling answers would be hard?
I watch all these sporting events on tv. Full arenas. Little or no masks. Even people affiliated with schools who wear mask have them on their chin.
What did we expect ?
People are tired of this and have gone back to their lives. Even those who claim they mask don’t full time. How often do you see them on the chin or under the nose ?
I was in Puerto Rico last week for work. I couldn’t leave the airport without uploading my vax card to a website and getting cleared. My hotel required a vax card b4 checking me in. Each restaurant required it b4 seating me. All restaurant employees were masked….really masked, not under the nose. Their rate of infection has plummeted since September. See chart attached.
Not making a political statement. Just asking what did we expect the way our society has managed this from a political and not health centric POV?
I was surprised schools went back after thanksgiving vs having finals online to save from excess travel. That may have prevented the Cornell situation. And I worry about school after Xmas….I’m fearful this is just the start. Hope I’m wrong.
@tsbna44 I have kids at two different schools right now. One planned their academic calendar from the get go to have in person classes end on Fri 11/19, Thanksgiving Week was their study week, then finals were online starting 11/29. So S21 finished finals on 12/3. His semester started rather early on 8/16. I don’t know if they normally start that early (he is a freshman) or if they planned the early start so they wouldn’t have to worry about post-Thanksgiving travel with Covid. It looks like it was a wise decision in hindsight.
OTOH, S19 went back to his school after Thanksgiving and finishes finals on Friday. Fingers crossed there isn’t an outbreak before the end of the week.
What a nightmare for all the kids testing positive now who have to delay travel plans home for Christmas.
Up to 900 cases, all vaxxed, many boosted. Omicron has hit
Personally I don’t think vaxing is enough. I’m not a dr but every time masks are used #s go down. I’ve seen enough to know masks work.
Yep. Our son now had to delay his trip home for Xmas bc he was exposed (girlfriend) over the weekend. Son is boosted but girlfriend isn’t yet (but vaccinated). She is sick but seems to be tolerating it okay. Son is going to have to stay an extra week and then if positive stay longer. If negative next week then he will be able to fly and get here in time for Xmas. But we can’t risk him coming home before that bc immuno compromised grandparent in the mix. So it may end up two Xmas celebrations. One for grandad a few days before Xmas and one for son on actual Xmas. Oh well. If we’ve learned anything over the last year, it’s flexibility.
Yes, properly worn (not as a mustache guard) surgical or (K)N95 masks will reduce outbound transmission by 75% - 90% (speaking/coughing vs. normal exhalations). No such luck for cloth.
Multiply that with masks also reducing inbound transmission, there simply is no question on the great wisdom of having everyone mask up to stop the spread, vaccinated or not.
NYU, DePaul and Middlebury closing as well. Tulane & USC are concerned.
Even if mildly sick, may increase load on healthcare system, infect seniors, babies @ immunocompromised, effect workplaces and supplies etc. Mask up!
Is there a way to get people to cover their noses and mouths instead of wearing masks as a symbol of caring but actually not caring enough.
Yet lots of colleges don’t require masks except in class and have spikes and then plenty of quiet time in between. Kids just aren’t going to stay locked down, wearing masks, not socializing outside of class. Something has to change and it won’t be going back to to-go meals and masking 100 percent of the time. That’s unrealistic. Once we know how serious omicron is then maybe recommendations will change. We aren’t going to be able to stop the spread entirely and vaccinated/boosted students shouldn’t be expected to have Covid school again. Many are saying the isolation rule should have been adjusted for vaccinated people a while ago. They aren’t contagious for ten whole days. Until the CDC makes some changes, I don’t know how the schools can change. When do we get to the point where cases will happen and kids jaut have to stay away from class until they have a negative test?
My daughter at Northeastern turned up positive from a test on Monday and she was boosted before Thanksgiving. An additional seven students directly on her swim team did as well. I was thinking Delta, but maybe more Omicron now though.
Mandatory testing or symptomatic?
Yup, Northeastern has a pretty aggressive testing plan and they even opened their open lab.
