I am tired of being quarantined. I am as ready for this to be over as everyone else. But, not being put in the ICU or not dying is not the extent of what is of concern. There is still so much about this virus that we don’t know. I personally don’t want my young adults to face the following:
"In those who survived mild and severe disease alike, the researchers found that many of the biological measures had “failed to return to normal.”
Chief among the worrisome test results were readings that suggested these apparently recovered patients continued to have impaired liver function. That was the case even after two tests for the live virus had come back negative and the patients were cleared to be discharged.
At the same time, as cardiologists are contending with the immediate effects of COVID-19 on the heart, they’re asking how much of the damage could be long-lasting. In an early study of COVID-19 patients in China, heart failure was seen in nearly 12% of those who survived, including in some who had shown no signs of respiratory distress.
When lungs do a poor job of delivering oxygen to the body, the heart can come under severe stress and may emerge weaker. That’s concerning enough in an illness that typically causes breathing problems. But when even those without respiratory distress sustain injury to the heart, doctors have to wonder whether they have underestimated COVID-19’s ability to wreak lasting havoc."
Hopefully the next few weeks will start to provide a clearer picture of the impact of the virus on the body and whether or not treatments can be found that can prevent that kind of damage. But, no, I don’t think the death rate amg younger people is the only factor that needs to be considered. We need to have more data on the long-term impact before we start throwing kids together in “back to normal campus life.”
@Mom2aphysicsgeek Couldn’t agree more. There’s so much we don’t know, especially the long-term consequences. I’ve read some of the articles mentioned in your post. Another concern is that the virus can lie dormant with symptoms reappearing in the future.
America will reopen for business. I’m just curious whether it will be business as usual or will we be smarter? If we’re smarter I don’t see sporting events or concerts happening soon. Movie theaters, restaurants and malls will be empty. Will sanitizing stores become a higher priority? I know I’m done with public transportation at least for a while. Lots of unknowns and changes coming up.
What do you plan to tell your graduating high school seniors? D20 is already upset about losing all of the fun events and celebrations that usually accompany senior spring. Now, I am wondering how best to prepare her for a delayed freshman year opening for college, or an online opening or something in between. Should I just wait and see how it all plays out?
My son’s school switched to staff-served sometime in late Feb/early March when it became apparent the virus was a threat. Of course, then they went home in mid-March.
@Auntlydia Most HS seniors are aware of the possibility and it is worth discussing with them. I am sticking to the motto ‘prepare for the worst and hope for the best’.
18-22 year olds are not the only people on campus when a college opens. The average age of tenured professors is late 50s. In addition, there are administrators and their support staff, food service workers, cleaning staff, and many more.
College presidents have many smart people advising them. Many colleges have medical schools and medical research departments to offer their advice. The decisions will be made based on the best minds and best information unlike other sectors which are more heavily influenced by political and business considerations.
All of the colleges and universities are considering a variety of options. The president of Colby College was quoted in the WSJ yesterday discussing how Colby could operate if social distancing continues. The ideas included fewer kids on campus, singles, more online instruction, and shorter term modules to rotate kids on and off campus. My son is a first year at Colby and I am very concerned about next year. It seems like it will be a few months before we know what direction our particular college or university is headed. I live in Massachusetts and I like how BU is at least considering a January start.
But…if this causes continued chaos in the hospitals, then it’s not sustainable. Also, people with pre-existing conditions are not “the other”, they are your neighbor, your family member, your kid’s best friend.
Like everyone else going back to work, we elementary teachers are vulnerable to everyone every family member has come in contact with. And we’ve been saying “keep your body on your own body” from time immemorial and kids are just contact players by nature.
Or they will just drive their mothers crazy by going out anyway. My daughter’s dear friend with diabetes caught covid (yes he got tested) at Abroadfest in Barcelona in March. He was, luckily, asymptomatic and never developed the illness. he will go back to his big state school when/ if it opens.
Agreed. Primary school teachers and daycare center staff are at much more risk than either faculty or students on college campuses due to the physical nature of their jobs, but they will be going back to work. Not sure why CC thinks colleges require more protection than anyone else when they have less risk.
That would really help the younger academics who suffer from a saturated career field. Professors who continue to hold onto their positions in their 70s and even 80s are an issue on many campuses.
There’s so much we don’t know about this virus, which has managed to surprise even the experts, that any prediction at this point is either premature or foolish.
@massmom2018 how could Colby have fewer kids on campus? And he would they rotate them in? Where will they all live? That idea sounds like a stretch so I hope schools aren’t spending a ton of time on the details of social distancing like that on a LAC campus. I’ve been against the idea of online for fall if possible but that’s because I want S19 to have the experience one normally has on his campus. If schools are just looking to get kids back so they don’t lose money but the experience is still vastly different than no thanks.
Well tell her my daughter’s graduation from college might be virtual or put off till August. Gotta roll with the times. It’s affecting everyone and it’s not optimal to say the least. I would discuss options. BC college is already discussing starting in the winter.
@Auntlydia every high school senior I know is pretty worried about fall being on campus. I’d be surprised if your D is moving along, shopping for dorm stuff. I would talk to her ASAP.
For our family, we’re not going to do anything differently, whether the classes in the fall will be in-person or online. We certainly much prefer in-person classes but we believe even online classes beat any other alternatives we can think of. We’re still hopeful that things will return to normal by this fall but we prepare for a few more months of online classes just in case.