More than 16 million people have filed unemployment claims in the last 3 weeks. Nearly one in three renters did not pay their rent, and food banks are encountering unprecedented levels of demand. I do not think it is hysteria to point out the economic devastation that has already occurred. People will resume activities soon in order to be able to buy food, and young adults who are the least likely to have any serious side effects from this illness, will not be exempt.
From the article:
"Singapore has been ramping up measures gradually to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, since the first confirmed case was announced here on Jan 23.
Singapore had its first two deaths on March 21. To date, there are a total of 1,114 cases and five deaths. A total of 249 patients had recovered as of Thursday."
@Mwfan1921 thanks. We currently live in Europe. Our D17 ended up here with us in Europe by happenstance. Her study abroad just finished before everything started to shift and she had planned to travel in Europe for spring break with friends before returning for the last part of the year. So she is here rather than Chicago. But, most of her friends who live abroad ended up staying on campus. I feel like more international students stayed on campus since this happened middle of the year. But, if Fall doesn’t start I imagine there would be more international students in their home country. My D17 is managing with the 7 hour time difference…she is in classes, etc. 8pm - 2am. I don’t know why I am having a harder time figuring out how a 13 hour vs. a 7 hour time difference will play out. Maybe it’s because she is already in the college flow whereas my S20 will be figuring it out for the first time. It just seems unhealthy to plan to have your work/awake time in the night and sleep during the day for 3-4 months. I am just curious to hear from families who are doing this now since as you mentioned there are surely thousands. I would really appreciate their insight into the mental health of kids who are living during the night and sleeping during the day are doing. But, we will see. It is too early to know how things will be and I am sure we will figure it out 
Got to build immunity somehow, and it isn’t going to happen by just staying at home.
This is what Fauci isn’t telling everyone.
Might as well send those that are healthy with no underlying conditions back to school and work.
Remember when they first told us not to wear masks, now they say we should wear masks.
My bet is that next it will be send healthy people back to work and school to build the herd immunity.
Life didn’t continue for thousands of people during the 1918 flu pandemic. And it didn’t continue for the thousands whose lives were lost to whooping cough, polio, and a host of other illnesses that we can now immunize against. So when life does go on, it goes on for those left to bury their dead and pick up the pieces.
My spouse works for the highway. Every day he pulls into their parking lot and walks past the huge refrigerated trailer that’s being outfitted to hold the bodies of our state’s citizens who perish from this horrible disease. I think the fatalities in our largest city alone are over 10,000 people. Each of those 10,000 people is someone’s child. They’re our friends, neighbors, and perhaps someone’s spouse or parent. And they’re dying alone. It will be nice to open things back up, but if that could be arranged in a way that doesn’t require refrigerated semis to hold the dead, that would be great.
If fall is online, this also affects the schools with current students as well who were living in the dorms. Not everyone could drive and bring home their stuff or were given a chance to. My S19’s stuff is in someone’s basement and this is all his winter clothes , his computer, and other stuff. We flew back with 2 large duffles. If online in the fall, we would have to take a trip to get some stuff, or have him up where his school is, but off campus. For D17 her stuff is being held hostage by her university right now. Brought home one suitcase as that is what she was told to do. Her school is saying that they will be storing stuff until the fall or when its safe those who want can get their stuff that was packed. If there is no school in the fall, at some point those students who are far away will have to figure out how to get to their items and what to do with them. universities that told students to leave stuff as is, also need a plan. If the kids are coming back in the fall, that makes it easier to handle. And yes it just “stuff” in some cases, but some of it is meaningful and all that some kids have.
Now the idea that maybe rising Juniors and Seniors come back to campus so that housing can accommodate (and most likely live off campus anyway), and those classes are usually not large lectures, and that incoming Freshman either defer, or are online with Sophomores is an interesting plan. The upper classman classes would have to also be recorded or offered online at the same time for those lower classman who take them, but could help with advanced classes that require in person learning.
This is deals with the large moveins that occur when freshman arrive. Not ideal, but a good hybrid solution.
If this virus continues to shut down society and industry through the fall college will be the least of anyone’s worries.
Keep in mind that CC seems to be a group of posters significantly insulated from the financial upheaval a significant portion of the U.S. population is currently wrestling with. We, as a country, are about 45-60 more days of lockdown away from social unrest. Food banks are struggling. Farmers are destroying significant portions of their crops because the pipeline to school cafeterias has evaporated and they have no means to deliver their product quickly and efficiently enough to other sectors. Do schools continue to provide free lunches to students after the school year “officially” ends? The hospitality and tourism industry is beyond the tipping point. The government can’t fix this with checks for $1,200, no matter how many times they renew the program.
I think states that were less impacted will begin to reopen on May 15, and businesses and students will shift their activities, at least temporarily, to those states. Many companies have offices in states likely to reopen that could serve as temporary headquarters. There will be plenty of colleges open in some states, although perhaps not in those of most interest to CC.
Students in California who go to school on the east coast are dealing with time change issues now. An 8 am class is now a 4 am class. Some classes are recorded and the student can watch them later but others have to be live.
People used to have measles and chickenpox parties to expose their children. Some died or had life long complications.
We know better now.
You had best never leave your home again then, as exposure is inevitable. It was for measles, too, by the way, regardless of whether one attended a measles party. The outbreak was so widespread and contagious that everyone was exposed.
Lots of people work second shift or night shift. Rotating shifts is worse for your health than a constant schedule on nights or evenings.
Sadly in my town people have had pandemic parties to try and get Covid19.
Horrifying.
It’s definitely a complex problem, and I agree with @gkunion that we will have civil unrest if things don’t open up by mid summer or so. Not to mention a great depression, which we all have talked about on these boards.
OTOH, just to do some calculations: to have herd immunity let’s say we need 200-230M people infected (60%-70% of the population). Say Covid-19 has a 1% fatality rate (we don’t know this number yet, but some scientific leaders and data puts it in this neighborhood)…that’s 2-2.3M deaths. In some areas that will overrun hospitals. PPE shortage is expected to last 6 months. Limited treatments and no vaccines will be available by this summer/Fall.
No easy answers.
My hope is that if the states are open (in whatever capacity), then the schools in those states should do the same. Schools should be no different than other businesses. Take personal precaution and stop complaining or threaten with law suits and all the other nonsense (not saying anyone here is), it will do us all good. We are in this together.
My daughter is still in her SC house, and will be there next year for her senior year.
@
I appreciate your opinion. I had rubella, Hong Kong flu, mumps, measles, chickenpox and probably a host of others. This is not even closely the same. Read some medical Facebook pages of people on the front lines. This isn’t the same thing.
But it will be interesting what colleges come up with. My daughters graduation from college is virtual with a gathering in August in theory. Never had to do this with the flu.
MODERATOR’S NOTE: This thread has become a general discussion. Please stay on the topic of school in the fall.
Some keep saying schools will open in the fall in states that are not as badly impacted by the virus. That makes no sense. Kids attend colleges from all over the country and internationally.
I do not think colleges will have students on campus this fall.
A couple of points:
- there are millions of people in "essential" businesses who are currently working (i.e. the economy is not shutdown completely or even close to it). The economy is partially open as we speak;
- The state's individual "stay at home" orders will be gradually lifted over the next 4 - 6 weeks but when we are allowed to mingle with population, we will likely be wearing masks and taking precautions to limit virus contact and spread (e.g. social distancing, more remote workers, restaurants half full). There is light at the end of the tunnel;
- There is not going to be massive riots (as some suggested) because we currently have a "soft" closure with most businesses that were not "essential" back up and running in 4 - 6 more weeks;
- We have slowed the spread of the virus with these measures which was the goal as to not overwhelm our healthcare system and to buy us some time to replenish our PPE, increase the number of healthcare workers and temp facilities, find some medicines to treat the symptoms, and to work on a vaccine. The stay at home orders had to be done and are working really well.
- I don't buy the argument that since the economy will be "re-opened" in the next 4 to 6 weeks that this opening will mean that the colleges will be open for in-person instruction and residential living in the fall. Not going to happen. Colleges will be much more conservative in "opening" the campus just like sporting events, theaters, concerts will be much more cautious with limiting or not allowing in-person fans for the foreseeable future.