Cancelled meetings

[MN-Investor]

Mar 11, 2020 10:03:29 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

That's actually a big part of the problem with things just like coronavirus.  It's nothing, nothing, nothing, "OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE", nevermind we're fine, nothing, nothing, nothing.  When things are either 0 or 10, with little in-between...anything which makes the scale gets blown out of proportion, then as soon as it stops being click-bait-y enough to draw eyes, it goes back to being woefully UNDER reported.  

The coronavirus is like a Category 5 hurricane headed right for your country. Many more people will die because of the coronavirus than will die in a Category 5 hurricane. Because we've never been exposed to this coronavirus, nobody has immunity. Even if you don't get seriously ill, if you don't use precautions, you can spread your disease to dozens of other individuals who will die.

Because of the government's ineptitude, the U.S. does not have sufficient testing kits to analyze where the virus is spreading. It's like not having weather radar when a Category 5 hurricane is headed your way.

But sure, the press is overreacting to the reality that hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents will most likely die from this virus.

And, of course, how many folks will be impoverished because they work in the businesses hardest hit by this virus? How many folks will be saddled with huge medical bills because they ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, a common side effect of this awful disease?

Good grief. La la la la. Everything will be all right.

[souldoubt]

Work has made sure everyone has access to work remotely.  Anyone who has to traveled to China, Italy, Iran, etc. has been told to not come into work for at least 14 days.  Anyone who is sick or has a family member who is sick is fine to work from home.  Any clients/prospects that come are required to confirm whether or not they've been in any of the level 2 or 3 countries recently and if so they're being asked not to come if it hasn't been more than 14 days.  They've asked that people only travel for work if absolutely needed.  My wife works at a senior living community and they've cancelled all outside vendors on the property for the time being and anyone who is sick is told to stay home.  They had an employee who had a trip to Asia he didn't want to cancel so he went and when he got back they told him not to come in for at least 14 days.  In both cases they're reducing exposure and playing it safe which I think is the right long term play.  I see some people complaining about the inconvenience of events being postponed and being told to avoid large crowds and I just think most of them only think short term and about themselves.         

[hoops902]

Mar 11, 2020 13:14:32 GMT -5 MN-Investor said:

Mar 11, 2020 10:03:29 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

That's actually a big part of the problem with things just like coronavirus.  It's nothing, nothing, nothing, "OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE", nevermind we're fine, nothing, nothing, nothing.  When things are either 0 or 10, with little in-between...anything which makes the scale gets blown out of proportion, then as soon as it stops being click-bait-y enough to draw eyes, it goes back to being woefully UNDER reported.  

The coronavirus is like a Category 5 hurricane headed right for your country. Many more people will die because of the coronavirus than will die in a Category 5 hurricane. Because we've never been exposed to this coronavirus, nobody has immunity. Even if you don't get seriously ill, if you don't use precautions, you can spread your disease to dozens of other individuals who will die.

Because of the government's ineptitude, the U.S. does not have sufficient testing kits to analyze where the virus is spreading. It's like not having weather radar when a Category 5 hurricane is headed your way.

But sure, the press is overreacting to the reality that hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents will most likely die from this virus.

And, of course, how many folks will be impoverished because they work in the businesses hardest hit by this virus? How many folks will be saddled with huge medical bills because they ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, a common side effect of this awful disease?

Good grief. La la la la. Everything will be all right.

Actually, your Hurricane analogy is a great one.  Nobody cares, nobody cares, nobody cares, IT'S ARMAGEDDON, nobody cares, nobody cares.  The problem isn't JUST the overhyping to get views, it's also the underhyping at other times.  As soon as coronavirus is out of the news, nobody (in the media) is going to care that our hospitals and medical community in general is massively unprepared for a pandemic like this.  

Hell, after this passes when do you think we'll next hear an hour a day about the stupidity of having to remind people they should probably wash their hands and practice basic hygiene?  We likely won't.  

Coronavirus is a serious thing, it's almost insane to consider that it COULD be overhyped given how important it is and how high the bar would be to overhype it, and yet here we are and it is.  

[Rukh O'Rorke]

I had a conference late march/early april in california got cancelled too.....I had another meeting attached to a difference conference in california - not officially cancelled but I think it is just a matter of time until they decide to pull the plug.

[tractor]

My sons college has now cancelled all face-to-face classes until the end of April. Everything will now be on-line. He can decide if he wants to return to campus or not (on spring break now). This announcement just came out today, and his university is not the only one.

[MN-Investor]

Mar 11, 2020 13:30:05 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Coronavirus is a serious thing, it's almost insane to consider that it COULD be overhyped given how important it is and how high the bar would be to overhype it, and yet here we are and it is.  

Please cite a reputable news source which is overhyping the coronavirus.

[Deleted]

Mar 11, 2020 13:43:41 GMT -5 tractor said:

My sons college has now cancelled all face-to-face classes until the end of April. Everything will now be on-line. He can decide if he wants to return to campus or not (on spring break now). This announcement just came out today, and his university is not the only one.

Nope.  Pretty much every major university within 200 miles of me announced the same thing today.  It is going to be rough on some of those students.  I am not an online learner at all.  And I wonder what they're going to do with all the lab classes? 

[hoops902]

Mar 11, 2020 15:48:17 GMT -5 MN-Investor said:

Mar 11, 2020 13:30:05 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Coronavirus is a serious thing, it's almost insane to consider that it COULD be overhyped given how important it is and how high the bar would be to overhype it, and yet here we are and it is.  

Please cite a reputable news source which is overhyping the coronavirus.

Are you under the misguided notion that "media" consists only of reputable news sources?

[MN-Investor]

Mar 11, 2020 16:12:37 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Mar 11, 2020 15:48:17 GMT -5 MN-Investor said:

Please cite a reputable news source which is overhyping the coronavirus.

Are you under the misguided notion that "media" consists only of reputable news sources?

So... no cite.

[pulmonarymd]

It much more likely that things will be worse than better in 1 month. Only question is how much worse

[Happy prose]

I'm all for canceling any gatherings. My work is doing a good job handling this. On another note, I canceled my cruise today scheduled for June, which I'm very sad about. I feel I need to be extra cautious. I only have one lung, due to cancer 15 yrs ago. (pulmonarymd I fall into the compromised category?)  Other than that, I'm in great health. 

[debthaven]

I think I may have the last word ... I got to Job 2 today and ALL my Asian students except for one were absent. I said, where is everyone?!

Well, they all went home to China/Vietnam/South Korea!!! Per the students who were present, their Asian classmates explained that:

- the curve is waning in Asia and waxing in Europe (I'm in France)

- their parents didn't like the "lackadaisical" attitude towards the virus in Europe, they felt the government's reaction wasn't strong enough and that their (barely young adult, 18YO) children were in danger.

If that's not irony, I don't know what is.

We're coming up to the end of the semester so I had to rearrange all the groups for their end-of-semester group projects.

The French president will be on TV tomorrow night, my guess is that he'll close the schools (including the universities).

I work at two universities. I received an email from both today: we ARE maintaining classes. But IF something changes, we are ALSO working on putting all classes online.

My guess is that we will go online as soon as Macron speaks tomorrow. Or rather, as of Monday. I think that's why he announced on Wed morning that he would be speaking about the virus Thurs afternoon, both to give people time and because it's later in the week.

It's very stressful. My heart goes out to my students, many of whom are foreign, and all of whom are scared.

It looks like my schools are working with the students who left ... I certainly hope so. As of now (before Macron's speech which could change things for the better for them) they have the option of either coming back in May for their finals, or taking a semester off. But regardless, they will all keep their places.

[CCL]

Mar 11, 2020 18:13:40 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

I'm all for canceling any gatherings. My work is doing a good job handling this. On another note, I canceled my cruise today scheduled for June, which I'm very sad about. I feel I need to be extra cautious. I only have one lung, due to cancer 15 yrs ago. (pulmonarymd I fall into the compromised category?)  Other than that, I'm in great health. 

With your history, I would cancel, too.

[thyme4change]

Lol. Had a meeting today with some muckity-mucks, and first we discussed the contingency plan for having our whole office work from home, followed shortly by starting discussions on getting people from all over the country to meet up together ASAP to talk about some procedure. This is so bad, you can't drive your own car to the building where you sit in your defined space, but you can go to the airport, get on a plane, take some sort of public transportation and go to a different building, where we will all cram together in one room, probably at one table and talk about something.

[Miss Tequila]

Mar 11, 2020 18:13:40 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

I'm all for canceling any gatherings. My work is doing a good job handling this. On another note, I canceled my cruise today scheduled for June, which I'm very sad about. I feel I need to be extra cautious. I only have one lung, due to cancer 15 yrs ago. (pulmonarymd I fall into the compromised category?)  Other than that, I'm in great health. 

I’m so sorry that you had to cancel the cruise but I definitely think you were right to do so. I cancelled our cruise scheduled in August and we are both healthy and younger than the high risk groups. It just isn’t worth the risk

[debthaven]

I heard an original solution from a friend/colleague today, about her husband's office.

They sent EVERYONE at her husband's office home last Fri to work from home to test that. It worked.

As of this week, every department has been divided into two groups, let's say Groups A and B. They're on a rota, so Group A is in the office this week, while Group B works from home. The following week, they switch.

BUT (and this is where I felt it got interesting) the company is STORING half their desks, so they can put the desks which ARE being used further away from each other. So basically, they're doubling the distance between colleagues while they work.

I doubt they're making sure to keep those distances at lunch or on breaks though.

I thought this was an interesting and innovative (although certainly imperfect) solution.

[pulmonarymd]

Mar 11, 2020 18:13:40 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

I'm all for canceling any gatherings. My work is doing a good job handling this. On another note, I canceled my cruise today scheduled for June, which I'm very sad about. I feel I need to be extra cautious. I only have one lung, due to cancer 15 yrs ago. (pulmonarymd I fall into the compromised category?)  Other than that, I'm in great health. 

Yes

[souldoubt]

Mar 11, 2020 19:21:17 GMT -5 debthaven said:

As of this week, every department has been divided into two groups, let's say Groups A and B. They're on a rota, so Group A is in the office this week, while Group B works from home. The following week, they switch.

My work has put people into 3 groups and we'll each be testing working from home one day over the next week.  I spoke to one of the guys leading the charge and he talked about doing exactly what your friend mentioned.  This way if it hits hopefully it's spread to fewer people and the entire office is less likely to get it. 

[Deleted]

I know some community meetings here have been cancelled and suspect others will be soon due to closed meeting facilities.   My city and county both declared emergencies today.  Multiple conferences cancelled here because of international attendees 

[souldoubt]

NBA season suspended after a player who mockingly touched every reporters recorder tests positive.  I imagine the NHL will do the same soon and the MLB season will be delayed.

[pulmonarymd]

Mar 11, 2020 18:25:18 GMT -5 debthaven said:

I think I may have the last word ... I got to Job 2 today and ALL my Asian students except for one were absent. I said, where is everyone?!

Well, they all went home to China/Vietnam/South Korea!!! Per the students who were present, their Asian classmates explained that:

- the curve is waning in Asia and waxing in Europe (I'm in France)

- their parents didn't like the "lackadaisical" attitude towards the virus in Europe, they felt the government's reaction wasn't strong enough and that their (barely young adult, 18YO) children were in danger.

If that's not irony, I don't know what is.

We're coming up to the end of the semester so I had to rearrange all the groups for their end-of-semester group projects.

The French president will be on TV tomorrow night, my guess is that he'll close the schools (including the universities).

I work at two universities. I received an email from both today: we ARE maintaining classes. But IF something changes, we are ALSO working on putting all classes online.

My guess is that we will go online as soon as Macron speaks tomorrow. Or rather, as of Monday. I think that's why he announced on Wed morning that he would be speaking about the virus Thurs afternoon, both to give people time and because it's later in the week.

It's very stressful. My heart goes out to my students, many of whom are foreign, and all of whom are scared.

It looks like my schools are working with the students who left ... I certainly hope so. As of now (before Macron's speech which could change things for the better for them) they have the option of either coming back in May for their finals, or taking a semester off. But regardless, they will all keep their places.

My son studying abroad in Madrid got called home by his university

[lynnerself]

Oregon just banned all public gatherings of more than 250 people

[oped]

[hoops902]

Mar 11, 2020 16:58:56 GMT -5 MN-Investor said:

Mar 11, 2020 16:12:37 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Are you under the misguided notion that "media" consists only of reputable news sources?

So... no cite.

Nope, no cite of something I wasn't discussing and you're too lazy to look up.  

[Gardening Grandma]

Mar 12, 2020 1:31:50 GMT -5 lynnerself said:

Oregon just banned all public gatherings of more than 250 people

Following Inslee's lead.  Personally I think the number should have been smaller, but it still was the smart thing to do.

Too bad the speech last night didn't include banning large groups.

[hoops902]

Mar 12, 2020 8:19:02 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

Mar 12, 2020 1:31:50 GMT -5 lynnerself said:

Oregon just banned all public gatherings of more than 250 people

Following Inslee's lead.  Personally I think the number should have been smaller, but it still was the smart thing to do.

Too bad the speech last night didn't include banning large groups.

I might be wrong, but not sure the Federal government has that authority.

[azucena]

My office just updated our policy - starting Monday we are 3 groups.  Group A works from home full time.  Group B is in the office for 2 weeks and then switches to work from home while Group C gets their two weeks in the office.  I haven't been told which group I am yet, but I expect A since I've been working from home to take care of my husband.

I think it's a halfway decent idea but it doesn't account for the fact that all of our kids still go to a bunch of different schools so the 14 day quarantine period won't totally work.

We were also told to maintain social distance - 6 feet between each person.

[Gardening Grandma]

Mar 12, 2020 8:21:09 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Mar 12, 2020 8:19:02 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

Following Inslee's lead.  Personally I think the number should have been smaller, but it still was the smart thing to do.

Too bad the speech last night didn't include banning large groups.

I might be wrong, but not sure the Federal government has that authority.

I don't know, but at the very least he could have made some strong suggestions to that effect.  Governors certainly do.

[Deleted]

We're supposed to go to a college event/dinner tonight in the latest city in our state to get a corona case.  No word on it being cancelled, so I guess it's still a go.

[Deleted]

Now, not only has our company stopped all travel to other sites, but today they have banned any customer visits from any location.  We are officially in lockdown.  Nobody comes in the door but employees and the contract cleaning/vending people.