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Weekly coronavirus-related chat, questions, and minor updates - week of August 17
This thread is posted weekly, and is intended as a place for more-casual discussion of the coronavirus and questions/updates that may not warrant their own dedicated topics. Tell us about what the situation is like where you live!
Fearing coronavirus, a Michigan college tracks its students with a flawed app. And students have no way to opt out.
Usual (and probably last) personal update:
I'm going to stop detailing my specific situation here, as the details about when and how I start school is pretty identifying, and my ability to speak anonymously about my job here is very important to me, as it enables a level of honesty that I would not be able to have otherwise. I want to thank everybody here who has followed my updates, sent me messages, and given me support as I've navigated the idea of returning to the classroom as a teacher in the United States. I'm in a better situation than many in my country at the moment, for which I'm very grateful.
I'm still nervous, I still don't have faith in leadership at any level to handle this as it should be handled (my district leadership is still attempting to bring us in for in-person in-service before school, for example, demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of how a remote model works and a complete disregard for the need to not aggregate people in the same rooms). All complaints aside though, my local district's hand has been forced in the direction of safety for the moment and is opening to students remotely, and that matters more than anything else. There is no telling what anything looks like past that point, as seemingly nobody is thinking or planning long-term at the moment, but at the very least I'm starting safely.
I have a lot of work, fear, and uncertainty ahead of me, and I'm not even someone that has to worry about childcare. My heart goes out to all parents right now. This situation is most unfair to you. I am so sorry.
UNC-Chapel Hill goes to remote learning after 135 COVID-19 cases within week of starting classes
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Also: 8 days into semester, Notre Dame halts in-person classes as 146 students get coronavirus
Michigan State University cancelled their plans for most of their in-person classes as well, and is switching to remote.
Axios had a fairly in-depth look yesterday at oleandrin, a new coronavirus "cure" that's being pushed by some of the people in the Trump administration inner circle, including HUD Secretary Ben Carson and Mike Lindell (CEO of MyPillow, big Trump donor): Trump eyes new unproven coronavirus "cure"
They also had this analysis that I thought was interesting, comparing the US's cases and deaths since July 1 with the other ~80 countries in the world with "high-income economies": The U.S. is far behind other rich countries in coronavirus response
Something interesting I don't think I had seen mentioned before: a large number of mink in farms in Utah have been infected and died, and over a million mink were culled in Europe as well.
Three out of four requests to leave Australia refused
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In the Hamptons, some hosts are paying for party guests to take rapid coronavirus tests at the door
Pretty much a reflection of life in the US. The rich get what they want, the rest can fend for themselves. Because if they where worthy of the same treatment, they would be rich.
STAT News : Seven months later, what we know about Covid-19 — and the pressing questions that remain
Fairly detailed summary of all the things we've learned so far, with links to published papers and study results sprinkled in.
Airbnb Bans All Parties At Its Listings Worldwide, Citing Public Health Mandates
‘The well’s been poisoned’: how mixed messaging on Covid battered California’s Central Valley
Bolsonaro says relief check will last until December but is not sure of the value (PT-BR, I'm not sure if anyone outside this country cares or has time to cover what's going on here.)