Coronavirus

[pumpkinpi]

Hahaha not me, two of my neighbors were just in quarantine due to catching it despite being fully boosted. One of them tried to explain that to me the other day from the opposite side of my (shut, with storm pane) window, and when he got to where he was still contagious I shooed him on, because with a virus like this I don't even trust two panes of glass.

At least word is that serious illness is very rare for boosted folks, and even double vaxxed? But "rare" doesn't mean it never happens.

Right. Maybe a good attitude to have is to worry enough about the serious illness and be extremely cautious, but have peace of mind that you'll be ok if(when) you catch it.

[lady_*nix]

https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher ... oms-2022-1

This is so utterly fucking insane. It's like the powers that be want children to die.

[pumpkinpi]

https://www.businessinsider.com/teachers-can-return-to-classroom-after-positive-covid-test-mild-symptoms-2022-1

This is so utterly fucking insane. It's like the powers that be want children to die.

NO NO NO! (not to you, to the article.)
I think decision makers are being mislead by all the reports of omicron being like a mild cold. For the lucky ones, yes. This is still a deadly disease for a lot of people!

[lady_*nix]

And... it's much, much milder in those who are vaccinated already. Even many of those who are incompletely vaccinated, or only have one dose of the J&J etc. But most children are not vaccinated.

One of my friends pointed out that we already knew from Sandy Hook how much the political establishment cares about children. I... very much hope she's wrong. But I'm honestly very frightened. This country is feeling increasingly suicidal to me, not just unhinged.

[SciFiFisher]

https://www.businessinsider.com/teachers-can-return-to-classroom-after-positive-covid-test-mild-symptoms-2022-1

This is so utterly fucking insane. It's like the powers that be want children to die.

That is actually in line with the latest CDC guidance which shortens the quarantine/isolation period to 5 days for people with mild versions of the virus.

To give you an idea of how different organizations are adapting. I had an appointment on Monday with a VA doctor. It was supposed to be F2F d/t this being my first visit with this doctor at this VA. Last Friday they called me and said "Your doctor has COVID so we are changing your appointment with him to a telephone one. On Monday he called me from his home (he is teleworking until he is no longer contagious I assume). I suspect he tested positive but had zero or very minimal symptoms. We will do the actual F2F visit in March.

[SciFiFisher]

Another thing that is being debated is the damage being done to the kids who have had to be out of school and/or doing distance learning vs F2F instruction. They are starting to say that the kids are suffering more damage in other ways than COVID probably would. It is true that kids seem to have milder versions of COVID. With proper safeguards they probably could make in person instruction work well enough and minimize the spread of COVID. The problem is there are so many people who won't follow basic guidance. Just before we left California there was a report of parents who were KNOWINGLY sending their kids to school with COVID.

[Rommie]

Yeah that is totally happening around here too. When parents were forced to do it in pre-covid times because they couldn't arrange child care, is it any shock parents are doing it now?

I read two days ago that ~10% of all teachers in Boston public schools are out with covid-related reasons, and of course that number will increase. We have a lot of snow coming through tomorrow and I'm sure they'll cancel school if only because they sure need it.

[lady_*nix]

Jesus H. Christ, enough already

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... nd-omicron

A hybrid strain, and it happened because of Delta and Omicron coinfections.

Ugh.

[pumpkinpi]

Jesus H. Christ, enough already

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... nd-omicron

A hybrid strain, and it happened because of Delta and Omicron coinfections.

Ugh.

"Deltacron."

[Rommie]

Exports Doubt Deltacron, Most Likely Lab Contamination

[Rommie]

Today is F's first day working for the new company, and 3 of 20 people on the welcome Zoom call have covid! So he's happy he's remote for now for sure.

So I'm sure I posted it before, but Boston has a fascinating covid tracker which is the amount in our wastewater system- link. It went off the charts around Christmas, but there is the slightest hint that we've turned- let's hope that's right!

[SciFiFisher]

I have discovered an unintended side effect to wearing a mask. It helps keep your face warm.

[lady_*nix]

Yuppp. Also keeps the cold out of your mouth, nose, and lungs... which is especially helpful if you have cold-triggered asthma like me. I'm going to be masking up in the winter long after this pandemic is over. (If it's ever over LOL.)

[SciFiFisher]

Yuppp. Also keeps the cold out of your mouth, nose, and lungs... which is especially helpful if you have cold-triggered asthma like me. I'm going to be masking up in the winter long after this pandemic is over. (If it's ever over LOL.)

If masks go out of fashion you can always use a scarf or a balaclava.

[lady_*nix]

But scarves and balaclavas won't help as much with not getting colds/flu

(Also I just dislike scarves. Make it a bit too easy to strangle me, which is... a thing I've experienced a number of times in my life LOL.)

[pumpkinpi]

The kids left school yesterday and won't return until Jan 31. The first week was ok as far as attendance, but staff and student attendance severely dropped this week. So they have today off so teachers can prep, Monday is a day off for MLK, and then they start distance learning Tuesday. I understand and support why they have to do it. There is not enough staff to support a good learning environment. But I don't see how the same thing won't happen again after only two weeks at home. I know the experts are predicting a peak soon and then a severe drop. But does that mean come January 31, it will be ok? We'll see!

Honestly, I'm a bit more at ease. Instead of worrying each day how I might have to rearrange my schedule if my kids get sick or have to quarantine, at least I know I have to make accommodations for the next two weeks now.

[Rommie]

Yeah, I think there is something to be said for the finality of "ok, this is how it's going to be" over perpetually wondering.

Interestingly here in Boston they said they are looking into remote schooling, but everyone's favorite metric in town I mentioned last time, covid in the wastewater, is dropping precipitously. (Favorite because of all the jokes that can be made, of course- my favorite headline about this yesterday was "Positive Movement.") So, if that holds, what's the point of going remote in a week or two? I guess we'll see if it holds.

Started going back to the office two days ago myself, as I started getting a little bit of cabin fever, and made the same discovery I did mid-pandemic in that absolutely no one is here so I can't say I worry about being at risk. Tomorrow is another stupid cold day with a ~10F high, but I'm excited because we found an indie movie theater out of town that requires vaccination proof/ masking, so we are going to head there for a matinee. Just happy to get out of the house on a super cold day I guess! It's a shame because there are so many neat museums etc around town that I'm itching to explore more, but I can't say I feel super enthusiastic about doing so just now.

[Thumper]

Ecuador with out a negative test within 72 hours of wheels up. Which means I have to take it between Monday and Tuesday afternoon. Forget the hassle of trying to get one scheduled. Most places I called wouldn't even answer the phone. Those that did won't schedule more that a day out. But now I'm nervous, I have to test, and I have to test negative. We haven't seen our parents since Christmas, I sold my hockey tickets for next weekend. Other than working with my buddy solo, and grocery shopping, I really haven't ventured out in public much. I guess it's my turn to feel a little trapped or cabin fever. But if the trip happens, the reward will be worth it.

[lady_*nix]

In New York State: "Parents who kept kids at home for fear of Covid are reported for neglect"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... or-neglect

This is the bleakest fucking shit. Literally punishing parents for trying to protect their children from a plague that... kills and permanently disables kids, and punishing their kids for (plus increasing their risk of COVID extra!) for their parents trying to be responsible.

This country does not care about its children. This country does not care about its children. We let cops shoot Black kids and get off free, we kidnap Latine kids and separate them from their parents, we put mentally ill kids in institutions where they're beaten and abused, and now we just demand they all risk death by superflu. "Waahhh poor babies, I don't wanna die before I'm even old enough to drive, boo fucking hoo cry some more "

QAnon idiots strut around calling half the country pedos, and meanwhile right here, right here our school systems are putting children in ICUs. I'm so angry I could scream until my lungs bleed.

[Rommie]

I hate to say it, but anyone who looked into the lack of maternity leave and day care prices more than a mortgage could have already known the US does not care about its children. It doesn't take a pandemic to learn that one.

[lady_*nix]

Point taken.

[Rommie]

So, we are embroiled in a debate at work. Specifically, even though the Harvard people are nominally back at work, a lot of people are still just not coming in and working remotely as the default- this is actually an issue at many universities, not just our own. And there is something to the fact that when people come to work in person and have more casual interactions etc, it's really much more useful to learning and getting good research done.

The thing that annoys me however is it turns out a sizable fraction of the faculty think the real solution here is to just require people to be in the office X number of hours/days/whatever. This is a bit nuts because it was not ever a thing before the pandemic, so why start enforcing it now? Plus, yeesh, literally all our seminars are still online (the dream is the colloquium will finally be in person again starting next week). I am a huge "carrot over stick" type person, and think if you give people a reason to come into the office than they will, and if it's not worth their while they won't. So what's the point of mandating people come into the office when they're just all gonna have their doors closed and be on Zoom? May as well let people stay at home in that case if you ask me!

Anyway, as I said, I don't think this is really a unique debate to our own university, but probably one more workplaces will be having in coming months.

[lady_*nix]

@Rommie

I'm curious if these faculty who want to enforce in-office hours, are some of the same who before the pandemic wanted to move as much stuff to virtual learning as possible. If so, the answer might be "it's about control".

[pumpkinpi]

So what's the point of mandating people come into the office when they're just all gonna have their doors closed and be on Zoom? May as well let people stay at home in that case if you ask me!

This. I am uber-hybrid at work. No regular schedule when I am in the office or at home. There are times that I have to be onsite to do shows/production/training. Then we have a staff meeting where most of the people are at home, but those of us who are in the office, at our cubes in the open office plan, have to go find a room where we can isolate otherwise we'll be hearing the zoom and each other at the same time. So if I can I just go home.

Then there's eating. We have to fight over the few places where you can take masks off safely. Those that do not have to be at work are asked to work half days, taking lunch at home, so that those who have a half hour lunch break at a specific time actually have somewhere to sit.

I don't think anything should be mandated until we can come back safely, not having to worry about too many people in a room or nowhere to eat.

[Rommie]

Ah that's interesting, here you are allowed to eat/drink with others, just be masked if you're not actively eating/drinking. Which in the morning coffee gathering quickly morphs into people just not being masked.

There's people who eat lunch downstairs in the "designated eating area" as well, but frankly after being alone last year I got into the habit of eating at my desk. I'd like to go out and eat lunch elsewhere more often, but pretty much everywhere around here for lunch is still takeout only.

lady_nix*, really no idea who's in favor of in office or not vs other things, as the faculty don't exactly badmouth each other by name. But my supervisor said he was just surprised at how differently many people view work, and it probably would have been the same pre-pandemic had you asked them, it just hadn't come up because of academic freedom in short.