Will the Coming Season be Different Because of COVID-19?

More media hype - Happens every flu season :coffee:

The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all non-essential personnel in response to the coronavirus crisis, the leagues announced in a joint statement Monday night.

https://triblive.com/sports/nhl-mlb-...navirus-scare/

Renowned epidemiologist Rush Limbaugh assures me they should be more worried about being struck by lightning

https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2...e-coronavirus/

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Renowned epidemiologist Rush Limbaugh assures me they should be more worried about being struck by lightning

https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2...e-coronavirus/

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https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iNUMYBJOZTE/hqdefault.jpg


On the less humorous side:

• Italy will expand the lockdown of the Lombardy region to the entire country, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Monday.
• People throughout the country should not leave their homes other than for work or emergencies, Conte said.
• He added that all public gatherings will be banned and sporting events suspended.

Edit to add: I put up the above about Italy, even though it was posted before, to emphasize the unusualness of it. I suspect, I don't know this, they are trying to stretch out the peak in order to lessen the blow to the health system. If you have X number of cases that need hospitalization it's better to stretch that number out rather than to have it hit the system all at once. I've heard that's something they learned from studying the spanish flu of 1918.

I don't care about football right now. If I'm not laid off in the next 3 weeks, I'll be surprised.

I work in the trade show industry. My company has had 12 shows cancelled in the last 2 weeks. Things are looking very bleak. Total panic over a glorified flu bug. The media should win a prize for carrying out China, Russia amd Saudi A's. unified plan to kill the US economy.

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Originally Posted by silver & black;727200[B

]I don't care about football right now.[/B] If I'm not laid off in the next 3 weeks, I'll be surprised.

I work in the trade show industry. My company has had 12 shows cancelled in the last 2 weeks. Things are looking very bleak. Total panic over a glorified flu bug. The media should win a prize for carrying out China, Russia amd Saudi A's. unified plan to kill the US economy.

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Understandable. I still do because it's an escape.

My brother in law is in the boat business and his company goes to all the boat shows. Not anymore though.

Early aggressive actions are our best hope to limit its spread.
Might seem like overreacting, but it’s not.
NCAA should play the tournament games in empty arenas.

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Originally Posted by FrancoLambert

Early aggressive actions are our best hope to limit its spread.
Might seem like overreacting, but it’s not.
NCAA should play the tournament games in empty arenas.

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Point #1 nothing is going to limit it's spread, it will just slow it... which is still important.
Point #2, some of it is necessary *and* some of it is overreacting.
I see no reason why they shouldn't do what you suggest.

Smart

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The Ivy League announced on Tuesday that it would be canceling its conference basketball tournament due to growing fears over the coronavirus, becoming the first NCAA Division I conference to do so.

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https://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...all-tournament

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Originally Posted by tom444

Smart




https://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...all-tournament

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Could have played the tournament without the fans in the stands as the Mid-American Conference is doing this week

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/202...be-issued.html

Doubtful Yale’s concerns will extend to avoiding being exposed to further risk by withdrawing from the NCAA tournament next week for which it now gets the automatic bid

Meanwhile

The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers have pulled their coaches off the road for the pro-day circuit, at least temporarily, as a precautionary measure as the country grapples with the spread of the coronavirus, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.

“It’s true,” one coach texted Yahoo Sports, saying that the situation is “sorta fluid” and that they expect to “get more information as time goes on.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-eag...163011300.html

The pressure on the NCAA and professional sports leagues to hold games without fans escalated Wednesday morning as Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recommended against large gatherings during a congressional hearing.

“We would recommend that there not be large crowds,” Fauci said. “If that means not having any people in the audience when the NBA plays, so be it. But as a public health official, anything that has large crowds is something that would give a risk to spread.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...LBRYO5OIHMINCM

CBS and NCAA executives presumably not thrilled about this recommendation

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Could have played the tournament without the fans in the stands as the Mid-American Conference is doing this week

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In fairness, they were probably pretty close to playing without any fans in the seats anyway.

This whole thing is just so so stupid. A few hundred people in a nation of 330 million catch an illness, which is not particularly deadly or contagious in the first place, and suddenly the entire country is on a pandemic-level freakout complete with hoarding and quarantines and canceled events and economic paralysis. Are people THAT fucking retarded?

Like, even in China with its higher population density, sanitary problems, and dogshit medical treatment, it topped out at about a 0.001% infection rate, no joke.

In the overall spectrum of dangerous and deadly things, coronavirus is a rounding error. Zero significance. A completely manufactured bogeyman. Worry about something that actually matters, like pneumonia, or dogs.

I'm going up to a big tournament next week in L.A. and I'll be fine. If I somehow do catch the corona virus, I'll almost certainly live. Statistically, by far the most dangerous part will be the drive there and back, followed by the walk from the parking lot.

Jesus goddamn Christ, people. Everyone get some brains and calm the fuck down.

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

In fairness, they were probably pretty close to playing without any fans in the seats anyway.

This whole thing is just so so stupid. A few hundred people in a nation of 330 million catch an illness, which is not particularly deadly or contagious in the first place, and suddenly the entire country is on a pandemic-level freakout complete with hoarding and quarantines and canceled events and economic paralysis. Are people THAT fucking retarded?

Like, even in China with its higher population density, sanitary problems, and dogshit medical treatment, it topped out at about a 0.001% infection rate, no joke.

In the overall spectrum of dangerous and deadly things, coronavirus is a rounding error. Zero significance. A completely manufactured bogeyman. Worry about something that actually matters, like pneumonia, or dogs.

I'm going up to a big tournament next week in L.A. and I'll be fine. If I somehow do catch the corona virus, I'll almost certainly live. Statistically, by far the most dangerous part will be the drive there and back, followed by the walk from the parking lot.

Jesus goddamn Christ, people. Everyone get some brains and calm the fuck down.

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So Dr. Anthony Fauci needs to get more of his information from NFL message boards and talk radio? :coffee:

“This is Tony from the NIH - long time listener, first time caller”

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

So Dr. Anthony Fauci needs to get more of his information from NFL message boards and talk radio? :coffee:

“This is Tony from the NIH - long time listener, first time caller”

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Apparently so, if he's one of the ones now advocating disproportionate measures. The medical version of the "mere fan" argument notwithstanding - wasn't this the same exact guy who a couple weeks ago who was urging everyone to calm down and not panic?

Public officials, unfortunately, have a tendency to eventually say and do things to address public sentiment - which in this case, as I said and still maintain, is absolutely fuckin retarded. If that is what he is advocating, then yeah, I probably do know better, sorry.

I am a big believer in statistics when describing things on a large scale. The statistics are clear: This is absolutely nothing. Zero. Zip. If you have a different opinion, you are probably wrong. Not because I said so - because that's simply what the numbers are.

Statistics say what they say, and they don't say what they don't say. There is really no room for bullshit, whether you are a doctor or a scientist or some mere fan on a football message board. The only real question is whether you do or you don't have any concept of scale. Do you know what a billion is, and how it relates to ten, or a hundred, or a thousand, and can you conceptualize that in practical terms, yes/no? That's all this is. Many, if not most, people have a very difficult time adjusting for scale when dealing with very large numbers.

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

In the overall spectrum of dangerous and deadly things, coronavirus is a rounding error. Zero significance. A completely manufactured bogeyman. Worry about something that actually matters, like pneumonia, or dogs.

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This is absolutely nothing. Zero. Zip.

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Pull your head out of your ass.

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Originally Posted by tom444

Pull your head out of your ass.

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No shit. As if people dying doesn't matter. Lives are lives and when they are lost they effect someone, so some sensitivity would a good thing right now SR. Don't be that douche on internet forums.

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

Apparently so, if he's one of the ones now advocating disproportionate measures. The medical version of the "mere fan" argument notwithstanding - wasn't this the same exact guy who a couple weeks ago who was urging everyone to calm down and not panic?

Public officials, unfortunately, have a tendency to eventually say and do things to address public sentiment - which in this case, as I said and still maintain, is absolutely fuckin retarded. If that is what he is advocating, then yeah, I probably do know better, sorry.

I am a big believer in statistics when describing things on a large scale. The statistics are clear: This is absolutely nothing. Zero. Zip. If you have a different opinion, you are probably wrong. Not because I said so - because that's simply what the numbers are.

Statistics say what they say, and they don't say what they don't say. There is really no room for bullshit, whether you are a doctor or a scientist or some mere fan on a football message board. The only real question is whether you do or you don't have any concept of scale. Do you know what a billion is, and how it relates to ten, or a hundred, or a thousand, and can you conceptualize that in practical terms, yes/no? That's all this is. Many, if not most, people have a very difficult time adjusting for scale when dealing with very large numbers.

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Well Dr Fauci has managed to infiltrate the daily White House public briefings coordinated by VP Pence (who FWIW I believe is handling those very well since he does not pretend to have his own expertise on the subject and allows those who do to speak instead), so I guess Dr Fauci has conned the White House too

As far as his qualifications go, here is a link to his vitae. Doubtful he is clueless when it comes to statistics

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/anthony-s-fauci-md-bio

Since I assume you are not an epidemiologist, although perhaps you are given the confidence with which you are asserting your opinions on this, what are the links to the sources of information you are relying on to reach the conclusion this is much ado about nothing?

I know Rush circulated the more likely to be struck by lightning talking point but am guessing you are not relying on Rush as your source of expertise :noidea:

Yikes

The NCAA made the unprecedented decision Wednesday to hold the men's and women's basketball tournaments without fans because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis....

The NCAA announcement came after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he will issue an order that would ban fans from NCAA tournament games in Cleveland and Dayton.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...nament-go-fans

But the currently irresistible force of shutting down large public gatherings will at some point meet up with the immovable object of nothing being more important to the NFL owners than making money, which includes the NFL draft circus in Vegas in late April

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Yikes

The NCAA made the unprecedented decision Wednesday to hold the men's and women's basketball tournaments without fans because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis....

The NCAA announcement came after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he will issue an order that would ban fans from NCAA tournament games in Cleveland and Dayton.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...nament-go-fans

But the currently irresistible force of shutting down large public gatherings will at some point meet up with the immovable object of nothing being more important to the NFL owners than making money, which includes the NFL draft circus in Vegas in late April

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Yes but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas so the rest of us are safe.

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Originally Posted by tom444

Pull your head out of your ass.

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The smart money, not to mention the facts, would suggest you are the one who should do that.

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Originally Posted by 43Hitman

No shit. As if people dying doesn't matter. Lives are lives and when they are lost they effect someone, so some sensitivity would a good thing right now SR. Don't be that douche on internet forums.

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Yes, a few people died and that's sad. That does not mean that emotion can be interchanged with reality in the physical world, nor that it should be used to justify real-world actions that are literally insane.

I am talking about the public freak-out, and to put it plainly, this is a case where the freaking out itself is hundreds of times worse than the thing that is being freaked out over.

Close to a million people die every day as just the normal daily run rate, and dozens if not hundreds of other diseases are far more deadly, both by infection rate and death rate, and nobody gives a flying fuck about that on a day-to-day basis, because it is not being actively rubbed in their face.

This type of reaction is completely out of proportion, and is entirely self-inflicted. In other words, it makes no sense. When this is all over (which will be as soon as media fatigue over the coronavirus sets in), we will have learned a lot about sociology, and nothing at all about disease prevention.

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Well Dr Fauci has managed to infiltrate the daily White House public briefings coordinated by VP Pence (who FWIW I believe is handling those very well since he does not pretend to have his own expertise on the subject and allows those who do to speak instead), so I guess Dr Fauci has conned the White House too

As far as his qualifications go, here is a link to his vitae. Doubtful he is clueless when it comes to statistics

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/anthony-s-fauci-md-bio

Since I assume you are not an epidemiologist, although perhaps you are given the confidence with which you are asserting your opinions on this, what are the links to the sources of information you are relying on to reach the conclusion this is much ado about nothing?

I know Rush circulated the more likely to be struck by lightning talking point but am guessing you are not relying on Rush as your source of expertise :noidea:

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Around 700 people per year are struck by lighting in this country, so in that sense, Rush Limbaugh is absolutely right, although I'm guessing he must have put his own shock-jock spin on it. I don't pay attention to him, so I really don't know. You are also as or more likely to be killed by dogs, by horses, by cows, or by falling down an elevator shaft in this country than to die from the virus.

All of the statistics to which I am referring or have been referring are easy to look up, so I assume that if people actually doubt them, they will either spend a few seconds to verify them on their own, or else that they are lazy or stupid. Basically just population numbers and infection/death counts. This is not rocket science that requires an advanced degree.

Speaking of that, by your line of reasoning, no one's opinion on the subject has any value if they are not an epidemiologist, which would also include you. So that doesn't really do anything.

Anyway, as I said, this is a lesson in sociology, not epidemiology. From a public official's point of view, you can say, "We took drastic action, and no epidemic occurred, because no epidemic was going to occur anyway," and people won't hear the last part.

The Spanish Flu that infected half a billion people was an epidemic. The Black Death that reduced the world's population by almost a third was an epidemic. This is like 100,000 people infected worldwide and a few hundred, maybe a thousand in this country, the overwhelming majority of whom survive. Not even a blip. A big nothing. More people get measles. 10 times more people get whooping cough every year in California alone, because they are too stupid to get their kids vaccinated. People need to get a grip and figure out just how incredibly huge of a number a million is, let alone a billion.

Dying from an accident, act of God, or natural causes should ALL have a higher percentage chance than a virus due to the availability and ease of simple personal hygiene in the US. Taking precautions to not spread a virus is a smart thing to do. The 'over-acting' of many in the headlines is just not common sense actions though. Why not take these same precautions every year during flu season? I get the flu shot but that doesn't cover every strain and that virus is constantly mutating in new ones. I would say take whatever precautions makes you feel safe for you and your families. I don't think there is such a thing as over-protecting but wrapping your loved ones in toilet paper may be a touch much.

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

All of the statistics to which I am referring or have been referring are easy to look up, so I assume that if people actually doubt them, they will either spend a few seconds to verify them on their own, or else that they are lazy or stupid. Basically just population numbers and infection/death counts. This is not rocket science that requires an advanced degree.

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Oh so it is just your opinion on this being overblown with no backup from any recognized experts?

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Speaking of that, by your line of reasoning, no one's opinion on the subject has any value if they are not an epidemiologist, which would also include you. So that doesn't really do anything.

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No - but just as Mike Tomlin's views on pass defense have greater value than those held by you or me, although by reading this board I know not all share that view, the opinions of Dr Fauci and other epidemiolgists on the significance of novel coronavirus also have greater value than those held by you or me.

Just because anyone with an online connection can share their views on any subject does not mean all views on all subjects have equal value. It is called expertise, although maybe my view on that is just selling out to the elites rather than adopting "just plain common sense" views based on who in the world knows what sources of information or what entitlement to a presumption of credibility.

:drink:

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

The smart money, not to mention the facts, would suggest you are the one who should do that.

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All the money has already been put down and it's all on my side. And I should add, unfortunately.

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Oh so it is just your opinion on this being overblown with no backup from any recognized experts?

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I am sure that many, many qualified experts are in the "use common sense, take reasonable precautions" group, but how much do you see that reported on, almost zero.

To me, this is clearly the tangible manifestation of a decades-long process, specifically the total death of professionalism among the media. Too many people who are not content with faithfully reporting the facts; they want to be influencers and will bend the standards further and further in order to do so, regardless of consequences. And this is the culmination of that process.

Hopefully it also represents a breaking point, where people begin to look around and go, "Holy SHIT!" because what is being presented to them matches up less and less with what is clearly obvious just by looking around on their own. A lot of this goes for reporting on politics as well, but I digress.

A year from now, this will be looked back on as a national embarrassment.

Coronavirus - not scary.

Reaction to coronavirus - absolutely terrifying.

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Originally Posted by tom444

All the money has already been put down and it's all on my side. And I should add, unfortunately.

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All that's on your side is the stupid money. You want to join the mass hysteria, that's your business, but don't call yourself smart over it, please

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

All that's on your side is the stupid money. You want to join the mass hysteria, that's your business, but don't call yourself smart over it, please

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Assuming the tournament you are going to next week is not cancelled, props for manning up and being willing to get the virus when you attend.

Good luck to any of your friends and family who may be elderly or otherwise more at risk who you see after your return.

:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by 43Hitman

No shit. As if people dying doesn't matter. Lives are lives and when they are lost they effect someone, so some sensitivity would a good thing right now SR. Don't be that douche on internet forums.

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Haha... Have you not met Steelreserve before? :D
Not a dig at SR, mind you... but this is his shtick. He's "that guy" and it's generally hilarious. I guess this is one of the times where the joke didn't land. :noidea:

While I'm not totally insensitive to the danger this poses to the people at risk, I'm also aware that SR is correct, statistically speaking. Unfortunately, there's a lot more to it than simple raw totals. There's exponential growth, logistic curves, r-nots, etc. A very small outbreak can quickly turn into a disaster if not taken seriously. Unfortunately, irrational overreactions can also turn into a disaster.

My best advice is to 1) follow the recommendations you have been given by the CDC, 2) to gather the basic necessities you need to go a month or two before the hoarders clean out the shelves, and 3) do not panic.
If you are nervous about this, I suggest not paying attention to the media. They're hyping it up for ratings. Stay cool, find out what you need to do, and then do it. It'll be over in a few months and your life will go back to normal.

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Assuming the tournament you are going to next week is not cancelled, props for manning up and being willing to get the virus when you attend.

Good luck to any of your friends and family who may be elderly or otherwise more at risk who you see after your return.

:thumbsup:

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Considering that my risk for contracting the virus is statistically almost identical whether I go to a large event or stay home - that is to say, near zero - I am confident that is the right move.

Tell you what, if I go there and then get sick and die, I owe you a Coke.

This whole thing is blown waaaayyyy out of proportion. It's a flu bug.... there are dozens of flu bugs out there. Are they (it) dangerous? Sure. Take the standard, normal precautions and GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE! This is killing the economy, for no good reason, other than the media is hyping it to death.

I work in the trade show industry. My company has had 12 shows cancelled in the last week and a half because of this asinine fear of a flu bug. Businesses are being destroyed and worker's lives are being destroyed because of the media's need to sensationalize something... anything.

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

All that's on your side is the stupid money. You want to join the mass hysteria, that's your business, but don't call yourself smart over it, please

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Utter nonsense. I haven't purposed panic or hysteria. Admitting we have a very serious problem isn't being hysterical, it's being smart. You can't address a problem until you admit you have it.

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Originally Posted by GoSlash27

Haha... Have you not met Steelreserve before? :D
Not a dig at SR, mind you... but this is his shtick. He's "that guy" and it's generally hilarious. I guess this is one of the times where the joke didn't land. :noidea:

While I'm not totally insensitive to the danger this poses to the people at risk, I'm also aware that SR is correct, statistically speaking. Unfortunately, there's a lot more to it than simple raw totals. There's exponential growth, logistic curves, r-nots, etc. A very small outbreak can quickly turn into a disaster if not taken seriously. Unfortunately, irrational overreactions can also turn into a disaster.

My best advice is to 1) follow the recommendations you have been given by the CDC, 2) to gather the basic necessities you need to go a month or two before the hoarders clean out the shelves, and 3) do not panic.
If you are nervous about this, I suggest not paying attention to the media. They're hyping it up for ratings. Stay cool, find out what you need to do, and then do it. It'll be over in a few months and your life will go back to normal.

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I know his shtick, and usually I find it humorous, I just don't think this is the time or place for it.

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Assuming the tournament you are going to next week is not cancelled, props for manning up and being willing to get the virus when you attend.

Good luck to any of your friends and family who may be elderly or otherwise more at risk who you see after your return.

:thumbsup:

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This^^^

We're all in this together.

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Originally Posted by silver & black

This whole thing is blown waaaayyyy out of proportion. It's a flu bug.... there are dozens of flu bugs out there. Are they (it) dangerous? Sure. Take the standard, normal precautions and GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE! This is killing the economy, for no good reason, other than the media is hyping it to death.

I work in the trade show industry. My company has had 12 shows cancelled in the last week and a half because of this asinine fear of a flu bug. Businesses are being destroyed and worker's lives are being destroyed because of the media's need to sensationalize something... anything.

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Not to mention, what are most people really going to do to lower their risk profile for this in any meaningful way? "Oh, I won't go out for dinner this week. I'll cancel that trip I had planned. I'm being smart!"

Well ... really? Do you have kids? Do they go to school? Well, unless school is canceled, you already have a HUGE exposure profile of probably thousands of people. If you have kids in more than one school, you are already exposed to basically half your town.

Do you get the mail from your mailbox? Guess what, the mailman put his hands on thousands of other people's mail, and the post office brings in mail from all over the world. Do you eat food? Even if you keep your distance from everyone else at the store, there's no telling who's been to the same store as you and gotten germs all over everything. You were probably in the same store as thousands of people who have traveled all over the country.

If you lead any semblance of a normal life, really your best (probably only) hope for avoiding infection is that it really isn't that contagious or deadly. So far, that seems to be bearing itself out pretty reliably.

If there was any real danger - like, a REAL pandemic - none of this half-assed bullshit would be doing anything to prevent its spread. Cancel a bunch of high-profile stuff but leave the 99% of routine low-level daily exposure - congratulations, you won the internet comments section. Didn't actually accomplish anything. Roger Goodell and his concussion experts would be proud of the way you handled things. You would have to totally change your way of life to have any meaningful effect.

Like, if I go to an Asian market and some guy starts coughing blood all over me ... well, I'll try to avoid situations like that, I guess, but otherwise, just be realistic for God's sake.

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

Not to mention, what are most people really going to do to lower their risk profile for this in any meaningful way? "Oh, I won't go out for dinner this week. I'll cancel that trip I had planned. I'm being smart!"

Well ... really? Do you have kids? Do they go to school? Well, unless school is canceled, you already have a HUGE exposure profile of probably thousands of people. If you have kids in more than one school, you are already exposed to basically half your town.

Do you get the mail from your mailbox? Guess what, the mailman put his hands on thousands of other people's mail, and the post office brings in mail from all over the world. Do you eat food? Even if you keep your distance from everyone else at the store, there's no telling who's been to the same store as you and gotten germs all over everything. You were probably in the same store as thousands of people who have traveled all over the country.

If you lead any semblance of a normal life, really your best (probably only) hope for avoiding infection is that it really isn't that contagious or deadly. So far, that seems to be bearing itself out pretty reliably.

If there was any real danger - like, a REAL pandemic - none of this half-assed bullshit would be doing anything to prevent its spread. Cancel a bunch of high-profile stuff but leave the 99% of routine low-level daily exposure - congratulations, you won the internet comments section. Didn't actually accomplish anything. Roger Goodell and his concussion experts would be proud of the way you handled things. You would have to totally change your way of life to have any meaningful effect.

Like, if I go to an Asian market and some guy starts coughing blood all over me ... well, I'll try to avoid situations like that, I guess, but otherwise, just be realistic for God's sake.

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Nailed it.

Either the current reaction is a wild over reaction room or a ludicrously irresponsible under reaction. I do not know which. But it is conclusively not a properly calibrated one.

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Originally Posted by Mojouw

Nailed it.

Either the current reaction is a wild over reaction room or a ludicrously irresponsible under reaction. I do not know which. But it is conclusively not a properly calibrated one.

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As far as I can tell, the most worrisome effect of the virus is that it apparently makes everyone poop 40 times as much, including people who don't have the virus at all.

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

As far as I can tell, the most worrisome effect of the virus is that it apparently makes everyone poop 40 times as much, including people who don't have the virus at all.

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Most people are full of shit...

You guys that are freaking out about this............... Not judging, but......................... I think you are scared over ....not much.

Some of the local, to me, colleges that have closed and gone to online classes because they're really dumb and are panicking:

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A list of area colleges canceling classes, sending students home due to coronavirus fears

By Peter Bailey-Wells and Stephanie Purifoy Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent,Updated March 11, 2020, 43 minutes ago

https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpubl...Y252UZC53M.JPGPedestrians were reflected in a window of a store selling Harvard paraphernalia.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe StaffUniversities and colleges in New England and around the country have started to limit in-person classes, recall students from study-abroad programs, and restrict large gatherings amid the spread of the coronavirus illness Covid-19.

Amherst College (March 9)
All classes at Amherst will be canceled Thursday and Friday, and spring break will take place March 16 through March 22. After the break, classes will shift to being completely online so they can be fulfilled remotely, President Carolyn Martin said in a statement Monday.

Harvard University (March 10)
In a statement posted on the university website dedicated to Covid-19 issues, Harvard said that the shift to virtual classrooms for both graduate and undergraduate students will start Tuesday with a goal of it being fully in place by March 23, when spring break ends. Harvard urged students not to return to campus after spring break ends.

Smith College (March 10)
The last in-person classes at Smith will be held on Friday. The college will extend spring break to students until March 29 and online and alternative classes will start the following day.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (March 10)
MIT is moving all classes online and expecting undergraduate students to move out of their dormitories. The university said a recent visit to campus by a recruiter who had contracted the virus illustrated the risks — and the need for more aggressive precautionary measures.
Olin College of Engineering (March 10)
Olin announced that it is moving to virtual instruction for all courses until further notice and students should not plan to return to campus after spring break.

Tufts University (March 10)
Beginning March 25, when students return from an extended spring break, classes will be conducted virtually for the remainder of the semester. Students are asked to depart from campus residence halls by Monday, March 16, but those who are unable to return to their homes due to travel restrictions or other “significant constraints” will be allowed to remain in dorms.

Mount Holyoke College (March 10)
Spring break will be extended for two weeks for the campus and “alternate modes of instruction” will begin after spring break, the school said in an announcement. No in-person classes will be held after Friday, March 13.
All students will be asked to move out of on-campus housing by Saturday, March 14, though exceptions will be made for those with “extenuating circumstances,” the school said.

University of Massachusetts system (March 11)
University of Massachusetts President Martin Meehan will announce on Wednesday that the system will move to virtual classes and instruct students not to return to campus after spring break in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus, according to sources close to the administration.
All five campuses of the state’s public university, which includes nearly 75,000 undergraduate and graduate students, will stop offering in-person instruction.



Wheaton College (March 11)
Wheaton will hold virtual classes beginning Monday, March 23, and students are expected to leave campus by Sunday, March 22,. by 5 p.m.
Classes will be remote and student operations will be suspended for the remainder of the spring semester, the school said in an announcementWednesday.

Boston University (March 11)
BU announced Wednesday it would move all classes online an students who are away for spring break are advised not to return to campus after break ends Sunday — but residence and dining halls will remain open for those who need to remain on campus because of particular challenges, according to BU’s leadership.
Officials plan to “revisit the situation and update the community” around April 1, the school said in its announcement.


Berklee College of Music (March 11)
At the end of the week, Berklee will halt in-person classes

Brandeis University (March 11)
Classes with more than 100 students will move online at Brandeis beginning Monday, March 16, and classes of all sizes will follow and become online-only by Friday, March 20, Brandeis announced Wednesday.
President Ron Liebowitz said in his announcement Wednesday that students will be allowed to remain in campus residence halls on a case-by-case basis but that undergraduates are asked to move out of their housing by March 25.


Boston College (March 11)
Starting Thursday, Boston College will not hold any on-campus classes and on March 19 will transition to online education, remaining that way through the rest of the spring semester, the university announced Wednesday.
Students are required to leave BC residence halls by Sunday, March 15, though exceptions will be made for those with travel restrictions or other obligations.

Williams College (March 11)
Williams will end in-person classes on Friday, March 13, and begin spring break a week early, on March 14, the college announced Wednesday.
Students will be required to leave campus by Tuesday, March 17, and online-only classes will begin on April 6, the school’s first day back from spring break. Students with extenuating circumstances will be allowed to remain on the Williams campus, the school said in its announcement.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by 43Hitman

I know his shtick, and usually I find it humorous, I just don't think this is the time or place for it.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Fz9WF4U_c

I have a weird sense of humor; there's pretty much no such thing as a wrong "time or place". But that's just me. In fact... The more people are freaking out or despondent, the more I think it's *exactly* the right time and place.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by silver & black

You guys that are freaking out about this............... Not judging, but......................... I think you are scared over ....not much.

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Downside of being wrong is a little higher than whether the Steelers should tender Mike Hilton or go for a replacement in the later rounds of the draft

But given the strong views of some that Mike Tomlin apparently is missing a great opportunity to improve his coaching by reading more carefully what is posted here the absolute certainty of some of the hot takes on this subject is to be expected

As is the case with the Tomlin takes, depends how much you believe the folks who do something for a living have a better idea what is going on and how to proceed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by steelreserve

Not to mention, what are most people really going to do to lower their risk profile for this in any meaningful way? "Oh, I won't go out for dinner this week. I'll cancel that trip I had planned. I'm being smart!"

Well ... really? Do you have kids? Do they go to school? Well, unless school is canceled, you already have a HUGE exposure profile of probably thousands of people. If you have kids in more than one school, you are already exposed to basically half your town.

Do you get the mail from your mailbox? Guess what, the mailman put his hands on thousands of other people's mail, and the post office brings in mail from all over the world. Do you eat food? Even if you keep your distance from everyone else at the store, there's no telling who's been to the same store as you and gotten germs all over everything. You were probably in the same store as thousands of people who have traveled all over the country.

If you lead any semblance of a normal life, really your best (probably only) hope for avoiding infection is that it really isn't that contagious or deadly. So far, that seems to be bearing itself out pretty reliably.

If there was any real danger - like, a REAL pandemic - none of this half-assed bullshit would be doing anything to prevent its spread. Cancel a bunch of high-profile stuff but leave the 99% of routine low-level daily exposure - congratulations, you won the internet comments section. Didn't actually accomplish anything. Roger Goodell and his concussion experts would be proud of the way you handled things. You would have to totally change your way of life to have any meaningful effect.

Like, if I go to an Asian market and some guy starts coughing blood all over me ... well, I'll try to avoid situations like that, I guess, but otherwise, just be realistic for God's sake.

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I couldn't agree with you more.

Must be more panic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1j1nISrBtc