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The SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 pandemic has been with us for over six months. A recent check of https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ reveals just over 13 million cases, with over a half million deaths, and 4.9 million of which are listed as active. On a positive note, 7.6 million are listed as recovered.
Unfortunately, recovered does not necessarily mean being back to the same shape someone was in pre-infection (see below).
Statistically, there are bound to be some Soylentils who have been infected (or had friends or family members who were).
I'd like to offer an opportunity for us to pull together and share our collective experiences. If you've made it through, telling others of how it went can be helpful both for the one who shares, and also for those who were recently diagnosed. Fears, doubts, and worries act to drain energy better directed to recovery.
NB: Please be mindful that "the internet never forgets". I encourage all who respond to make use of posting anonymously.
With that caution, what has been your experience? How long between time of infection and onset of symptoms? How bad was it? How are things now? What do you know now that you wish you knew earlier? What did you hear about earlier but didn't realize they meant that?
Penultimately, I realize words are inadequate, but I sincerely wish and hope that all can be spared from this malady, and those who have been afflicted may have a speedy and full recovery.
Unfortunately, it looks like that may not be as likely as we would all hope and wish for...
Ars Technica has results of an analysis of COVID-19 victims' recovery. Be aware it was from a relatively small sample of patients who had been infected and then deemed to be recovered. Two months after infection, COVID-19 symptoms persist:
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues unabated in many countries, an ever-growing group of people is being shifted from the "infected" to the "recovered" category. But are they truly recovered? A lot of anecdotal reports have indicated that many of those with severe infections are experiencing a difficult recovery, with lingering symptoms, some of which remain debilitating. Now, there's a small study out of Italy in which a group of infected people was tracked for an average of 60 days after their infection was discovered. And the study confirms that symptoms remain long after there's no detectable virus.
[...] Roughly 60 days later, the researchers followed up with an assessment of these patients. Two months after there was no detectable virus, only 13 percent of the study group was free of any COVID-19 symptoms. By contrast, a bit over half still had at least three symptoms typical of the disease.
The most common symptom was fatigue, followed by difficulty breathing, joint pain, and chest pain. Over 10 percent were still coughing, and similar numbers hadn't seen their sense of smell return. A large range of other symptoms were also present.
Journal Reference:
Angelo Carfì, Roberto Bernabei, Francesco Landi. Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19 [open], JAMA (DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.12603)
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Tuesday July 14 2020, @02:08AM (4 children)
If you're worried about the class being split between video and in person, the answer would appear to be to have two different sections, with students enrolled in one section and able to audit the other whenever they felt like it. Much of the video section could be a recording of the in-person section. (No need to do the lecture twice.) Have separate TAs for the different sections, to lead and monitor any discussions. I'm sure I'm missing LOTS of details, and I can't imagine that the video classes will be nearly as good as the in-person ones, unless this is a class for a very large lecture hall.
Unfortunately, this doesn't do anything about contagion. I'm told that there's a specific frequency range of UV that will kill the virus quickly, and that moisture is enough of a barrier (and so is dead skin) that it's safe to use when humans are present. Unfortunately, the report said it took several minutes to kill half the virus. So it's a long way from perfect. Also you'd need LOTS of the correct UV lamps. (I checked when the report came out, and they were available on Amazon at that time. But I've been waiting for a follow up on the paper, since the report I saw hadn't been peer reviewed...and I haven't noticed anything.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 14 2020, @02:52AM
All the worlds current problems were resolved by the movie demolition man.
The virus spreads on toilet paper, stop the toilet paper, use the seashells. No more fluid exchange or cursing either. Enforced by mass surveillance state with no remaining middle class. Keep in mind the people who wanted that world were the bad guys in the movie.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 14 2020, @04:10AM (1 child)
The problem with your idea is that there are only so many hours in a day. Unless they cut publication requirements for the year or hire more faculty, there is no way for every professor and instructor to teach twice as many classes. Additionally, recording lectures isn't effective depending on what you are doing. If the student gets lost early on and a correction can't be made, the entire rest of the class on that topic could be a wash. And if your lecture can be replace with a static recording, there are some good arguments you are doing it wrong. There are also classes where you can't lecture/discuss everything and have to choose based on what the students are missing. A good chunk of some classes is determined by the scores on the pre-tests or emails we get with questions beforehand.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 14 2020, @07:32AM
My experience is that student are lazy, incompetent, and maligant. They do not show up for on-line sessions, even to the extent they managed to show up to in person sessions pre-covid. Online teaching is a scam, a trollop, a way to not provide students the support and education they deserve. I have often said, that anyone, now, in the age of the internets, can educate themselves on anything, if they have the motivation. People like khallow and the Mighty Buzzard, and the unfortunate Runaway-from-education, well, not much we can do for them. Unless it is getting them not to wear a mask and attend the "party of the Ozarks" or "Trump Tulsa!", or some other infectious opportunity. Lack of education is interesting, and often fatal!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 14 2020, @08:07AM
As the AC you replied to, I think universities could and should have handled this matter much differently. The reality is we'll probably have to move to online instruction quickly, anyway. If I had to guess, I expect once it becomes known there's an outbreak on campus, faculty will either cancel class sessions or move them online in defiance of the administration. Either way, I don't see the idea of in-person classes lasting very long. The real issue isn't just what happens in the classroom, but also in dining halls, libraries, greek houses, dorms, and places like that. We are fools if we expect students to diligently take the necessary precautions.
I'd have liked to see a lot more open communication between administrators and the students and faculty they're overseeing. My experience is that these decisions are made behind closed doors without students and faculty even knowing who's making the decisions, let alone having our input solicited. Faculty could have been trained over the past few months about how to deliver effective online instruction. We could have faculty and staff reach out and try to meet with students periodically in smaller groups or individually to check in on their well-being. We could be encouraging and working with students to organize online study groups to try to help students avoid being socially isolated. Frankly, this might be a really good thing to do outside of a pandemic situation, too.
As much as I'm frustrated with the administration, I feel bad for the students. Administrators haven't been any more forthcoming with them than with faculty. At least at my university, classrooms aren't large enough to accommodate the full enrollment once social distancing is taken into account. Students will be forced to some classes or sessions remotely whether they like it or not. Students may feel they have to go to class out of concern they won't do well in an online class. That may expose them to this virus and cause them to become ill. What happens at the end of the semester and take it home?
I appreciate your comment. Neither you nor I really have the answers, but I really feel like the administration is taking a bad situation and making it worse.