Coronavirus thread

Started by JBS, March 12, 2020, 07:03:50 PM

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vandermolen

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 18, 2020, 03:17:32 PM
So, no banishment (during classes) then?  Perhaps he could help to provide some needed levity/tension-relief?  After all, laughter is the best medicine.   ;)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

PD

Thank you PD.
Although as a technophobe I'm not looking forward to it.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Holden

Quote from: vandermolen on March 18, 2020, 10:43:26 PM
Thank you PD.
Although as a technophobe I'm not looking forward to it.

I'm assuming that your school has a Learning Management System (LMS) and this is how they will remotely deliver the program. Our LMS is set up at the beginning of the school year with the whole program already there. It means that staff, students and parents can access it. It includes lessons, assessment, communications and the ability to submit work electronically.

I've been asked to set up work for the students in a specific year level on a week by week basis, just in case the Government decides we should close. All I had to do was create a small vodcast showing students what they had to do by pointing to the parts of the system where they could get the already set up programs.

If your school doesn't have an LMS then yes, you might easily have a tech nightmare.
Cheers

Holden

XB-70 Valkyrie

#322
Our LMS is Blackboard, and although aspects of it are wonky as hell, I will never go back to the old way of doing things. For one thing, I put all my exams online, so exam day is holiday for me. The old me used to deal with stupid scantrons and paper exams. I see the old dinosaurs still using these methods and i can see why--it is often so much easier to go on doing the familiar thing rather than climbing the steep learning curve, even though it will save you vast time and trouble later on.

A couple of years ago I taught my first online class (Bio for nonmajors), and last semester, I got stuck with the in-person version, so I flipped it and used the video lectures I recorded before. It was a great success; I received the best student evals ever. Also it is much, much easier and more enjoyable for me!

Now, I am teaching core curriculum and upper division (I have a fkn Ph.D. for chrissakes), and I am recording video lectures for these as well out of necessity! We were ordered to transition to fully online last week. Fortunately, our institution is pretty good to faculty and they told us not to kill ourselves trying to teach everything we normally would--"We are in triage" said one dean. It is time-consuming--Every 20 minute lecture takes about 1.5 hours from recording, editing, exporting as MP4, uploading to YouTube, etc.

The way I see it, every thing you learn and do in the realm of online education will save you time and energy (and commuting!!) later on...
If you really dislike Bach you keep quiet about it! - Andras Schiff

XB-70 Valkyrie

If you really dislike Bach you keep quiet about it! - Andras Schiff

Marc

A Dutch newspaper reported that Italian virologist (Roberto Burioni) reacted very critical to the Dutch 'group immunity' thinking. "It is a very big risk that the Dutch government is taking. We do not yet know whether immunity to this virus can occur. That's still unknown. In addition, there is no vaccine yet."

Despite that, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health has not changed its mind about it.

Interesting, to say the least. 

(Also for the UK, because, iirc, they decided to do more or less the same as the Dutch.)

Irons

Quote from: Mandryka on March 18, 2020, 09:59:09 PM
But they've already spread it to the adults they have contact with, parents and teachers.

True, and grandparents who will look after them while their parents (hopefully) at work.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Irons

Clutching at straws, but a report in newspaper this morning that treatment for malaria may have some affect.

"Despite the grim figures, some scientists are optimistic. An eminent French doctor from Insitut Hospitalo-Universitaire in Marseilles claimed a drug used for malaria could stop the virus being contagious in just six days.
Professor Didier Raoult said a group of 24 patients who were given chloroquine experienced a rapid speeding up of their healing process as wellas the time they remained contagious.
Professor Robin May, an expert in infectious disease at Birmingham University said "Since it has a long history of clinical use, the safety profile of chloroquine is well established and is cheap and relatively easy to manufacture".
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

premont

Quote from: Mandryka on March 18, 2020, 10:02:27 PM
They've flattened the curve by isolating people, presumably if they let social contacts return to normal, the curve will take off again. There isn't as yet critical levels of immunity in the population.

Yes, and that's why these measures will be necessary for several months and maybe again next winter.
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premont

Quote from: Irons on March 18, 2020, 02:42:12 PM
I believe children are super-spreaders of the virus although they are not ill themselves.

Well, they are in a way ill, so far that they have got the infection, but it runs a mild and perhaps completely asymptomatic course,
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Spineur

#329
Quote from: Irons on March 19, 2020, 01:19:06 AM
Clutching at straws, but a report in newspaper this morning that treatment for malaria may have some affect.

"Despite the grim figures, some scientists are optimistic. An eminent French doctor from Insitut Hospitalo-Universitaire in Marseilles claimed a drug used for malaria could stop the virus being contagious in just six days.
Professor Didier Raoult said a group of 24 patients who were given chloroquine experienced a rapid speeding up of their healing process as wellas the time they remained contagious.
Professor Robin May, an expert in infectious disease at Birmingham University said "Since it has a long history of clinical use, the safety profile of chloroquine is well established and is cheap and relatively easy to manufacture".


At first, this treatment using hydrochloroquine was met with some scepticism by experts, as they could not see how this molecule could affect any virus.  Indeed it does not act directly on it, but it opens a channel for Zn^2+ ions to get into the cell.  The Zn^2+ then blocks the replication of the virus. This is why this treatment requires a second drug for the Zn^2+ release.  This is all explained in this video

https://www.youtube.com/v/U7F1cnWup9M

South Corea used paquenil (Sanofi trademark for hydrochlorine), one of the reason why their deathrate is lower.

XB-70 Valkyrie

Raoult is definitely someone worth taking seriously, certainly no crackpot.
If you really dislike Bach you keep quiet about it! - Andras Schiff

Mandryka

#331
Quote from: (: premont :) on March 19, 2020, 01:20:57 AM
Yes, and that's why these measures will be necessary for several months and maybe again next winter.

The positive thing, as far as I can see, is that the complications which cause death are mostly handleable with the right equipment. Of course, some people die with intensive care, but I'm sure I've read that most get through, even those with preexisting conditions. The immediate problem is that there aren't  enough respirators and other, more advanced, apparatus, not enough intensive care beds.

What I'm leading to is this. Vaccine or no, heard immunity or no, by next winter, there must be a way of manufacturing enough of the required pieces of equipment. When the second wave lets rip, it should be far less fatal, our reaction should be far less chaotic.

Take care, Poul, there's still a load of music to be explored! We need you here.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

premont

Quote from: Mandryka on March 19, 2020, 02:35:38 AM
The positive thing, as far as I can see, is that the complications which cause death are mostly handleable with the right equipment. Of course, some people die with intensive care, but I'm sure I've read that most get through, even those with preexisting conditions. The immediate problem is that there aren't  enough respirators and other, more advanced, apparatus, not enough intensive care beds.

What I'm leading to is this. Vaccine or no, heard immunity or no, by next winter, there must be a way of manufacturing enough of the required pieces of equipment. When the second wave lets rip, it should be far less fatal, our reaction should be far less chaotic.

Take care, Poul, there's still a load of music to be explored! We need you here.

Thanks for your kind and encouraging words Howard. I am very cautious at the moment, and don't go out other than for shopping food - and always keeping distance. The only person with whom I am in close contact is my wife. I do not even see my two sons now.

Hopefully you also take care and avoid any unnecessary contact with other people. You are also needed here.

Only the future will show how long this situation is going to continue, but it provides ample opportunity to listen to lots of music and read the books that have been waiting to be read since long.  :)

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Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: vandermolen on March 18, 2020, 10:43:26 PM
Thank you PD.
Although as a technophobe I'm not looking forward to it.
What kind of technical support do you have from your school in terms of training?  And/or perhaps some of the gents on hear who have done it in the past might be able to help you?

You can do it Jeffrey!  We have faith in you!   :)

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

aligreto

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 18, 2020, 03:17:32 PM
So, no banishment (during classes) then?  Perhaps he could help to provide some needed levity/tension-relief?  After all, laughter is the best medicine.   ;)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

PD


As you may or may not know, we Irish have a somewhat peculiar sense of humour. We use it to lighten our load in times of crises.

With great respect to my UK friends and neighbours, one joke going around here at the moment goes like this:

there are five people on an endangered aeroplane with only four parachutes. Those people are Trump, the Pope, Boris Johnson, Leo Varadkar [Irish Prime Minister] and a 9 year old boy. Trump grabs the first parachute saying I am too important, I need to save America and then jumps. The Pope declares that he is needed to save the Catholic Church, grabs another one and jumps. Boris declares that he is also very much needed, is the most intelligent man in the UK, grabs another one and jumps. Leo turns to the young boy and says I am a lot older than you, I have lived a good life so you take the last one. The young boy answers that it is OK, there are still two parachutes left as the most intelligent man in the UK has just grabbed my schoolbag.

You see, we Irish are no respecters of authority or reputation.  ;D

Karl Henning

Quote from: (: premont :) on March 19, 2020, 04:39:38 AM
Thanks for your kind and encouraging words Howard. I am very cautious at the moment, and don't go out other than for shopping food - and always keeping distance. The only person with whom I am in close contact is my wife. I do not even see my two sons now.

Warm thoughts!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Rinaldo


Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: aligreto on March 19, 2020, 06:03:26 AM

As you may or may not know, we Irish have a somewhat peculiar sense of humour. We use it to lighten our load in times of crises.

With great respect to my UK friends and neighbours, one joke going around here at the moment goes like this:

there are five people on an endangered aeroplane with only four parachutes. Those people are Trump, the Pope, Boris Johnson, Leo Varadkar [Irish Prime Minister] and a 9 year old boy. Trump grabs the first parachute saying I am too important, I need to save America and then jumps. The Pope declares that he is needed to save the Catholic Church, grabs another one and jumps. Boris declares that he is also very much needed, is the most intelligent man in the UK, grabs another one and jumps. Leo turns to the young boy and says I am a lot older than you, I have lived a good life so you take the last one. The young boy answers that it is OK, there are still two parachutes left as the most intelligent man in the UK has just grabbed my schoolbag.

You see, we Irish are no respecters of authority or reputation.  ;D
Thank you for making me laugh!   ;) :)
Pohjolas Daughter

aligreto

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 19, 2020, 06:28:22 AM
Thank you for making me laugh!   ;) :)

We can be respectfully disrespectful  :)

premont

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 19, 2020, 06:04:45 AM
Warm thoughts!

Warm thoughts to you too, Karl!

Be careful and cautious these days,
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