Coronavirus

[mamselle]

Yes, shifting the discussion to an object (like tables, and their size and positioning) is going to seem less like harassment or a directed attack on a colleague than talking about a particular person in a specific class.

It may then need to come to that, i.e., describing what you saw as an example, in which case you can say it in a more offhand way, so you don't come across as targeting that person.

The politics of spacing.

M. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

One of the students I told me that hu's prof put two cohort groups together in the lab and did not observe social distancing (had multiple students at a lab table) during an exam. I urged the student to contact the Department Chair. I know who the instructor is, but I don't think it's my place to say anything- or should I? What would you do?

Since you didn't see it personally, I'd encourage the students to speak up.  Are the lab tables large enough that the students could possibly be 6 feet apart from each other?

No, they are not.

[apl68]

I can tell that one of our staff members has been getting worried about the virus again.  This morning she decided that our box for collecting returned library items for quarantine was too close to the Circulation desk for comfort and moved it several feet away.  Books don't breathe or cough.  Any microbes on them will be there until they die.  Moving the "book jail" won't do anything at all to reduce risks.

I didn't say anything to her.  If it makes her feel better, she can move the quarantine box those few feet.

When she's in one of these moods I can expect to hear more about the endless errors and transgressions of a junior staff member who works in the afternoons.  I hope his afternoon isn't made too uncomfortable.

[the_geneticist]

We are being told we have to physically tape off locations in any research labs to indicate physical distancing spaces.  As in, "If Person A is using equipment in this location, Person B can't be any closer than this line."  We are supposed to space out shared equipment too.  We can't put the microwave, freezer, autoclave, incubator, gel tanks, balances, etc. all at least 6 feet apart.  We don't have that much space!  I think a lot of labs are going to look like colorful rainbows of tape (microwave use region is in blue, it overlaps with the freezer use region shown in green, which is next to the sink that is yellow, etc).

[jimbogumbo]

Higher death rate in US than other high per capita income countries: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/10/13/923253681/americans-are-dying-in-the-pandemic-at-rates-far-higher-than-in-other-countries

[Thursday's_Child]

Higher death rate in US than other high per capita income countries: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/10/13/923253681/americans-are-dying-in-the-pandemic-at-rates-far-higher-than-in-other-countries

My hypothesis:  due to a combination of the ugly realities of our healthcare system and the probability of comorbidities that can result from some combination of healthcare deficiencies, "Western" diet, & excessively sedentary life style.

[clean]

It could also be 'measurement issues'.  Here, you can die 'with' covid (rather than directly because of covid) and still count as it being THE cause of death.  IF the other countries are using a stricter definition, their numbers would be lower.

[FishProf]

Given the quote below, that hypothesis seems unwarranted.

"A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that over the last 5 months per capita deaths in the U.S., both from COVID-19 and other causes have been far greater than in 18 other high-income countries."

[Thursday's_Child]

It could also be 'measurement issues'.  Here, you can die 'with' covid (rather than directly because of covid) and still count as it being THE cause of death.  IF the other countries are using a stricter definition, their numbers would be lower.

That's true - there are different ways to attribute cause.  As one internet commentator put it:  "if I'm attacked by a bear and the injuries aggravate my diabetes to the point that the ER docs can't control it and I die of blood sugar issues, I still died of the bear attack".

[Thursday's_Child]

Given the quote below, that hypothesis seems unwarranted.

"A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that over the last 5 months per capita deaths in the U.S., both from COVID-19 and other causes have been far greater than in 18 other high-income countries."

Why do you consider the hypothesis unwarranted?  What possible factors, other than those I listed, would account for the U.S. having higher death rates than other countries with similar incomes?

[FishProf]

Why do you consider the hypothesis unwarranted?  What possible factors, other than those I listed, would account for the U.S. having higher death rates than other countries with similar incomes?

My response was to Clean's hypothesis, not yours. 

[Thursday's_Child]

Why do you consider the hypothesis unwarranted?  What possible factors, other than those I listed, would account for the U.S. having higher death rates than other countries with similar incomes?

My response was to Clean's hypothesis, not yours.

Oh!  That's a relief, because I was seriously wondering what I'd missed!

[onthefringe]

It could also be 'measurement issues'.  Here, you can die 'with' covid (rather than directly because of covid) and still count as it being THE cause of death.  IF the other countries are using a stricter definition, their numbers would be lower.

In addition to what fishprof mentions, it's not like people who happen to have covid are getting shot or hit by a bus and counted in the covid death counts. Death certificates have space for immediate and underlying causes. Yes, over 90% of people with covid listed as the primary source of death also have additional causes listed. In many of those cases, the additional cause (ie respiratory failure) was itself caused by the covid infection. In others, the additional causes are comorbidities known to exacerbate the dangers of covid. If someone has diabetes, catches covid, and dies, the diabetes may be listed as an additional factor. But the fact remains they died at that time because they caught covid, not because of the underlying condition that makes covid more dangerous. They might have continued to live with diabetes for decades. They died of covid, not "with" covid.

I think in some ways, the focus on comorbidities can be a way to reduce our own fear. If I can say, well, I'm young(ish) and healthy(ish), normal weight, low blood pressure, so if I get Covid, I might have a better outcome — it makes me less scared. But, it doesn't change the fact that over 200,000 people in the US are dead today who would likely still be alive if they had not caught covid.

[clean]

With all of the different countries, with different administrations, and different agendas, is the consensus that all of these political units have uniform processes for identifying cause of death related to Covid19?

[jimbogumbo]

With all of the different countries, with different administrations, and different agendas, is the consensus that all of these political units have uniform processes for identifying cause of death related to Covid19?

Close enough for me. It is essentially Western Europe plus South Korea, Japan, Australia and Israel.