Like many of you, I have searched for some kind of answer to what we all want to know, and that's whether we will have a football and basketball season. There is a lot of speculation, but no real answers. However, there appears to be consensus on two things: 1. if a vaccine is found, it will not be available until next spring at the earliest; and 2. football and basketball will not be played unless campuses are open and students attending. With these seemingly agreed upon facts, coupled with how we have responded to the virus thus far, and the real fear of it, justified or not, I don't see how a season can proceed, even if fans don't attend. What is a university going to do as soon as one student in a dorm comes down with COVID-19? Are the universities prepared to push forward with a season if even one player on a team contracts the virus? I don't think so. Even if that team was willing to go forward, they'll likely be required to alert the opponent of the infection, which may then pull out. To make matters worse, every state in the MWC will have to be on the same page in terms of loosening quarantine restrictions, universities opening up and sports going forward, which seems a very tall order. It appears California may be the most difficult. I'm not advocating that school or football season get cancelled. I'm simply pointing out that there does not seem to be any tolerance for any risk associated with this virus among institutions, especially when it might concern students over whom that institution has "responsibility." I pray we'll have a season, but it seems the odds are not in favor of it. I think the only way it happens is if the fear of contracting the virus subsides and it's tolerated more like the flu is every year. Can that happen in a few months? I hope so.

I am fairly confident that Utah State will be open to students for fall semester. The issue is getting all the MW institutions on board for this. I am not sure about all the other states opening up. Hawaii would be of concern. Unless all the MW institutions are open then there will be no season. When you open that up nationally with non conference games it makes it even harder.

My personal opinion is we should proceed on with life including sports as normal, but I am not one to live in fear of these things. Not saying it is bad to cautious like we have been, but for me we should start easing the restrictions and get back to day to day normal life.

I posted this over a month ago. I think it is still applicable. I am not holding my breath that there will be sports in the fall (or even winter, for that matter).

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Unless they find a treatment, merely having a vaccine doesn't make it any "safer" for university students to return unless every single student is forced to get the vaccine.

Things are getting ridiculous.

And yet how many college age students have even been sick or died from C19. Hopefully things will be back to normal for the football season. Go Aggies!

Vaccine is a nice asset to employ, and the treatment could be as much preventative hygiene as any thing else. Wash your hands well and regularly, and remember to keep your fingers out of your nose.

As of today, there are a little over one million confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases and 58,605 deaths attributed to COVID-19. This places the fatality rate at roughly 5.75%, which is extremely high for a virus. However, a number of preliminary studies from San Jose, LA, Miami, suburban Boston, and New York show that the number of people with COVID-19 antibodies is significantly higher than the number of confirmed and presumptive cases. This indicates that COVID-19 is much more widespread than previously thought. Several of these studies are going through more stringent analysis and such, but I think it is now safe to say that that the general population risk from COVID-19 is way less than the draconian measures that are being taken and it should be generally safe to have life begin to return to normal. I think that as more and more reliable data comes in we will find there is not the need for all of society to freak out as we did, allowing for college campuses and events probably occurring in the fall.

bwcrc wrote: ↑

April 28th, 2020, 8:32 pm

As of today, there are a little over one million confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases and 58,605 deaths attributed to COVID-19. This places the fatality rate at roughly 5.75%, which is extremely high for a virus. However, a number of preliminary studies from San Jose, LA, Miami, suburban Boston, and New York show that the number of people with COVID-19 antibodies is significantly higher than the number of confirmed and presumptive cases. This indicates that COVID-19 is much more widespread than previously thought. Several of these studies are going through more stringent analysis and such, but I think it is now safe to say that that the general population risk from COVID-19 is way less than the draconian measures that are being taken and it should be generally safe to have life begin to return to normal. I think that as more and more reliable data comes in we will find there is not the need for all of society to freak out as we did, allowing for college campuses and events probably occurring in the fall.

This. Before a vaccine, this is our only hope.

Contact tracing and testing will have as big, if not bigger, effect on the rise and fall of COVID-19 as a vaccine will. If you remember the Ebola outbreak in 2014, one of the main reasons it didn't gain traction in the US was because of contact tracing and testing. And we need much more, now that COVID is widespread.

Imagine trying to contract trace the common cold. Or your typical annual flu.

This isn't the Clap or, let's be honest, AIDS, where one's sexual contacts during a finite period of time are finite (unless, of course, you're @brownjeans ) and, thus, traceable.

Be honest. Can you really tell us everyone you've come into casual contact with by paying for your gas, getting your oil changed, or driving through the drive-through at the Pie Dump in Tree-Town?

NavyBlueAggie wrote: ↑

April 28th, 2020, 7:52 pm

Vaccine is a nice asset to employ, and the treatment could be as much preventative hygiene as any thing else. Wash your hands well and regularly, and remember to keep your fingers out of your nose.

Especially keep them out of my nose.

USU78 wrote: ↑

April 29th, 2020, 10:15 am

NavyBlueAggie wrote: ↑

April 28th, 2020, 7:52 pm

Vaccine is a nice asset to employ, and the treatment could be as much preventative hygiene as any thing else. Wash your hands well and regularly, and remember to keep your fingers out of your nose.

Especially keep them out of my nose.

You know the rules on this show, you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose; but you can’t pick your friends’ noses.”

In 2009 I was working in the hospital when the H1N1 pandemic hit. 60 million confirmed American cases. Yes only 12k deaths but what was scary is the majority of deaths were in children and middle aged Americans. No offense to the elderly but when kids are at high risk that always scares me way more. But the point I wanted to make was as a nation we didn't even talk about wearing masks, working from home, limiting events, or cancelling school.

hipsterdoofus21 wrote: ↑

April 29th, 2020, 9:16 pm

In 2009 I was working in the hospital when the H1N1 pandemic hit. 60 million confirmed American cases. Yes only 12k deaths but what was scary is the majority of deaths were in children and middle aged Americans. No offense to the elderly but when kids are at high risk that always scares me way more. But the point I wanted to make was as a nation we didn't even talk about wearing masks, working from home, limiting events, or cancelling school.

~500,000 kids under the age of 5 die of Malaria every year. - sad to say that because that fact isn't as new or scary as COVID-19, that bit of information is basically an anecdote.

blueaggie wrote: ↑

April 28th, 2020, 4:02 pm

And yet how many college age students have even been sick or died from C19. Hopefully things will be back to normal for the football season. Go Aggies!

Also a good question. I suspect very few. However, who wants to throw their son's or daughter's scholarship away if they have an underlying condition because the risk is too high? Who wants to accept the fact that their son or daughter died?

I'm not advocating keeping everything closed until there are no cases left. It's absurd. Or even waiting until the cases are decreasing. Also it's absurd because better strategies exist.

However, I am concerned about this virus because it's something so very different than our body's immune system is able to fight. Also, people, please don't compare flu stats or any other illness' stats. I beg you. Apples and oranges comparison. We don't know how this virus' stats compare unless we remove all restrictions first.

What utter nonsense. Our immune systems can't handle this bug? Then why are the friggin mortality rates so very low?

A week or two ago I read an article that basically argued government's response to COVID-19 is wrong by deeming certain businesses as "essential" and others "non-essential," with essential businesses allowed to operate while non-essential businesses must close. The author argued the determining factor should not be whether some bureaucrats determine a business is "essential" but whether the activity could be conducted safely.

Personally, I think there are some businesses that are "essential," such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Others are obviously not necessarily "essential," such as amusement parks and restaurants. But just because a business is not "essential" does not mean it should be shut down without any further consideration. The next question that should have be asked, but largely was not, is whether the business can be conducted safely. Activities that can be conducted safely should absolutely be allowed to occur. However, this would require government to consult with various industries and business on what can be done. Working in a business that is essentially shut down here in Pennsylvania, it is infuriating that the government refuses to consult with industry about how to go about reopening. Instead we receive sporadic edicts from government officials about what and how business can be conducted. The "guidance" that has been provided only proves that government officials (1) lack the capacity to make coherent decisions, (2) do not understand how businesses actually function, and (3) the apparent disdain many government officials have for the private sector that actually makes society function.

In an earlier post I said how we will probably look back and find COVID-19 is much more wide-spread than initially thought and the danger to society from the virus is much lower as well. Yes, there are those who are at a greater risk of severe consequences, including dying, and I have no problem with precautions for those segments of the population. With evidence starting to emerge that the COVID-19 mortality rate appears to be closer to the seasonal flu, there is greater support for allowing everything to return to normal. Hopefully that happens soon.

bwcrc wrote: ↑

April 28th, 2020, 8:32 pm

As of today, there are a little over one million confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases and 58,605 deaths attributed to COVID-19. This places the fatality rate at roughly 5.75%, which is extremely high for a virus. However, a number of preliminary studies from San Jose, LA, Miami, suburban Boston, and New York show that the number of people with COVID-19 antibodies is significantly higher than the number of confirmed and presumptive cases. This indicates that COVID-19 is much more widespread than previously thought. Several of these studies are going through more stringent analysis and such, but I think it is now safe to say that that the general population risk from COVID-19 is way less than the draconian measures that are being taken and it should be generally safe to have life begin to return to normal. I think that as more and more reliable data comes in we will find there is not the need for all of society to freak out as we did, allowing for college campuses and events probably occurring in the fall.

These are astute points. I don't think the draconian measures will be lifted anytime soon and we will continue to burn our houses to the ground to rid them of termites.

I work in healthcare in Idaho. 96% of the Covid deaths here are age 60 and older. Of that 96%, the majority are 80 years and older. Seems like a manageable way to ease back into life would be to let the Universities and schools reopen. Anyone who is high risk and meets certain requirements could be helped financially while they continue in social isolation, but at least we wouldn't be paying trillions to keep everyone isolated. Still recommend good hand hygiene (can't believe adults have to be told this in 2020) and educate the populace about high risk activities where a mask would be advisable but not mandatory. I'd start the football season at the end of July so the season wraps up before the peak viral months of the late fall and winter.

USU78 wrote: ↑

April 30th, 2020, 6:59 am

What utter nonsense. Our immune systems can't handle this bug? Then why are the friggin mortality rates so very low?

Some people's immune systems are certainly capable maybe more than we realize even more than now.

However, when was the last time we or any of our ancestors were sick with any of it's family of mutations before? We don't have the antibodies already to fight it. Therefore none of us really know our fate if we contract it. And the stats are misleading because they're based on draconian measures. Again, I don't advocate the shutdown in most places especially among young people. However it's a difficult argument for most people to open things up. I'm just glad that there are some people taking a leading role to do it.