Coronavirus

[Steel Sponge]

Talk about your feelings on this most recent health scare. As of this writing, cases and deaths are still being reported where the virus is taking place. The numbers are still going up right now, so this isn't so much like the U.S.'s short-lived Ebola crisis. I am not all too concerned about this outbreak, but I am openly cautious since this is still taking place where I am (California).

[Cha]

Glad they’re actually cleaning public property for once, I see hand sanitizer and lack of paper products everywhere now. The media very much fear mongers the numbers compared to the actual people recovered from it (which is like 60,0000 or something?). Although the Coronavirus is more deadlier to weak immune systems and elderly, more people die of the flu each year and yadda yadda facts everyone already knew at this point. 
 

Although all those sudden deaths in Italy are still sad.

[HawkbitAlpha]

Well, I hear we've got cases here in Louisiana now, so I'm starting to feel a bit on edge about it. It also doesn't help that A) we're also about to start seeing warmer temperatures here soon, and B) the agencies responsible for managing health crises and pandemics have been absolutely gutted, so this has the potential to be a lot worse than any of the disease outbreaks we've had over the past few years. Still, at least some people are taking the initiative and handing out hand sanitizer and wipes like free candy.

My university is also making plans to shut down if there's a case confirmed on campus, so that should be fun to see unfold if it gets to that point!

[Steel Sponge]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/03/11/tom-hanks-coronavirus-rita-wilson/

Mind you, this happened while they were both in Australia. Praying for the both of them rn.

[SpongeOddFan]

Hope everyone is safe from the Coronavirus 

[HawkbitAlpha]

My university's now shutting down most of the campus and moving everything online. It's not even confirmed there, but we have confirmed cases in New Orleans (which is 70 miles away), so they're closing as a precaution.

That's how easily this stuff spreads, guys. If you have to leave home, keep your hands clean as much as possible.

[Aquatic Konquest]

Well, I've been hoping they would for a while now, but my university has finally decided to move everything online in the wake of COVID-19. Although technically speaking, they've simply cancelled all the "face to face classes" whilst keeping the campuses themselves open so that students can continue accessing its facilities and IT equipment and what have you. It's something, although I kinda wish they'd just shut down completely to some extent even if I don't actually live on campus and then make some choices regarding what to do for assignments that may require software only accessible there. After all, I know for a fact that each computer in a room I frequent is used by multiple people within the span of a day, so I wouldn't actually want to touch anything on site that could potentially give me the virus period. The cleaning staff don't seem to be making regular trips to clean the facilities either, so I just don't want to go back to uni. (Although if this partial closure is in effect up to the first week of April, I technically have no obligation or neccesity to go back to uni until my third year since I only have two timetabled terms. Ain't uni fun?)

I suppose I am quite happy with what they have put in place all in all though since I've heard that there are rumors that students on campus have it but at the same time it's somewhat annoying, because I have deadlines in the coming weeks and one of them was a project I was doing with a friend and now I can't - and don't - want to commute to convene with her. Fortunately we've found a workaround but still, it's not quite exactly the same as working together in person so it might affect our work output. I'm hoping they make some alterations to the deadlines or something since I need that adjustment.

But aside from that, I've heard that TfL is looking into cleaning its services regularly during the day which is nice considering how many people use the trains and buses. I will say I've used the trains to make my way back home a couple times in the past two weeks and honestly it's not like I was really freaking out being on public transport when there's a virus threatening our way of life because for a majority of people public transport is their only means of getting to and fro, and as such they can't afford to have it shut down, so they just have to ensure they're keeping themselves as clean as possible before and after they use public transport.

I also went shopping yesterday and wow...Twitter really wasnt kidding when they said people were stocking up on toiler paper and hand sanitizer. Although I don't understand the toiler paper part? I suppose it will ease people's minds to know that they have toilet paper at home if they need to isolate themselves, but...why? An overstock on toilet paper isn't going to save you. Wash your hands. Use sanitizer (which people also need to stop buying in large quantities and/or selling at ridiculous price hikes online - the virus affects everyone, let's not be assholes by profiting from it!). And if anything this panic buying nonsense affects those who genuinely need to buy toilet paper. I swear, panic-buying is absolutely nonsensical and I really can't stand it at all.