14 Comments

1. 

   Bugek on March 10, 2020 at 4:51 pm

   Declaring emergency allows the state access to emergency funds…

   Living in a single family home with enough distance between neighbors is going to be quite a luxury for the next several months…. assuming you can work at home and avoid crowds at the grocery store..

2. 

   Amy Sangiolo on March 10, 2020 at 9:56 pm

   Should our schools close?

3. 

   Meredith on March 10, 2020 at 10:33 pm

   Everything should close. Read this excellent article from The Atlantic, which has taken down its paywall for Covid-19 articles. Also, if you get sick, call your doctor’s office rather than going there or the ER. Let them decide if you need to be seen. If you don’t need hospital admission, they’ll send you home and you’ll have been exposing other people and exposed to them.

   https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-cancel-everything/607675/

4. 

   Jan on March 10, 2020 at 10:43 pm

   Another excellent article by an epidemiologist, a different take. https://theamericanscholar.org/covid-19-a-primer/

   • 

     Marti Bowen on March 11, 2020 at 9:34 am

     Jan, I’m amazed to see this take on COVID 19 in the American Scholar. I’ve been reading this quarterly magazine since I graduated college and would never have thought they would have published an article that is so off base.

5. 

   Meredith on March 10, 2020 at 10:52 pm

   @Jan – I disagree that it’s an excellent article. The Atlantic article is being endorsed by the epidemiologists I follow. One of the best sources of information is Marc Lipsitch (@mlipsitch) who played an important part in the SARS epidemic.

   The reason to close things is to “flatten the curve” – that is, even if the same number of people end up getting sick, it will be over a longer period of time so the peak will be lower and our hospitals less overburdened. The Atlantic article has a good graphic that explains this.

6. 

   Bryan Barash on March 10, 2020 at 11:04 pm

   What Meredith said.

7. 

   Jack Prior on March 11, 2020 at 1:29 am

   Wow – yes, what Meredith said. This seems well intentioned but boarders on fake news. It suggests encouraging school transmission. Some kids unfortunately are going to be the vector that kills their grandparents. Think of how scaring that will be if they realize it.

   I’d encourage folks to read about what South Korea is doing. The knock on effects of school closing are complex. They are closing schools, but also doing a ton to support parents with no childcare options who have to work.

8. 

   Nathan Phillips on March 11, 2020 at 7:52 am

   Schools are cruise ships.

   Consider shifting spring vacation up to next week & adding a week to it.

   • 

     Marti Bowen on March 11, 2020 at 9:20 am

     Definitely – what Meredith says. Thank you Meredith for sharing your professional expertise with us. The Atlantic article is right on target.

     It’s critical that we slow this contagion down. The supplies for testing have run low so getting supplies to test 2000 more will help.

     From the WGBH article Bryan links:
     Baker said:

     This declaration will give our administration more flexibility to respond to this evolving outbreak. In addition to the state of emergency, our administration is moving forward with enhanced guidance for employers and large organizations. Responding to this evolving health threat requires everyone to be vigilant and for everyone to be part of this effort.

     The purpose of moving forward with these measures now is to act before the numbers increase to a point where the virus spread is severely impacting the commonwealth. The highly contagious nature of this disease means that if everyone plays their part in slowing the spread, the number of people who become infected and require medical attention doesn’t spike all at once, which would overwhelm many of our systems.

     Also in the article:

     Monica Bharel, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said that state officials made a request for supplies from the strategic national stockpile. That request has been approved and state officials have been told that the supplies needed to test an additional 2,000 people are on their way, she added.

     Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders reiterated that vulnerable populations — the elderly, pregnant and immunosuppressed — should avoid large gatherings.

9. 

   Mary Mary Quite Contrary on March 11, 2020 at 2:58 pm

   Is it necessary for Fuller to have a picture of herself in every Coronavirus update that goes out? It seems overly promotional in an inappropriate way.

10. 

    Nathan Phillips on March 11, 2020 at 4:54 pm

    Seattle has closed its public school system until further notice.
    Newton Public Schools should cancel classes asap.
    Amy raised this question – let’s have the difficult conversation.

11. 

    Mike Striar on March 11, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    I agree Newton Public Schools should close. Great idea Nathan had to slide spring vacation up a week. Everyone must prepare for extended closure though. I’d urge the Superintendent and School Committee to act on this right now. Let’s start by keeping as many people healthy for as long as possible. There is tremendous wisdom in what Meredith has suggested on this thread and Paul Levy has suggested on others. Let’s stretch out the curve of this virus so health care providers are not overwhelmed.

12. 

    Amy Sangiolo on March 11, 2020 at 5:56 pm

    I just started a new thread.