NCAA tournament update

[Chin Diesel]

Do you like old people?



Should be nobody if we are being honest. Essential personnel only.

Not particularly. They tend to mumble, have white paste around the sides of their mouths and take a long time at checkout lines.

 

[JimHurley]

As I said before our Government officials haven't helped in calming the public in any way

There’s only so much the government can do to calm the public when the media has their narrative that they’re going to continue to push no matter what facts come out.

 

[UConNation]

My problem with a lot of the reaction is that it seems, to me, to be completely overblown. I'm appreciative of the fact that this virus is real. It has killed people. Albeit far fewer people than the flu, but I do understand the mortality rate is higher than the flu and that the virus is new and there is a lot that isn't known. I'm aware that if our country gets to a similar stage that Italy is at, that our healthcare facilities could be overtaxed. I also understand the risk of spreading the virus is much higher if people are congregated in large masses. Those are real concerns, and I'm sympathetic to people that are dealing with how they should react to them, and we should take precautions.

However...

1) This is not the bubonic plague, and there have been no signs anywhere in the world, yet, that indicate that the virus is mutating into something significantly worse.
2) If we take logical precautions like staying home when you're sick (or suspect you might be getting sick or if you've been in contact with someone who is/might be sick), wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze, work from home if/when possible, self quarantine if you've been to Europe recently, don't visit grandma in the nursing home, etc then we're probably the majority of the way curbing the spread. We're also only a few weeks away from the warmer months which is when doctors believe that the disease is going to die off.
3) The organizational disingenuous CYA-behavior is really... upsetting. Why are we allowing athletes to sweat on each other during a game for 2 hours and then not shake hands? If we're concerned about the spread of disease during athletic events to the point that we're going to cancel (the Ivy Leauge) basketball tournaments, then why are not cancelling all sporting events (lacrosse)? If we're concerned for THE CHILDREN (insert pearl clutching meme) and are cancelling all CIAC events and after school activities, then why haven't we cancelled school altogether?

This is all excluding the ridiculous nature of our society, to the point that we're buying toilet paper in bulk for a respiratory disease. Remember, you've got neighbors that think chocolate milk comes from brown cows (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...brown-cows-and-thats-not-even-the-scary-part/).

This is all to say that we're living in a society that tends to/loves/craves overreaction. We're extremists, to one side or the other.

TL/DR: Take precautions, be considerate of others, but for the love of all that is Holy, this isn't an "I am Legend"-type scenario. Take a deep breath. This will be over soon (just like SARS, West Nile and all the rest of them).

 

[BlueMAB]

In this case I think there are many more important positives to come from being overly careful and taking this seriously vs downplaying it.

This.
If there is a time to be overly cautious, is a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus not the time???

Do not panic. But thoughtful social distancing is not hysteria.

 

[sammydabiz]

This is a dumb statement. Young kid gets virus is probably fine for now. But he can pass it on. You cool with his grandparents dying? His aged neighbors?

And are you an expert on viral mutations? What if this thing mutates into something more dangerous to more cohorts? And you've failed to contain it up to that point.

Taking reasonable precautions = stopping the spread as best as you can. Anything else is straight dumbarsedry

EDIT: if a few fans don't attend a f@#$%ing game is that a big deal in teh long run? No. No it's not.

You’re speaking as if there is a 100% mortality rate in the elderly community... currently it is in the single digits, probably lower due to people having it and not even knowing. The hysteria is out of control. In the grand scheme of things SARS was much worse.... the Wuhan virus is killing around the same rate as the seasonal flu. Let’s not freak out people

 

[McLovin]

I live in Nashville too! Do you know if there are any UConn bars in town to watch the tourney games at?

My son is a freshman at Northeastern. Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Babson and others are all going online and shutting down dorms. BU, BC and NEU are still doing in-person classes. We think it is just a matter of time. The flights back to Nashville are cheap, but I just don't know how much notice we will have. Seems like they would have to provide at least a week's notice. As a freshman, he still doesn't mind coming home. Interesting to compare a freshman reaction to that of a junior.

 

[superjohn]

There’s only so much the government can do to calm the public when the media has their narrative that they’re going to continue to push no matter what facts come out.

We got no clear messaging from the gov't in the beginning and still aren't getting nearly enough. Guess it's just up to local. People just want some clear messaging on what to do and instead it seems to be all over the place.

 

[UCfor3]

This.
If there is a time to be overly cautious, is a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus not the time???

Do not panic. But thoughtful social distancing is not hysteria.

Exactly, when people point to Italy and South Korea or they quote leading virologists, they are not in a panic. They are pointing out the reality of what is happening and projections from people far smarter in this field than anyone on here.

 

[uconngb]

Boehiem would like the tourney and all post season play cancelled.

But not before they self penalize

 

[superjohn]

WHO declared it a global pandemic.

 

[Edward Sargent]

My problem with a lot of the reaction is that it seems, to me, to be completely overblown. I'm appreciative of the fact that this virus is real. It has killed people. Albeit far fewer people than the flu, but I do understand the mortality rate is higher than the flu and that the virus is new and there is a lot that isn't known. I'm aware that if our country gets to a similar stage that Italy is at, that our healthcare facilities could be overtaxed. I also understand the risk of spreading the virus is much higher if people are congregated in large masses. Those are real concerns, and I'm sympathetic to people that are dealing with how they should react to them, and we should take precautions.

However...

1) This is not the bubonic plague, and there have been no signs anywhere in the world, yet, that indicate that the virus is mutating into something significantly worse.
2) If we take logical precautions like staying home when you're sick (or suspect you might be getting sick or if you've been in contact with someone who is/might be sick), wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze, work from home if/when possible, self quarantine if you've been to Europe recently, don't visit grandma in the nursing home, etc then we're probably the majority of the way curbing the spread. We're also only a few weeks away from the warmer months which is when doctors believe that the disease is going to die off.
3) The organizational disingenuous CYA-behavior is really... upsetting. Why are we allowing athletes to sweat on each other during a game for 2 hours and then not shake hands? If we're concerned about the spread of disease during athletic events to the point that we're going to cancel (the Ivy Leauge) basketball tournaments, then why are not cancelling all sporting events (lacrosse)? If we're concerned for THE CHILDREN (insert pearl clutching meme) and are cancelling all CIAC events and after school activities, then why haven't we cancelled school altogether?

This is all excluding the ridiculous nature of our society, to the point that we're buying toilet paper in bulk for a respiratory disease. Remember, you've got neighbors that think chocolate milk comes from brown cows (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...brown-cows-and-thats-not-even-the-scary-part/).

This is all to say that we're living in a society that tends to/loves/craves overreaction. We're extremists, to one side or the other.

TL/DR: Take precautions, be considerate of others, but for the love of all that is Holy, this isn't an "I am Legend"-type scenario. Take a deep breath. This will be over soon (just like SARS, West Nile and all the rest of them).

The only real way we can know the virus is mutating is if vaccines or therapies designed to work no longer do. We have no idea if it has already mutated. There is evidence of transmission to dogs. We presume that this came from the slaughter of a bat in a meat market in Wuhan (yuck!)

 

[huskymedic]

 

[uconngb]

As I said before our Government officials haven't helped in calming the public in any way

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

 

[JMick]

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

How are you idiots so dense? We're barely testing anyone! We don't know how many have it.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

No I am not focused on the media which I pay little attention to. I am focused on the lack of testing available to hospitals across the country, I am focused on a President more concerned about the stock market than health and who thinks he is smarter than his scientific experts.

 

[navery12]

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

And do you realize how quickly that 1000 has grown? And it's an exponential growth which means it's not going to slow down for a while

 

[superjohn]

How are you idiots so dense? We're barely testing anyone! We don't know how many have it.

Yep, anyone who believes only 1000 Americans have it is dumber than dirt.

I don't like all the panic stuff but I understand it, we're getting no clear messaging from the top. All we should be hearing from is the scientists and the gov't. and they should constantly be updating us. Only things we should hear from the media is repeating the messaging from the scientists and gov't to get the message out there.

 

[Edward Sargent]

And do you realize how quickly that 1000 has grown? And it's an exponential grown which means it's not going to slow down for a while

The Biogen cases went from 3 last week to 70 this week. Biogen has had to shut down its manufacturing in Rahleigh - thats not media frenzy that's reality! Exposures from that one meeting of 175 people have also resulted in shutting down schools in Norwood MA and Indiana because of incidental contact. Yes the Globe reported on it, but that isn't media frenzy its news!

 

[JMick]

Yep, anyone who believes only 1000 Americans have it is dumber than dirt.

I don't like all the panic stuff but I understand it, we're getting no clear messaging from the top. All we should be hearing from is the scientists and the gov't. and they should constantly be updating us. Only things we should hear from the media is repeating the messaging from the scientists and gov't to get the message out there.

I see zero panic anywhere. Morons like uconngb think scientists and health experts speaking the truth are "panicking" because he doesn't like what he's hearing. As you said, they're all a bunch of morons who are about as smart as dirt

 

[whalerfan]

We're going to see the number of cases go up and the mortality rate decline because testing is more readily available. People say that we should be like South Korea or Italy but we're too big. They can stop you on the street because their population is more dense than ours. That being said, glad I'm not flying anywhere.

 

[BlueMAB]

Govt officials??? It’s the media whipping everyone into a frenzy. Does everyone realize there are now more people in China that had the virus that now no longer have it, than those that still do?? Of course not, because that does not make for good headlines. Instead we’re focused on the 1,000 people out of 350 million that have it in the US.

Now explain what it was China did to drastically slow the spread?

It wasn't pretty

 

[cohenzone]

Not particularly. They tend to mumble, have white paste around the sides of their mouths and take a long time at checkout lines.

Young people are so absorbed with their cell phones they don’t notice that the check out line has emptied out in front of them

 

[JustbrewitMan]

How are you idiots so dense? We're barely testing anyone! We don't know how many have it.

Right. Which means that, in reality there are and have already been probably thousands more people who have Covid 19. That fact is a somewhat comforting thing because currently, our hospitals here have not been inundated with mysterious severe respiratory disease patients with no obvious diagnosis.

What I am saying is that these high probability observations support the hypothesis put forth by many experts that early estimates of higher mortality compared to other coronaviruses and the seasonal flu will not likely be the overall reality of the COVID19 pandemic.

The press release is put out by the governors office in concert with the CT DPH have specifically pointed out this fact.

Again, doesn’t mean ignore it, but temper the hysteria a little bit.

 

[JMick]

Right. Which means that, in reality there are and have already been probably thousands more people who have Covid 19. That fact is a somewhat comforting thing because currently, our hospitals here have not been inundated with mysterious severe respiratory disease patients with no obvious diagnosis.

What I am saying is that these high probability observations support the hypothesis put forth by many experts that early estimates of higher mortality compared to other coronaviruses and the seasonal flu will not likely be the overall reality of the COVID19 pandemic.

The press release is put out by the governors office in concert with the CT DPH have specifically pointed out this fact.

Again, doesn’t mean ignore it, but temper the hysteria a little bit.

What is the "hysteria" people keep talking about? The news reporting on what's going on in Italy isn't "hysteria," it's reporting the news. Reporting that it's now classified as a pandemic isn't hysteria. That's also just.... the news

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I see zero panic anywhere. Morons like uconngb think scientists and health experts speaking the truth are "panicking" because he doesn't like what he's hearing. As you said, they're all a bunch of morons who are about as smart as dirt

I think that cancelling CIAC tournaments could be construed maybe not as panic but as extreme over-reaction. As many have pointed out already, the logic is flawed to do that but not do other across-the board large-gathering prohibition measures for the majority of people that would be attending the events

 

[JMick]

I think that cancelling CIAC tournaments could be construed maybe not as panic but as extreme over-reaction. As many have pointed out already, the logic is flawed to do that but not do other across-the board large-gathering prohibition measures for the majority of people that would be attending the events

Yes because basketball games are soooo important. People just don't want to sacrifice anything

 

[borninansonia]

Here's a link to a superb video on exponential growth of the coronavirus and what it may mean for all of us.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

What is the "hysteria" people keep talking about? The news reporting on what's going on in Italy isn't "hysteria," it's reporting the news. Reporting that it's now classified as a pandemic isn't hysteria. That's also just.... the news

Hand soap and disinfectant aisle at Walmart:

No hysteria there

 

[BlueMAB]

Yes because basketball games are soooo important. People just don't want to sacrifice anything

I don't think we disagree on a whole lot, but I, and others, have made the point that if the schools aren't closed, then those kids are not being protected anyway. What's the point of letting the athletes go to school with hundreds of other kids, but not letting them play the game without spectators?

I think they should be playing the games with only officials and immediate family in place. I think that's a thoughtful compromise at this stage. Particularly if it involves 2 school systems that haven't closed?

 

[dvegas]

Harvard just cancelled every sport for the rest of the winter season. Wonder if they know something a person of average intelligence doesn't?