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Post by hc87 on Aug 10, 2020 15:07:39 GMT -5
It's ovah Coach....
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Post by DFW HOYA on Aug 27, 2020 10:52:59 GMT -5
It is now being reported that the Big Ten is cancelling the 2020 football season. Look for all other leagues to follow suit.
That didn't happen, of course. No leadership by the NCAA, the White House, and essentially 50 different plans for public health.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Aug 27, 2020 12:00:01 GMT -5
^ Guess I must have missed the start of the CFB season. Until a kickoff happens, it hasn't started.
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Post by hc2020 on Aug 30, 2020 10:48:17 GMT -5
Seeing several Worcester-area colleges And some other Patriot League schools (notably Colgate which was featured on CBS News) welcome students back to campus makes me disappointed that Holy Cross essentially elected to punt on the semester and not even attempt to have a partial segment of the student body (not even freshman and seniors like several other schools ) on campus this fall. I’ve heard all the excuses for why the hierarchy decided to close campus, but other schools apparently figured out a way to make it happen. Given the current approach, I wouldn’t expect any difference in the school’s policy come this spring.
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 30, 2020 11:59:18 GMT -5
Seeing several Worcester-area colleges And some other Patriot League schools (notably Colgate which was featured on CBS News) welcome students back to campus makes me disappointed that Holy Cross essentially elected to punt on the semester and not even attempt to have a partial segment of the student body (not even freshman and seniors like several other schools ) on campus this fall. I’ve heard all the excuses for why the hierarchy decided to close campus, but other schools apparently figured out a way to make it happen. Given the current approach, I wouldn’t expect any difference in the school’s policy come this spring. Or perhaps, HC will be super motivated to catch up and the staff that worked all summer to develop HC's September opening plan is closely monitoring the peer colleges who are opening and cherry picking the best practices of each to have a great safe opening in January. Or maybe that group of staff has been sent to the Eastern Front.🤔
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 30, 2020 12:10:00 GMT -5
In any case, I am ready for the Worcester Telegram and Gazette headlines about college students behaving badly to be handed off from HC to Clark and WPI who are opening. If the HC students living off campus are still generating news stories this fall about unsafe behavior and HC is losing millions by being closed to keep the community safe, it will be very disappointing.
Any type of football season HC can squeeze in this academic year will be welcome to me. I have confidence in Coach Chesney to conduct it as safely as any college.
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Post by hcpride on Aug 30, 2020 12:51:17 GMT -5
/\ Well, if papers consider it headline news when even a single (symptomatic or asymptomatic) college kid tests positive for Covid, expect to see lots of headlines this fall (witness the headlines in Hartford and New Haven regarding a single, asymptomatic, and quarantined Covid-infected Yale student two days ago). I suppose it edges out ‘Earth Declared Round’ for newsworthiness.
Some folks consider it unsafe to play spring and then fall football.
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 30, 2020 16:35:12 GMT -5
/\ Well, if papers consider it headline news when even a single (symptomatic or asymptomatic) college kid tests positive for Covid, expect to see lots of headlines this fall (witness the headlines in Hartford and New Haven regarding a single, asymptomatic, and quarantined Covid-infected Yale student two days ago). I suppose it edges out ‘Earth Declared Round’ for newsworthiness. Some folks consider it unsafe to play spring and then fall football. OK, limit each player to ____ number of games within both seasons. 16? 18? It would add another layer of strategy and interest. Hopefully the PL would adjust roster maximums to compensate for a small number of mandatory games sat out by the best players. HC would still have a depth advantage in the PL.
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Post by hc2020 on Sept 2, 2020 20:06:11 GMT -5
I’m hearing that HC football will begin organized offseason activities for those players who have been granted permission to live on campus, as well as players living locally and/or off-campus and granted limited access to campus, as early as Monday, September 14th. Activities will consist of field work on Monday evenings with position coaches, followed by a strength and conditioning program on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Players will need to participate in weekly COVID testing as part of their participation in the offseason activities.
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Post by hc2020 on Sept 4, 2020 14:27:00 GMT -5
The latest email from HC to students and parents regarding COVID:
Yesterday we became aware of six new positive COVID tests among students living off campus in Worcester and students living at their permanent homes locally. These cases are not necessarily related to any one event or location, nor have these students been part of our campus testing protocol yet. We are writing because the magnitude of potential spread is cause for concern. Through our contact tracing program, we have so far identified 28 close contacts of those who have tested positive, and contact tracing is still in progress. All affected students have been advised to isolate and quarantine consistent with state public health guidelines. We had recently approved a portion of off-campus and commuter students to have limited access to campus. Because of the potential for these cases to spread, to ensure that students accessing campus are part of the testing protocol for at least two weeks, and to monitor the transmission of the virus and close contacts in the off-campus population, we are delaying any access. At this time, access to campus will be restricted except to receive a COVID test. We will continue to monitor this situation and will keep students updated on when access to campus may begin.
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Post by Sons of Vaval on Sept 4, 2020 14:29:47 GMT -5
You want to take out a book from Dinand? Sorry, no can do.
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Post by HC92 on Sept 4, 2020 16:25:35 GMT -5
The latest email from HC to students and parents regarding COVID: Yesterday we became aware of six new positive COVID tests among students living off campus in Worcester and students living at their permanent homes locally. These cases are not necessarily related to any one event or location, nor have these students been part of our campus testing protocol yet. We are writing because the magnitude of potential spread is cause for concern. Through our contact tracing program, we have so far identified 28 close contacts of those who have tested positive, and contact tracing is still in progress. All affected students have been advised to isolate and quarantine consistent with state public health guidelines. We had recently approved a portion of off-campus and commuter students to have limited access to campus. Because of the potential for these cases to spread, to ensure that students accessing campus are part of the testing protocol for at least two weeks, and to monitor the transmission of the virus and close contacts in the off-campus population, we are delaying any access. At this time, access to campus will be restricted except to receive a COVID test. We will continue to monitor this situation and will keep students updated on when access to campus may begin. SIX students out of 3000 have tested positive somewhere in the world and we’re paralyzed? If we’re going to do nothing until there isn’t a single HC student anywhere who has tested positive in the last few weeks, and then we’re going to shut everything down the next time after that that a student tests positive somewhere in the world, we may never open again.
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Post by cmo on Sept 5, 2020 8:32:42 GMT -5
^ Guess I must have missed the start of the CFB season. Until a kickoff happens, it hasn't started. It’s happening. College football without the pageantry will be weird, but better than nothing I guess.
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Post by hc2020 on Sept 7, 2020 17:13:00 GMT -5
Holy Cross makes the Top 25 in FCS (football stadium capacity):
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Post by efg72 on Sept 7, 2020 17:47:06 GMT -5
No spring sports without a vaccine by December. Will there be a vaccine by December? Moderna starts phase 3 trials in little more than a week. 15,000 get vaccinated. 15,000 receive a placebo. Booster shot 30 days later for the 15,000 vaccinated, placebo shot for the 15,000 not vaccinated. At the end of August, the clock starts ticking. The phase 3 trial relies on the 30,000 living in areas which are hotbeds of community spread. That would rule out Boston, for example, being a site for the trial. The concept of the trial is that those who are vaccinated won't become infected, while some of those who received the placebo become infected. Fauci believes it will take three months to demonstrate that the vaccine works, assuming the trial sites remain as hotbeds. Poor choice of sites means the trial could take more months to complete. Ninety days from the end of August is the end of November. Assume that vaccine is shown to be safe and effective. Vaccinations begin December for those with the highest priority. Vaccinations ramp up in January for those with lower priorities, e.g., the elderly, those with underlying conditions., etc. By February, they may reach the tranche of college students living in congregate settings. First vaccinations Feb. 1-15; booster March 1-15. If colleges are willing to proceed based on partial immunity of the first shot, could play football in March. If colleges wait for the booster, could play football from mid-March onward. I use Moderna because it is the US vaccine to start phase 3. Three other potential vaccines have already started phase 3 trials. Two are Chinese-developed, one is British, developed by University of Oxford. The Oxford vaccine started phase 3 at the end of June, in Brazil. See: www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.htmlI spoke with FDA and I think it is fair to say they anticipate safe and effective vaccines to be approved this year. There are numerous options from experienced vaccine companies like Glaxo and Sanofi, Moderna looks ok and Novovax does as well. It will be about Tcells and immunity. 60 plus % of deaths involve men, most have pre-existing issues, O positive and negative blood types appear to fair better, Dr Peter Marks is an incredible public servant for FDA and all of us. If it is approved it will be safe and effective.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 7, 2020 22:15:42 GMT -5
The latest email from HC to students and parents regarding COVID: Yesterday we became aware of six new positive COVID tests among students living off campus in Worcester and students living at their permanent homes locally. These cases are not necessarily related to any one event or location, nor have these students been part of our campus testing protocol yet. We are writing because the magnitude of potential spread is cause for concern. Through our contact tracing program, we have so far identified 28 close contacts of those who have tested positive, and contact tracing is still in progress. All affected students have been advised to isolate and quarantine consistent with state public health guidelines. We had recently approved a portion of off-campus and commuter students to have limited access to campus. Because of the potential for these cases to spread, to ensure that students accessing campus are part of the testing protocol for at least two weeks, and to monitor the transmission of the virus and close contacts in the off-campus population, we are delaying any access. At this time, access to campus will be restricted except to receive a COVID test. We will continue to monitor this situation and will keep students updated on when access to campus may begin. I understand that some students are living off campus in non-college arranged housing because they signed leases before HC felt compelled to reverse direction and close the campus except for a small minority of students. So I certainly can't blame the off-campus students or their parents. But unfortunately these students are neither fish nor fowl. HC can't supervise them like they could if they lived on campus but in the public's eye the college is held fully responsible for their behavior.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 8, 2020 7:40:48 GMT -5
As of yesterday, nine HC students have tested positive. No faculty or staff have tested positive. This excludes the 21 positive cases arising from the off-campus party three weeks ago, and who were apparently tested by the city of Worcester.
The number of tests analyzed by the Broad Institute was 1114, again as of yesterday. Less than 75 individuals were tested on Aug 23-24, probably mostly faculty and staff. Aug 23 is the first day of test results from the Broad.
Broad promises test results within 24-36 hours, so the nearly 600 test results reported on Aug 31, Sept 1, and Sept 3 were likely entirely students. Two positive tests on Sept 1, Sept 3, Sept 4, three positive tests on Sept 5. No tests on Sept 2nd.
The 600 probably represents the number of students living on-campus, or off-campus with permitted access to some campus resources and facilities, including the library.
Thirty positive cases out of an on-campus and off-campus population of 600 is a five percent positive rate. If HC were a community within MA, the Commonwealth would be directing special attention to the outbreak on Mt. St. James.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 8, 2020 8:20:28 GMT -5
As of yesterday, nine HC students have tested positive. No faculty or staff have tested positive. This excludes the 21 positive cases arising from the off-campus party three weeks ago, and who were apparently tested by the city of Worcester. The number of tests analyzed by the Broad Institute was 1114, again as of yesterday. Less than 75 individuals were tested on Aug 23-24, probably mostly faculty and staff. Aug 23 is the first day of test results from the Broad. Broad promises test results within 24-36 hours, so the nearly 600 test results reported on Aug 31, Sept 1, and Sept 3 were likely entirely students. Two positive tests on Sept 1, Sept 3, Sept 4, three positive tests on Sept 5. No tests on Sept 2nd. The 600 probably represents the number of students living on-campus, or off-campus with permitted access to some campus resources and facilities, including the library. Thirty positive cases out of an on-campus and off-campus population of 600 is a five percent positive rate. If HC were a community within MA, the Commonwealth would be directing special attention to the outbreak on Mt. St. James. All your posts are helpful, this post was most helpful to put things in perspective. The positive rate for the State as a whole is around .9%. So HC is over five times higher than that. In the State as a whole, the people who get tested is weighted towards those who have a reason to be concerned, like being identified in contact tracing or who have a symptom, while at HC everyone with access to campus is tested. HC has to get a handle on the positive rate before any progress towards full reopening can be made. Limited access to campus for off campus students and those living with their family nearby would be a good thing to suspend until the positive rate is under control, imo. That would effect some football players, which is very unfortunate, but right now HC has the worst of both worlds: no revenue and other benefits of an open campus, but still an unacceptably high infection rate.
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Post by timholycross on Sept 8, 2020 11:23:41 GMT -5
What's the present number of active cases? 30 is much less meaningful if the 21 going back to the August party have recovered; which, I believe by now, they should have.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 8, 2020 14:55:37 GMT -5
What's the present number of active cases? 30 is much less meaningful if the 21 going back to the August party have recovered; which, I believe by now, they should have. Six reported who had not been tested by HC. Nine tested by HC. That's 15 active. Some of the 21 associated with the off-campus party could still be active. They had not attended the party, but were infected by someone who was at the party. Roughly, party was August 14th /15th, no community spread until 18th/19th at earliest. 14 day isolation begins day of positive test result (date test was taken should be the start date for isolation, not the date test was reported, unless one and the same).
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Post by hcpride on Sept 8, 2020 15:44:47 GMT -5
/\ This is actually kind of funny because HC has absolutely no idea how many of its total students have/had Covid. Active and otherwise. Not a surprise because many of the students themselves don't even know if they have/had it. Beyond that, even if a kid (non-Worcester based) was tested and tested positive, why would he/she bother telling HC? Would the faraway kid tell HC about a positive flu test? Strep test?
I would not assume (if anyone is) that a higher percentage of students who have access to campus have/had Covid than the far more numerous students who do not.
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Post by efg72 on Sept 8, 2020 16:51:28 GMT -5
clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04516746The Astra Zeneca vaccine just received a clinical hold-means major delay or not happening Pfizer, Novovax, Sanofi-GSK looking very good Moderna seems above average
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Post by timholycross on Sept 8, 2020 17:00:07 GMT -5
How normal/abnormal is such a hold (having read a newspaper story about it, could mean a lot of things)?
I had the Shingrix (sp?) vaccine for Shingles recently. That was a bit on the nasty side, didn't feel great for 24-48 hours. Nothing I wouldn't want to experience, however, if it were Covid 19 I was being protected against.
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Post by efg72 on Sept 8, 2020 19:02:57 GMT -5
Most common reasons for Clinical holds being placed on a trial is when the results demonstrate a significant adverse reaction, or there is evidence suggesting significant potential risks for patients
these are not uncommon, which makes the R&D investment of companies high risk overall
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Post by timholycross on Sept 8, 2020 19:41:28 GMT -5
From USA Today:
"The company put a hold on its COVID-19 clinical trials worldwide, while it investigated an adverse reaction in a trial participant in the United Kingdom.
It’s not clear how long the stoppage will last. Sometimes reactions happen during a trial that are purely coincidental, but if they are serious enough, research is put on hold until they can be fully investigated.
"We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimize any potential impact on the trial timeline," AstraZeneca said in a statement released late Tuesday. The company is testing a vaccine originally developed at Oxford University. "This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials.""
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