The US is reaching scary-high levels of coronavirus outbreak, with more than 1 in 400 Americans having tested positive. This recent surge started in mid-October, going from 8-9 million cases in two weeks and 9-10 million cases in 10 days. Additionally, there has been an upwards trend in 48 states, with California recently joining Texas in surpassing one million cases. 4 new states set death records on Saturday: Montana, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Amidst all this, I think the most uprising thing to come from the pandemic thus far is its effect on different races. Statistics show that Hispanic and Latino people have been hospitalized at 4.2x the rate of whites, American Indian people have been hospitalized at 4.1x the rate of whites, and Blacks have been hospitalized at 3.9x the rate of whites. Coronavirus has been a major factor in our lives and has affected the way we socialize greatly, ie. opting for zooms or facetimes instead of being with friends in person. However, in New York, though cases continue to rise, schools remain open.
1. Should New York go back into lockdown and close its schools?
2. Why do you think that certain people of color have been hospitalized at such high rates as compared to white people?
3. Why has there been a recent surge in coronavirus cases?
I find it interesting that even though Covid is at it's peak right now, things look as if they are slowly getting back to normal. Everyone was way more freaked out about this several months ago, but that shock is gone now. Even though things are worse it doesn't have the same phycological impact. Going back on lockdown might be the only way, but I think telling people to go back into their homes AGAIN, is gonna be too much a demand for some now.
ReplyDeleteAs for the hospitalization statistics regarding race there are many different ways to try and explain this one. I think for one, that since people of color tend to be less financially well off, it contributes to the increased rates. That being said there are plenty of poor whites out there, so it can't be the only reason. Which is why in addition I think it's because the more diverse areas of the country are in concentrated urban areas, compared to a large amount of the white population which along with urban areas also lives in spread out rural regions as well.
Lastly for question 3; let's face it, many people are getting lazy on this thing. They're going out more and more, outdoor dining, calling up friends, etc. Sure you can "try" to socially distance, but in reality, you can try to stay 6 feet apart, but chances are you're gonna break that a few times. And that's only for the people who actually try to do that, not mentioning the ones who don't care. The only real way to make the numbers go down is to go back to a lockdown. But are people really willing to do that again?
I completely agree with you. During the first few months of the pandemic, people were on high alert and were concerned and worried for their health so they were more cautious about hanging out with friends and going out. This is how we were able to get cases to go down and to flatten the curve. But recently, people have become restless and as a result, they have started going out more and have become less scared of the pandemic. With the number of cases on the rise again, I hope people realize this pandemic is still as deadly and it is essential to stay home.
Delete2. The problem stems from structural racial disparities, which have existed long before the pandemic. NPR and the NYT note that people of color have higher risk of infection (they are disproportionately represented in frontline jobs, more likely to use public transport, more likely to live in more crowded homes). Also, there is increased rates of underlying health problems for people of color, which increases risks of hospitalization and death. The problem of worse access to healthcare, compounds the problem. PBS notes that "You can have African Americans who are upper middle-class who are experiencing much higher rates of disease than you would see among white Americans at the same level of socioeconomic status" just because of racism and discrimination.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point, I definitely agree that people of color usually live the type of life where they are prone to the pandemic. They tend to be less economically stable and as a result, must take the essential worker jobs where they are exposed to the pandemic all day long. I definitely think this is concerning for the country, though as this type of economic disparity among races should ideally not exist.
DeleteLooking at schools being open, I've heard from my aunt who is a principal at a small private school in Virginia that the students eat outside while being socially distanced as they take off their masks to eat. I don't know the logistics for any school other than hers but I'm guessing that as it gets colder, especially on the East Coast, there will need to be other solutions to eating or any activity where anyone's' masks need to be removed. So as a caution, I think that New York should close their schools at least for the winter because it's better to be safe than sorry, especially when it is going to get very cold and most things will have to be indoors. Looking at California, we've seen over the past week how most of the counties have been pushed back to red or purple tiers because even though Covid has existed for almost a year, it definitely won't hurt to take precautions nation-wide as long as people are willing to follow these guidelines and make way for a path to healing. Hopefully there will be a decline in cases, instead of a continuing upward climb.
ReplyDeleteI think that schools should go back to being closed because being inside for a long period of time (even with masks) with that many people seems very dangerous and a way to spread the virus. Especially with lunch because since it is colder on the east coast I am assuming not many people can sit outside and be safely distanced. I also think that schools here should remain closed for the time being because of covid and that being inside and having up to 7 different classes a day could be dangerous. I don't know if having tests would help unless they were extremely frequent and available to everyone. I also know that there are now 2 vaccines that are over 90% effective but I also know that it is just a preliminary stage and they have to go through a longer process. But I am still hopeful that these can be widely distributed in the next year or so. -Rowan CC
ReplyDeleteI think it is imperative that schools in New York return to virtual learning if possible. Though New York had been pretty successful in flattening the curve this summer, because the numbers are beginning to increase, schools should be shut down in order to slow and stop this increase, before numbers reach all-time highs. Given the large population of public schools in New York, I think online learning may be challenging as many students do not have access to computers and other technology such as wifi. However, having students attending school in person is far too risky. Regarding question three, I think the recent surge in cases is due to the general population’s failure to follow social distancing and safety protocol. Since the first shelter in place during March, many people came to the assumption that the virus would be in a good position by Fall 2020. As a result, many have forgotten about the daily cases itself. In addition, I think after restaurants and malls started to open, this sense of normality made it seem as if the virus was not nearly as bad, and therefore rules could be loosened.
ReplyDeleteI believe that New York should go back into lockdown and close its schools, as the rate of Covid cases has started to increase once again. The rate of Covid cases decreased when everyone was under lockdown, therefore in order to stop the cases from rising again, the state should close schools. Students, especially of younger age, can be negligent and break some of the restrictions, which makes it much safer for schools to shift back to virtual learning. Moreover, the recent surge in coronovirus cases comes from people being less careful and lenient in following medical advice, as stores and restaurants have started to open up again. People have begun to continue regular activities without taking proper precautions such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, and social distancing. In relation to certain people of color having higher rates as compared to white people is due to the social and economic inequities among minority groups. Furthermore, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face obstacles when it comes to healthcare access, as well as living in close proximity can increase Covid cases.
ReplyDeleteI think that schools in New York should close down as soon as possible, especially as we are now seeing a major rise in cases all across the U.S. In fact, recently single day records have been broken in multiple states which clearly highlights that the pandemic is taking a turn for the worse, and therefore, not only schools in New York, but schools everywhere should shut down. Why the coronavirus is hitting populations in different ways could definitely correlate to financial status/stability, adequate housing, and access to healthcare. People who are experiencing poverty currently are much more susceptible to catching the virus and therefore spreading it as well, and this is unfortunately resulting in many deaths. I think that the surge in coronavirus cases can be attributed to multiple things: People's dissatisfaction with staying indoors and distancing from friends, news of a vaccine can even promote the idea that everything will be okay soon so it is now safer to go out unprotected, and overall ignorance of safety protocols put in place to try advise people how to lower risk of contracting the virus. It is extremely saddening to see how after months of the pandemic the cases are now spiking again due to such behavior, and hopefully things subside and a safe vaccine can arrive as soon as possible so that we can prevent more loss.
ReplyDeleteAlong with others, I also believe that schools in New York (and schools in other regions such as San Francisco) ought to close. I do believe that there’s a misunderstanding among the American public that children and teens aren’t able to contract covid because they don’t show as serious of symptoms as adults, but they also don’t realize that they can be carriers for Covid. Children and teens make contact with their parents, grandparents, and more people especially if they travel during the holidays. To answer your third question, scientific reports have also predicted that the pandemic will get worse because of the weather and the holiday season, which is why I believe that there shouldn’t be any schools open in person now. It is the holidays, the season of family and celebrations with friends, but people have to realize that given the current circumstances that simply isn’t safe. However, after the winter, I do believe that schools will reopen. If people do insist that schools ought to be open to provide children with the social experiences and because they believe that school in person provides a better learning environment, they could try to limit numbers based on how actually needs that support, mandating that they wear more PPE besides face masks such as face shields, and having people eat at a greater distance besides six feet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rowan and Lauren that virtual learning would be better for New Yorkers. Sure learning is important but I think an environment that can put your life in danger at any moment should be avoided if possible. The younger generation will make up the future and it's tragic to see young people lose their life. I think anything should be done to help the worsening pandemic. As for the racial disparities I agree with Tristan, the urban environment of New York definitely plays a role. I think another reason for the massive surge recently is presidential campaigns. At Trump rallies thousands of people gather and most of them don't wear a mask or social distance, making every Trump rally a super spreader event. I hope people prioritize their safety and be patient, people around the world are working hard to deal with this. Have faith that normal life will return soon.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that if schools are safe in New York they should be kept as open as possible. Many schools have seen few cases but if that ever rises they should try to shut down. I find it crazy that there is so much of a racial disparity. This should be a reckoning in our government to better fight these disparities and strive for more equality. People who dealt with poverty before Covid are suffering even more and many are forced to sacrifice their health of themselves and their families to make money. As for the rise in cases, people have grown tired of restrictions and want to go back to normal. Sadly this is not an option and cases have gone up everywhere in the United States. Even in the white house there have been multiple waves of cases over the past months. In the next couple of months I believe that cases will grow even more with the holidays around the corner. People will be traveling and being in close contact to relatives and friends will result in a massive growth in cases. But there are now multiple vaccines on their way most likely in January which may bring back parts of normal life.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I would like schools to open the reality is that they aren't safe. Children have been told that the virus wouldn't kill them, and thus have the idea that they are immune to it. Schools would become COVID hotspots, and even if the kids don't die from it they have families that might. The reason that POC die more is because of generations of wealth inequality with POC having less overall money due to the head start many white families got. The surge is mainly due to people being "done" with COVID and just assuming that its over because they wanted it to be over, and thus decided to go party under the mindset that if they don't believe its real it can't be real.
ReplyDeleteNew York definitely should go back into lockdown since cases are going up around the U.S., and while kids might not be as susceptible to corona as much as older adults, they would still be in a dangerous environment like what Zeke mentioned. The opening of schools during a pandemic would not be beneficial towards the containment of the virus, since kids might be unknowingly spreading it to their family. The recent surge in cases I believe is mainly because of people going out more often and sometimes ignoring the safety regulations like wearing a mask. People get tired of staying indoors all the time, and although cases are rising, many don't care as much as they used to, since Covid has turned in a daily thing. I've seen this happen in the park next to my home, and on some days there would be more people there than before the pandemic started.
ReplyDeleteI believe risking the lives of students by opening schools when the pandemic has done nothing but get worse is the worse option that New York can make. The Pandemic is hitting new highs across the nation, so I believe schools should be shutting down in order to try to reduce as much contact between people in order to slow the spread of COVID. I believe there has been a surge of corona cases recently because of voting and because people are beginning to be sick of this situation. Since we have been in quarantine for so long, I believe people are beginning to not care as much anymore and want to meet up with people that they have been separated from.
ReplyDeleteDue to the recent surge of cases, I do think New York should go back into lockdown so their numbers will not continue to go up as they are right now. I also do believe schools should go back online. While I wish that students could go back in person, online school is much safer to students, teachers, and their families. I think the recent surge is happening for a multitude of reasons including the holiday season so more people are meeting up with families, the fear of getting sick is going down and more people are going back to a somewhat normal life like school and work increasing their risk of getting sick.
ReplyDeleteThis post is closed; no more comments will be graded.
ReplyDelete