# Unanticipated aspects of a pandemic **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 8, 2020, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094 "2020-03-08T10:26:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/61 "2020-03-15T00:39:42Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > It didn’t happen to be the police chief that was forced to walk homein his underwear? > > [https://www.newsweek.com/fired-police-chief-walked-home-underwear-1488313](https://www.newsweek.com/fired-police-chief-walked-home-underwear-1488313) It was the same guy - but there’s some dispute about whether he was forced to walk home in his underwear because he was told to turn in his uniform and equipment immediately (his version) or whether he was told the uniform could be returned at a later date and offered a ride home and insisted on stripping and walking home. A local newspaper article had this > [@](#): > > Lee said that as he was undressing, Edwards told him to turn in his uniform on a later day, but he declined. > “This is what they demanded and this is what I’m doing,” he said in the interview. but Lee later denied saying that in the interview ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/62 "2020-03-15T02:11:29Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > - I recently read about how a police chief of a one man police department quit- I can’t even figure out the reason for these tiny police departments. After all, it takes 21 8 hour shifts to have a single officer on duty 24/7 - if there are only one or two officers, it’s seems like the police department is already not functioning for much of the time We live in a rural area. The closest town police department has one full time officer (the chief) and 3 part timers. When, for instance, the chief is testifying at a trial and there aren’t any other officers working, calls go through to the PA State Police. Then again, we’ve never had to call. The police department still manages to generate revenue with a speed trap that everyone who lives here knows about, yet people driving through get nailed all the time. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/63 "2020-03-15T07:38:23Z")
I foresee a Mad Scientist re-engineering the virus to produce vivid multicolored welts over an infectious carrier’s body. People must appear naked in public to prove they’re not contagious. The clothed and welted will be shunted into colonies until they recover. Misfits and welfare kings will fake the markings and dress funny to obtain free food, lodging, meds, and cell service. Radical political-religious movements will worship hairless pets. Celebs will stream shave-every-square-inch videos. Sunburn will be chic. The FDA will target bootleg Albanian depilatory lotions. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/64 "2020-03-15T10:25:30Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > I see many suggestions of anticipated consequences but few of those unanticipated. The rise of the frogs. Psychotic crop circles. Antidotes sprayed from helicopters over populated areas causing clothing to dissolve. Artistic beauty created by intelligent fungi. A trumpet fad. Disappearance of marshmallows from marketplaces. Squirrel shortage. > > C’mon, let’s have some brainstorming. What’s the next unlikely teenage craze? I just finished a serious scientific book on the bio- and mineralogical history of Earth that ended with a speculation that penguins might evolve into intelligent beings to take our place after we end as a species – apparently penguins have been evolving more quickly than similar critters. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/65 "2020-03-15T11:28:57Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I just hope it blows in a month or two… I don’t think there is any scenario by which this blows over in a month or two. There was a simulation model in the NY Times that had infections peaking in July and disappearing in October. > **[Opinion | How Much Worse the Coronavirus Could Get, in Charts (Published 2020)](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/13/opinion/coronavirus-trump-response.html)** > > Play with a model of coronavirus in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/66 "2020-03-15T13:33:22Z")
> [@Chad\_Sudan](#): > > I don’t think there is any scenario by which this blows over in a month or two. > > There was a simulation model in the NY Times that had infections peaking in July and disappearing in October. > > [Opinion | How Much Worse the Coronavirus Could Get, in Charts - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/13/opinion/coronavirus-trump-response.html) Thanks for that. I’m finally “getting” that the LONGER this episode goes on, the BETTER. Fewer people will get sick, and fewer will die, and there will be fewer severe “side effects” (e.g., people not being treated for OTHER, everyday problems), if the overall episode takes many months to “resolve,” rather than simply many weeks. That doesn’t mean the major disruptions to our lives (school closings, broad travel restrictions, etc.) and to the economy must drag on for many months. These restrictions can likely be relaxed and removed gradually, through late spring and into early summer (but we’ll see). ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/67 "2020-03-15T14:05:38Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Thanks for that. I’m finally “getting” that the LONGER this episode goes on, the BETTER. Fewer people will get sick, and fewer will die, and there will be fewer severe “side effects” (e.g., people not being treated for OTHER, everyday problems), if the overall episode takes many months to “resolve,” rather than simply many weeks. > > That doesn’t mean the major disruptions to our lives (school closings, broad travel restrictions, etc.) and to the economy must drag on for many months. These restrictions can likely be relaxed and removed gradually, through late spring and into early summer (but we’ll see). Really? Because i think the longer this goes on there will be **more** school closings and travel restrictions. And more panic buying resulting in food shortages and maybe even gas shortages. And even businesses going out of business and mass unemployment. I think it really depends on how many people end up actually getting sick and not able being able to work. And also, god forbid, if another natural disaster occurs during the midst of this Corona Crisis. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/68 "2020-03-15T16:38:15Z")
American Airlines is shutting down 75% of it’s wide-body fleet. I was hoping they’d run international flights with just freight loads with a temporary change in dim-weight charges (dimensional weight) to help cover the cost. I’m kinda surprised not all major school districts have shut down nationally. I’d think an extended Spring Break would be a natural response. We’ve had a mild winter this year so the 5 calamity days set aside for this would be available without any changes to scholastic requirement. I’m assuming all schools have some kind of calamity day set-asides for weather emergencies. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/69 "2020-03-15T16:45:50Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > American Airlines is shutting down 75% of it’s wide-body fleet. I was hoping they’d run international flights with just freight loads with a temporary change in dim-weight charges (dimensional weight) to help cover the cost. > > I’m kinda surprised not all major school districts have shut down nationally. I’d think an extended Spring Break would be a natural response. We’ve had a mild winter this year so the 5 calamity days set aside for this would be available without any changes to scholastic requirement. I’m assuming all schools have some kind of calamity day set-asides for weather emergencies. Explanation from my local county[Board of Education.](https://www.stancoe.org/coronavirus) > [@](#): > > • Available modeling data indicate that early, short term to medium (2-4 weeks) school closures do not > impact the mitigation or spread of the disease. > • Data also show that countries that closed schools, (Hong Kong) have not had success in reducing the > spread of the disease than those that did not close schools, (Singapore). > • Closing schools may increase risk to older adults or those with underlying health conditions, due to > increased social mixing (example: grandparents providing care to children). > • Closing schools will increase social mixing of populations, which may increase the spread of disease > and lessen ability to monitor students – social mixing of populations are those places where people not > typically associated with each other come together, such as theme parks and other large gathering > venues. Closure of these venues are more likely to prevent the spread of disease. > • There is a disproportionate impact to children whose parents/care givers are hourly and low-wage > workers. > • Students who rely on key services (meals, mental health, social services and other programs) are put > at greater risk. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/70 "2020-03-15T17:15:45Z")
Thanks for the cite. Not sure I’d agree with the statement: • Closing schools will increase social mixing of populations, which may increase the spread of disease and lessen ability to monitor students – social mixing of populations are those places where people not typically associated with each other come together, such as theme parks and other large gathering venues. Closure of these venues are more likely to prevent the spread of disease. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/71 "2020-03-15T17:16:55Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/72 "2020-03-15T18:13:39Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Explanation from my local county[Board of Education.](https://www.stancoe.org/coronavirus) And there’s another issue that I didn’t see explicitly in that explanation- some of those parents affected by childcare issues will be healthcare workers and first responders. They won’t be able to work if they have to stay home with their children because the schools are closed. and about this > [@](#): > > Closing schools will increase social mixing of populations, which may increase the spread of disease and lessen ability to monitor students – social mixing of populations are those places where people not typically associated with each other come together, such as theme parks and other large gathering venues. Closure of these venues are more likely to prevent the spread of disease. The mayor of the township where my daughter lives asked residents to self-quarantine today after seeing people congregating at parks and going to each other’s homes on Saturday. He was quoted as saying “We didn’t close schools so your kids can have playdates or play basketball.We did this because it’s a public health crisis.” I am absolutely certain that any district that closes schools but not malls and parks and bowling alleys will have teenagers congregating even though schools are closed. In NYC, there’s talk about shutting down bars and restaurants as well as movie theaters and gyms because people are still packing them. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/73 "2020-03-15T19:32:18Z")
Mini baby boom. Also, divorce increase. World wide tobacco use will diminish, also smokable weed in the US. Edibles will increase. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/74 "2020-03-15T19:49:06Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Explanation from my local county[Board of Education.](https://www.stancoe.org/coronavirus) Something is being missed, or one should give an “Incomplete” to that board of education; yes, there is modeling evidence that a short 2-4 weeks of school closures will not be effective, although that is forgetting how in Singapore all have access to care and testing (knowing who is actually sick is half the battle); what is missing is what the CDC is saying now: > **[School closures of 8 weeks or more? This is why the CDC says doing it could...](https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/03/15/school-closures-of-8-weeks-or-more-this-is-why-the-cdc-says-doing-it-could-better-mitigate-coronavirus-spread/)** > > (CNN) -- Closing schools for eight weeks or more may have a greater impact on mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus than two- to four-week closures, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said. > [@](#): > > **Closing schools for eight weeks or more may have a greater impact on mitigating the spread of the novel coronavirus than two- to four-week closures, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.** > > Shorter-term closures will likely make little difference in the spread of the disease, new CDC guidance states, even as K-12 school districts across the country began announcing school closures within the shorter time frame. > > Further, short-term closures may actually have detrimental effects, negatively impacting older caregivers at home, the CDC said. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/75 "2020-03-15T21:25:20Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > Massive disruption of supply chains in the short term; political instability; mortality spikes; then normality and prosperity. We can look at the Black Death and 1918 Flu as models. Terrible at the time, then back to something like normal - till the next event. I’ll let others speak to the Spanish Flu but the Black Death depopulated much of the world by almost 50%. It took a couple of centuries to reach pre-plague levels. the Plague wasthe main factors in the weakening of feudalism (labor shortage), and the consequent rise of guilds, the middle class, etc. It also intensified prejudice against Jews, causing a diaspora from the worst of it, and weakened faith in the Catholic Church, causing some other permanent changes. There isn’t really a thing called “normality” anyway, and “prosperity” fluctuates for many reasons. So, not really buying your argument. Major events like this do cause permanent social changes, and we don’t know what they will be. I remember the day after 9/11 grocery shopping (in California) and being kind of shocked that people – mostly young, college town – seemed so unstunned. I felt very disoriented myself, like I’d been in a car crash. An older guy, my dad’s age which would mean he lived through WWII, in the check out line turned to me and said quietly, “everything’s changed now.” And it was. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/76 "2020-03-15T21:31:44Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Something is being missed, or one should give an “Incomplete” to that board of education; yes, there is modeling evidence that a short 2-4 weeks of school closures will not be effective, although that is forgetting how in Singapore all have access to care and testing (knowing who is actually sick is half the battle); what is missing is what the CDC is saying now: > > [School closures of 8 weeks or more? This is why the CDC says doing it could better mitigate coronavirus spread.](https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/03/15/school-closures-of-8-weeks-or-more-this-is-why-the-cdc-says-doing-it-could-better-mitigate-coronavirus-spread/) That is what the CDC is saying, but the schools in my area that are closing are planning to close for 1-2 weeks. I haven’t seen one planning to close for four weeks, much less eight. Even people who are upset about districts that haven’t closed yet are clearly envisioning 2-3 week closings - they’re talking about “5 snow days and extend the year 5-10 days at the end and maybe that will bring us to spring recess”. Nobody seems to really be considering closing schools until mid-May - just the shorter timeframe that is unlikely to have much benefit, if any. And there may be any number of good reasons why that’s not being considered - but I’m not going to fault the Stanislaus County Department of Public Health ( the origin of that guidance although it was on the BOE website) ) for not discussing the impact of longer-term closures that were probably never under consideration. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/77 "2020-03-15T21:57:18Z")
Ok, so that’s changed- NYC schools will be closed at least until April 20 and possibly until the end of the year, but some campuses will reopen as enrichment centers and they’re working on a plan for childcare for essential workers who attend public schools. But in truth, I don’t quite comprehend how having some kids in enrichment centers and providing childcare for others is different from those same kids attending school - it almost has to be school buildings and school personnel being used. If 90% of kids come from families where it’s possible for a parent to arrange some kind of childcare, I can see how that could work but I’d really be surprised if even half of the families could arrange something on short notice. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/78 "2020-03-15T22:18:01Z")
I didn’t think it would take long for NYC to reconsider but that was pretty quick. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/79 "2020-03-15T23:27:01Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Explanation from my local county[Board of Education.](https://www.stancoe.org/coronavirus) Just got a text message from the Track head coach. The School District is closing all sites on Thursday, slated to re-open April 19 (maybe). ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094/80 "2020-03-16T00:19:26Z")
Like I said, just 2 weeks was not going to be enough, as I also did say IMHO we can return to normal faster than that once testing and more access to treatment is widely available. Knowing then where the disease is and what controls are in place will allow schools and other places to open sooner rather than later as it is taking place now. Just never forget that that took place mostly because we still don’t know about the real extent and locations where the contagion is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanticipated-aspects-of-a-pandemic/849094.md?page=5)