People don't understand what the word "exponentially" means. It's been pointed out that in this country we use it as a vague, unquantified adjective for "got bigger, faster!" But in a pandemic situation, if the doubling occurs every five to six days, the old maxim holds true:

I would like upset parents to consider that it sounds like no universities are planning to delay the students' credit completion or graduation, somehow, even if they're going to have to come up with fairly convoluted plans for studio and lab work. (My son's university is going to create a non-crowded schedule for asymptomatic students to use the lab and studio facilities, after a two-week break for cleaning and watchfulness, even though the live campus classes and gatherings will be suspended.) So there will be massive inconveniences and upsets, but there are obvious attempts to progress on time, instead of jeopardizing scholarships and other time-specific concerns.

I know. I've been following from day one. I think what the president is doing should be seen as a public health threat and probably a crime. I think he should be removed immediately. I was very literally addressing my preference for considering people to be ignorant, even sometimes willfully so, instead of calling them stupid.

We did the same, for an initial echocardiogram for each child, as soon as the possibility was raised (Marfan). The next round will be at the six month mark, with additional tests.

I have a very important geneticist appointment for two of my sons, in April. It's supposed to happen in the cardiology/genetics dept of the children's hospital. I have no idea what to expect; it would be hard to move it because there will be heart function tests included in the appointment. If they can find a way to get us in, we'll be going, but I am not looking forward to this! But like you, we have waited months and months for this very needed appointment. I hope you and your son will be well, and I hope that you'll get a good start on the information you need from the geneticist.

I don't think they're stupid. I think they've allowed themselves to be persuaded to only get information (especially about things they don't understand) from a very limited number of sources. I think they might not know HOW to locate experts and isolate their own responses to the rational, in light of what they are being told by those whose business it is to actually know. I think they don't understand the exponential activity of a pandemic, which is why they think it's ridiculous that fewer numbers than the common flu means a less serious problem. They can only attempt to evaluate the situation in front of their very eyes, without the ability to do the math and project. Which you may call stupidity, but I believe it to be more a lack of education. Literacy, numeracy, logic, knowledge of history, ability to assess internet resources, interest in political science and medical science...this all requires education.

It sounds like there'll be no deniers left in about 10 days.

Sorry to drop in with this when the convo has moved on, but I thought people would like to hear about this: The local school district, which is entirely closed due to diagnosed cases, has seen an unexpected but very natural solution to the childcare problem: High school students, mostly girls, have volunteered!! A few girls thought of it and posted the offer on social media, and others quickly joined. You can see how perfect this is - they're within the same school district so references can be found quickly, they are also out of school but not working adult jobs, the children can be kept in smaller groups since there are more carers, and children and teens are both lower risk demographics. I am just so proud of these young people.

I just realized I posted in the "overly worried" thread. I'm just going to assume that the gravity of the response is adjusting to the gravity of the situation for people. "Overly" worried = panic. That's never helpful. But "OK, I get it now, what should I be doing?" would be a very reasonable upgrade in a time of pandemic.

Our local schools are closed. It is very obvious that the people in charge were listening several weeks ago when the CDC said to make plans. It's not perfect; they can't provide childcare and the school can't solve parents' work and income problems. But they did the best they could. There is a plan for two meals and snacks for any family that needs them (to be picked up in a no-contact manner), and there is a plan for schoolwork. They have e-learning set up, but they also have paperwork packets for families that do not have internet access. They offered a lot of guidance and advice, and said that the school district had worked with the state department of education, the county health commissioner, the state department of health, and the CDC, to formulate their plan. I learned tonight that adjacent districts are likely to do exactly the same, because there were massive countywide sports and academic events this past weekend, and there's no way that students from all the other schools were not exposed to the families that are symptomatic and have been diagnosed. So it's comforting to me that the first district to close has set an example that includes feeding the children. Other state preps are not going quite as smoothly -- the call center was quickly found to be understaffed, for example. It became pretty much useless, and people are being told to contact their doctor again. But I find no reason to criticize the state and county response. They are doing what they can, and trying to pivot as quickly as information changes. They DO have a plan, and commitment. I feel that they deserve to have that selfless competence met with proper and honest leadership, and of course, the citizens deserve to have this pandemic managed as precisely and expertly as possible. We ain't gonna get it, but that's what we all deserve.... as we begin to see tremendous suffering and inevitable death as a result of negligence and mismanagement, I hope we will all do our best to stay calm, listen to local authorities and cooperate with their instruction, and be thankful for the tireless work on the part of people who are facing terror. "We" -- meaning the so-called healthy and young -- might not feel terrified, but the people working in hospitals right now, who are watching Italy, know they are facing a war zone as they won't have enough gear for personal protection or enough beds and medicines. Those of us who manage not to get the infection at all, and the 80% of us who do get it but who will only have a mild version that might be manageable at home, should consider ourselves to be at war, too, at least as far as our attitudes about getting through this. No panicking, no hoarding, no selfishness. Toughen up. Do without. Care about others and try to contain symptoms, if sick, and at least do NOT break quarantine if it's assigned. If we're healthy, support our neighbors who have family members either under treatment or working in hospitals. Again, if we're well and low- risk, consider helping with child care. But at the least, don't become a totally unnecessary problem by indulging in selfishness (whether hoarding or breaking quarantine) if we have no symptoms. For the majority of our nation who are expected to somehow carry on in retail and food service and gig economy jobs, without proper healthcare, and without any kind of guarantee or safety net for staying home sick (or staying home with children when their school closes) -- while I'm saying what I think, I'll say that I think 100% of Americans should be just pummeling Washington to fast-track the bills that have been written, regarding paid leave and health care coverage. It's an emergency. Putting this on the backs of the poor is unacceptable and we should all commit to that belief. Not "just" for this moment, to cause some pressure about the bills, but in the voting booth.

No. I'm basing my answer on the fact that my local schools with diagnosed students or faculty are closing their entire districts at least for cleaning, and the affected people's particular schools and school activities for two weeks. I'm not sure your school system is following the correct protocol, keeping any of the student-based gathering places open. They might be -- I'm not saying that "I" know the protocols -- but I would be more comfortable with treating a neighborhood school system as a piece. When the school is re-opened, go back to the tutoring center, too.

Oh, super sad thought, if the parents all think they're going to have to homeschool during quarantine now? Or maybe there are small business people concerned about supply from China, who panic-bought last week and made the store think they should order more. Neither of these seem very plausible to me -- the tele-school option will probably involve iPads and Chromebooks that students already have. If they don't have those, I don't see how paper and pencils are going to help them, because they won't have access to teachers and lessons... Third theory is that the store is concerned about employee absences should the virus strike their area, and back-to-school is probably one of the biggest moneymaking events of the year, so they're getting the stock out while they're sure they can. (This one actually makes sense to me.)

Someone at my local neighborhood market meant well, but got a little confused -- there were four shelves of Lysol, eight shelves of TP, and 12 shelves of Windex on a display near the front door. Windex? I'm picturing Gus from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Windex could be right; I don't know everything...

Where to start. So in her world, history wouldn't be a social studies credit.

So I don't understand getting bent out of shape over other people's emotional responses. People's anxiety over life manifests in lots of ways. If they want to stay up watching the news or tracking cases, that's no business of mine. I don't actually do that -- my health depends on sleep, and my kids' well-being depends on my being positive and engaged throughout the day. I have a teen with special needs who has enough problems. He is not going to spend these years watching his mother wig out over current events. That said, I'm only concerned with others' emotions as far as they influence actual responses. If I hear "I'm not concerned or making any changes," then I am now concerned because of you, lest you be one of the president's audience who would like to hear that you should consider this to be the flu, get a flu vax, go to work while sick, don't check for travel advisories, etc. because it's really no big deal and, by the way, totally contained!! If that's what you mean by "not concerned" then you are a public health hazard. Give a darn about others and get informed! Do your part, as your civic duty! If I hear @Arctic Mama say, "I have no further emotional energy for this and I'm not hugely following? Maybe checking the daily updates from the CDC? Because we live in a state of preps already," then I really am not bothered that you aren't bothered...you are DOING the same things I am doing, for family and as a way of life away from home. If I hear "I'm stocking up a little, in case of two week quarantine," I really hope it's on a sane level and in response to what the CDC actually told us to do, a few weeks ago. I hope it's not hoarding. Obviously some people are hoarding, and the retail response to limit quantities is vastly overdue. I'm only just now starting to hear of gouging and panic buying being restricted some -- which must be done, if people can't restrain themselves. In short, I am sorry for those who are having mental health problems over this. I hope that those with anxiety and OCD are able to get some help, of whatever kind they need. I hope everyone will calmly follow the news and abide by the changing regulations, as those are made available, without.... a. losing sleep or function - live well while you are well! b. failing to understand others' plights and therefore failing to observe their own responsibility to help contain the spread of disease, or c. turning on each other to criticize each other's levels of anxiety or just curiosity. It doesn't matter if Karen wants to read and comment all day, if Karen has the time, while Susan has calmly checked her preps and checked the news and then shelved it for tomorrow. Let people emote and process how they will. Short of spreading panic or false information (which SHOULD be addressed), what really matters is what we do.

This is where I'm coming from. People are literally suffering and dying right now, and all over the internet there are others unaffected saying, "What's the big deal? Am I the only one not concerned, because it hasn't affected meeeee? Tra, la, la, this is nothing, everybody calm down." This is the voice of people who have never suffered a potentially fatal episode of a breathing-affected disease, which is one of the worst forms of human suffering. This is the voice of people who haven't watched a loved one die within the last week of something that they never should have been exposed to, if proper information and protocols had been available and enforced. (I'm referring to the families of the nursing home victims.) Also the voice of people who don't understand pandemics and the likelihood of well over a million dead people in their own country. Knowledge. Empathy. Humility. If you think you're the only one who doesn't care about this or who seems unconcerned about this, seek information because logic would suggest that if you're the only one, you're probably missing something. I would recommend following Dr. Dena Grayson on Twitter. There are other international virologists and epidemiologists who are also contributing their knowledge and wisdom.

I'm not losing my mind or panicking, but I did stock up a little more than usual (not responsible for the Purell or mask shortage; I bought neither), and I don't think it's the end of the world or a sign of God. Most people -- that is, young and healthy people -- wil be fine...but I'm not impressed with bragging about the privilege of not being concerned. Those of us who have old or frail people at home, or whose children are in and out of hospitals all the time, or whose damaged lungs can't take One More Hit and therefore we would be at risk of dying, ourselves, with all these people depending on us...panicking does no good, ever, but we are watching this. We are taking precautions. We are making plans, because if we actually were to get this disease -- as everyone probably will get it, especially as it's being managed in the US -- we might literally die. So we have to make plans as if it's only going to be an inconvenience for awhile, to avoid getting it, AND we also have to make plans as if we might get sick and die. We need to make sure we have the supplies for staying home as long as possible, quarantining family members into one bedroom and bathroom to not spread it within the family, figuring out what would happen to the sick people we care for, if we were to succumb, wargaming possible scenarios for getting our children to necessary therapies and appointments if we are sick... Happy for you that none of this concerns your personal family. Since you don't have to spend the time that the rest of us are spending to stay informed and get prepared, maybe you could take a minute to express to your elected officials that people in this nation will suffer and die from Covid19 so it would be good to get some improvement on action and accountability. Not Everybody Is Low Risk. 😕

The library question is a good one -- should we avoid, for awhile? My library is a city branch, about which I am NOT snobby; my kids have worked there and we visit very frequently. But if we're being honest, it is never clean. The librarians are undoubtedly using hand sanitizer through the day, but I'm sure the computers and touch screens and tables and counters are not being cleaned any more than usual. It is a very, very high-use library, because it's the only neighborhood place with an indoor play area for littles, and it's the only place for free, accessible computers and wifi. People do not tend to stay home when sick, because they need these services.

I hope nobody will call this post "political" because I am sharing the information that we still have no confirmation that there will be any opportunity for the uninsured to be tested. If I were currently uninsured, and a homeschool parent in a single-income household, I would want to see this. And nearly 40 million Americans do not have insurance. So whatever anyone's politics, I don't care, and neither does Covid19. I do care what we are being told about testing. Also, this cannot be "partisan" or "political" to share, because the Trump Administration has advised us to consider Vice President Pence to be in charge of the Covid19 response, and Vice President Pence has instructed us to understand that he will be controlling information, with the assistance of Katie Miller, who is the young woman addressing this reporter. So clips such as this, from conferences such as this, are our primary source.

Update: I just looked at Dr. Grayson's twitter. The CDC has now expanded testing recommendations to anyone who has symptoms - fever, cough, difficulty breathing - instead of continuing to restrict to those who have been exposed to travel/travelers to/from affected areas. This does not change the fact that there are not test kits available everywhere, but to me, this might mean to call your doctor or hospital to find out if they are able to test you, if you can't tell how severe your "difficulty breathing" is or isn't.

Dr. Dena Grayson -- look her up on Twitter and watch her video. She says that it's not the label of Covid19 that makes you more in need of care; it's 100% about the symptoms. So if you have a condition that, if you had never even heard of coronavirus, you would have totally managed at home (because it's a cold/flu type thing), then DO that. If you are fairly low risk (under age 40 with no underlying conditions), that may be all you'll suffer with Covid19. Fever, cough, cold symptoms, manageable at home, nothing more to do beyond NOT spreading it. If you start to have trouble breathing, or cross any other threshold where it's no longer like a nasty cold or flu that you'd handle at home, then call your doctor. If your doctor has no advice, call the hospital. If they hospital has no advice, or if someone obviously cannot breathe, go to the ER immediately. *IF testing becomes widely available, the time may come when they want everyone (with symptoms) tested so they can track and quarantine. Again, follow Dr. Grayson, watch the news for updates from Dr. Fauci, so you'll hear about those changed recommendations. Dr. Grayson is not on the coronavirus task force. She was on the Ebola team and this is her field, so she is graciously helping with information.

That's a very good question; I was just sitting here thinking similarly. I would think that intentional deception is worse...on the other hand, the end result is the same: Children being taught ideas or facts that are not true. In my local school district, children do not have textbooks and frequently do not have actual curricula. The younger children have iPads and the high schoolers have Chrome books. There is a basic scope and sequence, but teachers (who are very, very short on time) are left to cobble together whatever they can find online. Nobody knows what the children are reading or what the sources are, except for those rare occasions when a student shares his (outrageous) lesson with his parent, and it goes viral on the Internet! This occurs in many poorer school districts in the USA. Maybe overall, in education, we are losing our grasp on some important values.

There's an elephant in the room: Religiously motivated homeschool curriculum. This gal is ignorantly claiming the Viet Cong...gah, I can't even type it. But far more established and supposedly qualified authors of classic homeschool curric have been biased and dishonest about history and science for years.

@Allie locking down the group makes it even worse. Thank you for sharing that.

Addendum to my post above: Did she not also begin this as a direct criticism of a different curriculum (and subsequent sheep-stealing of the groupies thereof)? If so, if they think they've got a religious "truth" found only with this gal, that would be a third reason. Albeit a cult-like one that I wouldn't bother addressing.