Some thoughts on Covid 19 at this stage.
I got an email yesterday afternoon from the school president
Dear Members of the Villanova Community,
We all felt it.
The sense of relief that several days of zero positive cases provide. Unfortunately, it also seems to have provided a false sense of confidence for some in our community. The sense that we are in the clear and that we could let down our guard. As our numbers this week have shown, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
While we are well prepared to handle these cases*, we need to see these numbers stabilize. We are not in the clear. We cannot let up. We must continue, or in some cases, recommit to, putting Community First at all times. If everyone does their part, I am confident we can finish out this semester safely on campus.
Do not PROVE ME WRONG, Villanova. V’s up. Masks on. Community First.
Sincerely,
Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA
President
This is a well put message and it makes complete sense. The goal of the school is to continue to have in person classes and this is their means to that end. It's a good goal for both the university as well as the students. That being said, what is the end game? This isn't me being "tired of the restrictions" or "annoyed at wearing a mask". It's a genuine question that no one seems willing to even address. There were a few days with 0 cases and then all of a sudden there were reported ones on campus. Does anyone honestly think that the number could have stayed at 0? This disease is not going away for decades at best. Will a handful of cases inside different organizations be cause for alarm until 2030? There is absolutely no doubt that this is a terrible disease that has the capability to seriously injure or kill, but we have to be smart about the fact that in most cases it does neither. The kids at 'Nova who are positive for Covid-19 are likely feeling ill in their isolation but will be OK in a few weeks and will resume class in person with the rest of their friends. I also understand the argument that professors are typically in a higher risk category and I understand that but they are going to be at risk for years.
So what is the long term goal then? Back to normal when cases are below a certain threshold? Back to normal when cases are 0? I don't particularly care what that number is, but we need to agree on long term goals.
It seems to me that the goal post was constantly shifting in the beginning of this pandemic and slowly it was disassembled and moved out of the stadium.