General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo here is interesting news that might just piss you off
It seems that the Big 10 is considering playing football this Fall after all.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29787079/big-ten-commissioner-president-trump-talk-starting-college-football-season
Some rumors are even saying as early as Oct 10th
https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-football-kevin-warren-donald-trump-big-ten-season-2020-covid-dan-patrick
Now many of you will think this is a terrible idea but that isn't what will make you mad.
Ask yourself what has changed in the last month that might make this conceivable. The answer is a fast and cheap test that could assure that players are cleared right before taking the field. You know who has access to a bunch of those kinds of tests? Donald Trump does https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-rapid-test-abbott-labs-150-million/
Now there are a lot of things wrong with this idea. Not the least of which is that the test isn't even approved for screening yet. But I would bet any amount of money that this was the substance of the conversation that was held between the Big10 and Trump.
If you are wondering why? Consider that Big 10 football is practically a religion in a number of swing states including Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. And Trump has been hammered for having the season canceled. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/514131-new-biden-ads-blame-trump-for-cancelled-sports-seasons
This would be an enormous abuse of power to facilitate something that would be hugely beneficial to him by offering them government resources. Perhaps it is just speculation at this time but it is the only thing that adds up.
The sad part about it is that I have come to believe that this new form of testing can save us. Waiting for a vaccine has become depressing because there is no guaranteeing it can work. At this point, the number of people who would agree to take it is so low that it wouldn't even reach herd immunity anyway. But cheap, rapid and plentiful testing could return us to normal very quickly. You could have concerts, restaurants and bars if everyone was checked at the door. You could have schools if everyone was screened sufficiently. You could have businesses open if the workers were checked regularly. Most importantly, we could drive the R0 value down so far that the virus could peter out naturally. So in general, I am high on this kind of testing in theory. It just pisses me off that it might get used as a political weapon rather than prioritized for more important things..
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)Trump must have something on the big 10 commissioner
genxlib
(5,506 posts)This one is supposed to be 97% accurate and doesn't require any specialized equipment.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/milestone-fda-oks-simple-accurate-coronavirus-test-could-cost-just-5
And there are some significant Doctors who think this kind of testing is actually better suited for screening because it identifies best when you are actually infectious.
https://www.vox.com/2020/8/27/21374002/rapid-covid-19-test-3m-abbott
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)genxlib
(5,506 posts)I am not in favor of this. Nor am I convinced that the BIG10 will buy it.
I just think it has been offered and that would be an enormous abuse of power
Nevilledog
(50,659 posts)I also believe a lot of top tier players will opt out due to other players having heart problems from COVID-19.
Chainfire
(17,305 posts)I believe that they will play if given the chance, and I also the coaches will play them sick if they can get away with it. There is just too much money in play to worry about the health of a few athletes.
Nevilledog
(50,659 posts)Stallion
(6,473 posts)the list grows every day
genxlib
(5,506 posts)My Hurricanes lost their top defensive end who was billed to be the next big thing after a real breakout year last year.
But the opposite is also true for the next tier down. There are hundreds of kids that need this year to prove themselves worthy of a pro career. They are willing to take the chance to showcase their skills.
There are already lawsuits filed about this as well as transfers to schools that are playing.
I respect their decision whether they opt out or really want to play. Football is a risk for many reasons so I am not even sure that COVID is the biggest risk they are taking.
qazplm135
(7,447 posts)they were asked and literally laughed about it. They aren't playing anytime soon.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)genxlib
(5,506 posts)It is still possible to have a month of practices even on their aggressive timeline.
I still doubt it but it is technically possible. As far as I know, all the players are at campus and could start on short notice.
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)davsand
(13,420 posts)FDA approval came last week for the test. U of Illinois is a Big Ten school.
https://fortune.com/2020/08/29/covid-testing-university-of-illinois-saliva-test-coronavirus-students-twice-weekly/
Laura
Added on edit: Local news was reporting tonight that the orange anus did call about football today and was told no football by the university. The vote by the Big 10 about playing this season had only three schools that voted to play. One was Indiana, another was Iowa. Can't remember who the third was, but it struck me that Iowa and Indiana are both reporting hot spots lately. Just sayin...
genxlib
(5,506 posts)And that was really what got me excited about where the testing is heading. Good for them because it gives them a better chance for success than other schools relying on older testing protocols. I think it is similar to what the NBA is using in their bubble.
I think the vote you are referring to is the original one. The details were only release yesterday but the 11-3 decision was the original vote to postpone way back on 8/11. The three schools who voted to play were Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio State. https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29781315/big-ten-voted-11-3-postpone-fall-football-season-docs-show
2naSalit
(86,040 posts)But not for the players.
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)JustGene
(421 posts)ARPad95
(1,671 posts)to sing the praises of the new pooled saliva testing developed at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and being used to test Syracuse University and SUNY students with quick results:
[link:https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/coronavirus/2020/08/19/saliva-testing-will-allow-cny-to-do-thousand-more-tests-each-day|]
They take about a dozen saliva samples, rather than nasal swabs, and test the group for COVID-19 at once.
Each swab was used by one student at a different campus," said Dr. Frank Middleton, a professor and researcher at Upstate Medical University. "This particular pool comes from Onondaga Community College.
Middleton will test the group, and if it comes back negative, none of the 12 people have the coronavirus.
That saves labs valuable time, supplies, and money. Upstate will be able to conduct at least 12,000 more tests a day, according to the New York State Health Department.
P.S. I know Dr. Frank Middleton. Great guy!
genxlib
(5,506 posts)There is a lot of negativity around here about the colleges being back in session.
I get it. There is some danger and it could go horribly wrong.
However, the Universities are loaded with smart, innovative people and they have invested all their energies into making it work.
And it is easy to be cynical about the money but that is the same motivation they have for really moving the bar forward. Some of them may fail, but some of them may work and they could be the solutions that are good enough to work for all of us.
Here is one that fascinated me from Arizona https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/poop-tests-stop-covid-19-outbreak-university-arizona