Thread by @bradystonex, THREAD: Here is a look at a timeline of COVID-19 in Brazos [...]

THREAD: Here is a look at a timeline of COVID-19 in Brazos County and @TheBattOnline's coverage of the situation at A&M from the beginning. Buckle up!

When @TheBattOnline began reporting on COVID-19 in early January, a suspected case of the coronavirus was breaking news.

@juliaapotts and I shared a byline on this first story — when the first suspected case warranted its own press conference.

In this first story, the virus seems very new and the CDC's main concern then seemed to be people who had recently traveled to China. http://www.thebatt.com/news/brazos-county-officials-investigating-potential-case-of-novel-coronavirus-in-texas-a-m-student/article_df78f3e6-3e2a-11ea-a07a-e705f0ee8de1.html

Brazos county officials investigating potential case of novel coronavirus in Texas A&M student

The Brazos County Health District is investigating a suspected case of the 2019 novel coronavirus.

http://www.thebatt.com/news/brazos-county-officials-investigating-potential-case-of-novel-coronavirus-in-texas-a-m-student/article_df78f3e6-3e2a-11ea-a07a-e705f0ee8de1.html

@juliaapotts and I shared another byline and spoke to students and faculty about the virus and their responses to a potential case. Students were sharing memes and experts called wearing masks "a bit over the top." http://www.thebatt.com/news/students-and-faculty-have-mixed-reactions-about-suspected-case-of-coronavirus/article_feccaa2c-4086-11ea-ab5b-07853d2d1131.html

Students and faculty have mixed reactions about suspected case of coronavirus

EDITOR'S NOTE: The results of the suspected case of coronavirus were reported as negative. This article reflects information received before the announcement.

http://www.thebatt.com/news/students-and-faculty-have-mixed-reactions-about-suspected-case-of-coronavirus/article_feccaa2c-4086-11ea-ab5b-07853d2d1131.html

That suspected case was confirmed as negative three days later on Jan. 26.

@juliaapotts reported this: http://www.thebatt.com/news/suspected-case-of-novel-coronavirus-confirmed-negative/article_c2e95f9a-408c-11ea-8a0d-e3ee520acacc.html

Suspected case of novel coronavirus confirmed negative

In a news release Sunday from the Brazos County Health District, the Texas A&M student suspected of having the 2019 novel coronavirus tested negative for the disease.

http://www.thebatt.com/news/suspected-case-of-novel-coronavirus-confirmed-negative/article_c2e95f9a-408c-11ea-8a0d-e3ee520acacc.html

A&M then suspended university sponsored travel to China for, as reported by @MCampanella_ on Jan. 29: http://www.thebatt.com/news/all-university-sponsored-travel-to-china-for-undergraduate-students-suspended/article_badacdf0-42e1-11ea-ba9b-9b66104e37b4.html
and Spring Break trips to Italy, as reported by @mahlersamantha on Feb. 28: http://www.thebatt.com/news/university-cancels-spring-break-trips-to-italy/article_fc88f9ec-5a6b-11ea-9603-8bae0824cf10.html

@CamrynLang wrote a column about the uncertainty she experienced with having to leave her study abroad trip in Italy during this situation.

"I didn’t think that in leaving Italy I’d return to a country in the midst of doomsday prepping." http://www.thebatt.com/opinion/paradise-in-the-midst-of-panic/article_60c2af24-67ec-11ea-a952-138fa97d3727.html

Paradise in the midst of panic

Camryn Lang is an English junior and former assistant news editor for The Battalion.

http://www.thebatt.com/opinion/paradise-in-the-midst-of-panic/article_60c2af24-67ec-11ea-a952-138fa97d3727.html

Shortly after this, A&M suspended study abroad and research trips to countries with travel risks as COVID-19 spread throughout Asia, Europe & elsewhere.

I broke this story for @TheBattOnline in late February as well. http://www.thebatt.com/news/a-m-has-suspended-university-sponsored-travel-to-countries-with-a-level-1-2-and/article_bac76ef6-5ced-11ea-9a61-23e64b30c40a.html

A&M has suspended university-sponsored travel to countries with a Level 1, 2 and 3 Travel Risk

Weeks after the university canceled non-essential university-sponsored travel to China, Education Abroad trips to Iran, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong for the remainder of the semester have...

http://www.thebatt.com/news/a-m-has-suspended-university-sponsored-travel-to-countries-with-a-level-1-2-and/article_bac76ef6-5ced-11ea-9a61-23e64b30c40a.html

A few general news stories about COVID later, we left our newsroom in the basement of the MSC for Spring Break & @BhaiSanna expressed concerns that we may not return to campus.

Subsequently, she broke the first *big* breaking news story of Spring Break: http://www.thebatt.com/news/texas-a-m-cancels-classes-monday-tuesday-following-spring-break/article_3d58298c-6310-11ea-8ae1-23f4cc473f94.html

Texas A&M cancels classes Monday, Tuesday following Spring Break

An email sent out to faculty and staff from the Provost and Executive Vice President Carol A. Fierke on March 10 stated that following Spring Break classes will be canceled

http://www.thebatt.com/news/texas-a-m-cancels-classes-monday-tuesday-following-spring-break/article_3d58298c-6310-11ea-8ae1-23f4cc473f94.html

Following this, our staff wrote dozens of breaking news articles about COVID-19 updates like:

- A&M moving spring classes to online-only format
- Spring graduation being cancelled
- College winter & spring sports being cancelled
- Aggie Muster being moved online
+ more

I wrote this FAQ about all of A&M's updates regarding education, health, services/resources, traditions and sports on March 16: http://www.thebatt.com/news/answering-your-coronavirus-faqs/article_fa909480-6743-11ea-82c3-b3aeaecbf903.html

Answering your coronavirus FAQs

In the days following Texas A&M’s decision to move classes online, many are wondering how the coronavirus will affect the rest of the spring semester. Here is what we know

http://www.thebatt.com/news/answering-your-coronavirus-faqs/article_fa909480-6743-11ea-82c3-b3aeaecbf903.html

After writing several articles about the cancellation of college sports, @hannahbunderwoo penned this Letter from the Sports Editor about her experience. http://www.thebatt.com/opinion/letter-from-the-sports-editor-sports-journalism-is-the-easiest-thing-in-the-world-until/article_5b1bd608-67e8-11ea-995d-27949813817d.html

Letter from the sports editor: Sports journalism is the easiest thing in the world, until it’s not

Dear readers,

http://www.thebatt.com/opinion/letter-from-the-sports-editor-sports-journalism-is-the-easiest-thing-in-the-world-until/article_5b1bd608-67e8-11ea-995d-27949813817d.html

And @mahlersamantha penned a Letter from the Editor that graced the cover of what would be her second to last print edition before she ~virtually~ graduated.

https://issuu.com/thebatt/docs/the_battalion_-_march_23__2020

A little over two weeks after the first *suspected* case, the first positive COVID-19 case in Brazos County was confirmed on March 19. Here was our brief

http://www.thebatt.com/news/first-positive-coronavirus-case-confirmed-in-brazos-county/article_705a9352-6869-11ea-bb08-1f0b801f97e2.html

First positive coronavirus case confirmed in Brazos County

The Brazos County Health District (BHCD) has confirmed a positive case of COVID-19 in Brazos County. According to the BCHD, the patient diagnosed with the virus is a female in

http://www.thebatt.com/news/first-positive-coronavirus-case-confirmed-in-brazos-county/article_705a9352-6869-11ea-bb08-1f0b801f97e2.html

Later that day, the first positive case in an A&M student was confirmed and reported by @MCampanella_: http://www.thebatt.com/news/a-m-student-tests-positive-for-covid-19/article_9e2476fa-6a39-11ea-aca4-0b3c0a68f242.html

A&M student tests positive for COVID-19

The Brazos County Health District has confirmed that a Texas A&M student is one of the four people in Brazos Valley that have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

http://www.thebatt.com/news/a-m-student-tests-positive-for-covid-19/article_9e2476fa-6a39-11ea-aca4-0b3c0a68f242.html

After these first few confirmed cases we stopped writing news briefs for additional cases and began tweeting updated on the situation in Brazos County. Here is our very first from when there were less than 10 cases: https://twitter.com/TheBattOnline/status/1240311383327215619?s=20

https://twitter.com/TheBattOnline/status/1240311383327215619?s=20

Now, as Brazos County approaches 3,800 positive cases of COVID-19, @TheBattOnline approaches its almost 200th story of COVID-specific coverage & A&M students are preparing to return to campus and in-person classes.

You can access all of coverage at http://thebatt.com/news/coronavirus.

Coronavirus

http://thebatt.com/news/coronavirus

A *huge* shoutout to our entire spring and summer staff for all of this content.

We've had sports stories, news articles, life and arts stories, opinion columns & guest submissions that have provided Aggies with so much knowledge and so many resources.

And because I've missed some content highlights in this thread, here is some of what I consider the most impressive/important:

@HenryMureithi5 created an interactive map of COVID-19 cases in Texas and wrote this explainer: http://www.thebatt.com/news/what-is-the-battalion-s-texas-covid-19-cases-map/article_19909512-7417-11ea-9935-e3f2092aeec1.html

What is the Battalion’s ‘Texas COVID-19 Cases’ map?

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect new changes in the interactive map.

http://www.thebatt.com/news/what-is-the-battalion-s-texas-covid-19-cases-map/article_19909512-7417-11ea-9935-e3f2092aeec1.html

@Riley_Farrell_ wrote an article on sinophobia amid the pandemic and exposed racist messages in a Turning Point USA at Texas A&M GroupMe. http://www.thebatt.com/life-arts/anti-asian-sentiment-rises-during-pandemic/article_f9b53164-7aae-11ea-b6be-b7f67d5bb503.html

Anti-Asian sentiment rises during pandemic

With the global rise in cases of the coronavirus, there has been a surge of racially motivated verbal and physical abuse aimed at the Asian community.

http://www.thebatt.com/life-arts/anti-asian-sentiment-rises-during-pandemic/article_f9b53164-7aae-11ea-b6be-b7f67d5bb503.html

@MCampanella_ has written several articles on the COVID-19 vaccine development at A&M. Here is her latest: http://www.thebatt.com/news/a-m-experts-offer-updates-on-covid-19-vaccine-testing-on-campus/article_9679824a-ca1c-11ea-b504-cf9906b216ed.html

A&M experts offer updates on COVID-19 vaccine testing on-campus

The race for a COVID-19 vaccine continues as researchers at Texas A&M find new ways to safely accelerate the development process.

http://www.thebatt.com/news/a-m-experts-offer-updates-on-covid-19-vaccine-testing-on-campus/article_9679824a-ca1c-11ea-b504-cf9906b216ed.html

@juliaapotts wrote a majority of the coverages of the weekly @BrazosCoHD press conferences from the last four months. Here is her article from the final weekly press conference on July 2: http://www.thebatt.com/news/takeaways-from-final-weekly-covid-19-press-conference-with-the-brazos-county-health-district/article_e48f2474-bfdd-11ea-8d2c-2fa5207edfed.html

Takeaways from final weekly COVID-19 press conference with the Brazos County Health District

The Brazos County Health Department (BCHD) hosted a press conference on July 6 to discuss the coronavirus.

http://www.thebatt.com/news/takeaways-from-final-weekly-covid-19-press-conference-with-the-brazos-county-health-district/article_e48f2474-bfdd-11ea-8d2c-2fa5207edfed.html

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