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Today, the VC at Bristol claims that national lockdown changes nothing in terms of the uni's blended learning plans.
As the Bristol UCU account+others have noted on here, the explanation leans heavily on an absence: the absence of evidence of COVID transmission in the classroom https://twitter.com/Bristol_UCU/status/1323590644032544768
As the Bristol UCU account+others have noted on here, the explanation leans heavily on an absence: the absence of evidence of COVID transmission in the classroom https://twitter.com/Bristol_UCU/status/1323590644032544768
So let's talk about that 'absence' first.
What evidence have the uni or PHE looked for to assess whether transmission is happening in the classroom?
You guessed it! None.(see note at bottom) Staff and students are not contact traced if someone attending class tests positive.
What evidence have the uni or PHE looked for to assess whether transmission is happening in the classroom?
You guessed it! None.(see note at bottom) Staff and students are not contact traced if someone attending class tests positive.
So let's talk about some other absent figures that are not quite as comforting for the University.
First, the famous disappearing numbers.
Where have the total case numbers gone from the website? Could it be that *1838* cases looks a bit, err, scary?
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/coronavirus/statistics/
First, the famous disappearing numbers.
Where have the total case numbers gone from the website? Could it be that *1838* cases looks a bit, err, scary?
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/coronavirus/statistics/
Never fear, 'Worried Academic' has been providing the transparency that for some reason the university has decided to abandon.
***1/14 students studying on campus has now tested positive.***
***58 members of staff*** https://worriedacademic.wixsite.com/bristolunicoviddata
***1/14 students studying on campus has now tested positive.***
***58 members of staff*** https://worriedacademic.wixsite.com/bristolunicoviddata
And let's contextualise those ACTUAL numbers with some other absent figures that the university has not been so keen to talk about.
1: testing rates+rates of positive tests. If nos. of new cases/day are declining, can the university confirm this is not due to any decrease in testing rates? I hesitate to mention this, as most students - I know - would be horrified by this behaviour BUT https://thetab.com/uk/2020/10/28/freshers-are-refusing-to-take-covid-tests-so-they-dont-have-to-self-isolate-180168
2: retrospective additions.
There was- understandably- shock last week when the numbers on uni website suddenly added historic cases identified by PHE.
Anecdotal evidence suggests the student self-reporting mechanism is creaking. Will we see huge jump when PHE adds missed cases?
There was- understandably- shock last week when the numbers on uni website suddenly added historic cases identified by PHE.
Anecdotal evidence suggests the student self-reporting mechanism is creaking. Will we see huge jump when PHE adds missed cases?
3: Examples where transmission may have happened in the classroom.
I know @cathyhume has mentioned her own case on here, so I hope she won't mind me flagging it again. I've heard of others. ALL of us who are doing F2F are getting large numbers of NHS phantom alerts...
I know @cathyhume has mentioned her own case on here, so I hope she won't mind me flagging it again. I've heard of others. ALL of us who are doing F2F are getting large numbers of NHS phantom alerts...
... and reporting this week suggests that some of those phantoms might, errr, not be so phantom after all?
(sorry DM was best I could do in a hurry, no need to click through to get the point) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8904855/NHS-Covid-19-contact-tracing-app-using-wrong-risk-threshold.html
(sorry DM was best I could do in a hurry, no need to click through to get the point) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8904855/NHS-Covid-19-contact-tracing-app-using-wrong-risk-threshold.html
4. Every one of the **58 staff cases** needs to be seen in the context of the hugely reduced activities of staff on campus.
I don't know what other risks any of those staff may have been exposed to (tho we do know at least one cluster definitely did happen *on campus*)...
I don't know what other risks any of those staff may have been exposed to (tho we do know at least one cluster definitely did happen *on campus*)...
... but what I do know is that it is the university management who are responsible for ANY employee who catches COVID on campus or commuting to campus.
We were forced - against the advice of SAGE, and our union - to engage in face-to-face activities in a PANDEMIC.
We were forced - against the advice of SAGE, and our union - to engage in face-to-face activities in a PANDEMIC.
Look around the country. How many other universities are still pressing ahead with this approach? Look at what our own Student Union are saying about the necessity of shifting online to reflect the situation in - let's not forget - a NATIONAL LOCKDOWN.
(Note from first tweet:
I would love to be corrected. Show us the evidence that anyone has been looking for positive evidence of transmission in the classroom, rather than - as most of us understand - treating transmission there as impossible and therefore ignoring it.)
I would love to be corrected. Show us the evidence that anyone has been looking for positive evidence of transmission in the classroom, rather than - as most of us understand - treating transmission there as impossible and therefore ignoring it.)
