Corona Chronicles
UPDATES:
Here are websites where you can get daily updates about the Coronavirus and how it is progressing throughout the world.
Does Warm Weather Protect Against Coronavirus? (May 11th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend normal life, scientists and researchers are finding out more and more about the disease. One of the most asked questions is: does warm weather protect against the virus? The short answer is: kind of.
Researchers have determined there is a slower rate of growth in areas with warmer temperatures. For example, California reported its first case before New York or New Jersey. However, they are only at 1⁄5 of the cases in New York. Texas and Florida, too, are faring much better than the Northeast. All of these states have crowded urban areas and
many people, but their weather is what sets them apart. A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that areas with many cases (New York and Italy, for instance) had similar weather to Wuhan and Hubei - the original places of outbreak. On
the other hand, areas like Saudi Arabia have a slower growth rate and a much warmer climate.While this may seem like promising news that the growth of the virus will slow during the summer, don’t celebrate yet. No one is sure yet of how much of a role warm weather plays in the spread of COVID-19, since there are still many infections in humid areas. Additionally, even if warm weather were a factor in slowing growth, it cannot stop the spread alone, and precautionary measures should still be taken. Read the full article here:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/warmer-weather-slow-coronavirus/story?id=70612437
Countries Across the Globe Raise Money For Coronavirus Vaccine (May 4th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
On Monday, the European Union held a teleconference with many prominent world leaders in order to raise money for funding labs that may be able to create a vaccine. Countries like Japan and Australia joined in and donated whatever they could muster
up. Romania donated $200,000, and Canada donated $850 million. Even Madonna chipped in! The U.S., along with Russia and China did not join in on the effort, but is currently spending billions and billions of dollars to fund their own research and
development of a vaccine. The European Union was able to raise about $8 billion in total, a whopping amount. As of now, the details of money distribution remain unknown. Read the full article here:
For more information: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/world/europe/eu-coronavirus-vaccine.html
Pfizer’s Coronavirus Vaccine Could Be Ready by Fall (May 5th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
The large pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, has announced that their new vaccine would begin testing as early as next week, opening up the possibility for emergency use in fall this year. They are in partnership with the German company BioNtech, and trials have already begun in Germany. Soon they will begin in the U.S. as well. “If that timeline holds true, study results could be delivered within a month. Then, with favorable testing outcomes, the vaccine may be ready to distribute in emergency cases by the fall”, the chief executive of Pfizer says. However, it is unlikely that a vaccine would be successfully developed so quickly.
Read more here: https://nypost.com/2020/04/29/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-could-be-ready-for-emergency-use-this-fall/
General Coronavirus Updates (April 30th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
● U.S. cases are almost at 1 million, while their deaths cross 54,000; the U.S. now accounts for over a quarter of global death toll
● Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the U.K., returned to work after recovering from coronavirus; he warned against lifting restrictions too soon, giving the impression that the U.K. lockdown will not end anytime soon
● Switzerland will allow certain businesses to open as soon as today
● Italy, the former epicenter of the virus, is planning to relax some restrictions by May 4, such as allowing parks and gardens to reopen
● Germany loosens restrictions as well but makes masks a requirement in public
● In Spain, children are now allowed to go outside, as long as social distancing was still in place
● France plans to ease lockdown starting May 11th
● CDC adds six new symptoms of coronavirus to the official list
For more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
The White House's Instructions to Reopen the U.S. (April 21st, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
All 50 U.S. governors were recently given instructions via a conference call with President Trump. Here is a summary of what reopenings will look like: In order to begin, states must have a return to “sustained decrease in cases over a 14-day period and a return to pre-crisis conditions in hospitals”. In phase one, schools that are already shut will remain closed, while employees who can work from home will continue to. Places like restaurants will open slowly, while maintaining strict social distancing. People are strongly encouraged to wear masks or other face coverings in public and must follow social distancing guidelines. During this time “vulnerable populations” will still remain at home. In phase two and phase three, the tight restrictions will slowly ease until everything is back to normal. States may edit this plan as needed, and the decision will be up to each governor. When will these reopenings begin? After consulting with medical experts, President Trump has announced a general date of May 1st, but since every state is different, this date is likely to vary. Make sure to stay updated in regards to your own state!
Read more here: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/donald-trump-reopening-guidelines-coron
avirus/index.html
Disagreement between White House and States on re-openings (April 15th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
On the East and West Coast of the US, states formed pacts, or alliances, regarding re-openings. The 7 states of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts decided they would coordinate re-openings and plan together for them. A similar alliance was announced by California, Oregon, and Washington. The virus is currently hitting the East Coast the hardest, with over half the country’s cases coming from New Jersey and New York. However, President Trump was not happy with these pacts and he claimed only he had the “total” authority to reopen the states. New York’s governor responded, asking why it was suddenly Mr. Trump’s decision to reopen when it had been the states’ decision to close. President Trump emphasizes, “The president of the United States calls the shots. They can’t do anything without the approval of the president of the United States.” Vice President Mike Pence later announced the administration would work with states to reopen the country, toning down the previous statements. However, this issue is still causing a rift between the administration and states, threatening a “cohesive response”.
For live updates, visit: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/coronavirus-updates-usa.html
Update: On the morning of Wednesday, April 15th, it was announced that states
would have the decision to reopen, not the White House.
European Countries Begin Plans to Reopen (April 17th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
Many European countries, after seeing the number of cases and deaths level off, and in certain cases, begin to decrease, are slowly beginning to ease the tight restrictions on life. The European region of WHO will be releasing guidelines next week regarding reopenings. Europe, the former epicenter of the epidemic, had a total death toll of over 80,000, and Italy, the worst hit-country accounted for almost a quarter of those deaths. However, the continent’s cases have come past their peak, and leaders are now planning to reopen the country. In Germany, some restrictions will lift by Monday itself, and schools will gradually open starting May 4th. In Bavaria, certain places like hotels will begin to open but large gatherings will be banned for months. Leaders like Merkel of Germany are advising their people to wear masks in public, and they are keeping social distancing guidelines in place as well. The WHO remains wary and warns for vigilance in anticipation of a second wave, but for now countries are hopeful that their share is over. Europe’s plans of reopening are promising for both Europeans and others around the world, as they may follow suit.
Read more here: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/european-countries-consider-lifting-lockdown
s-coronavirus-cases-slow-n1185101
How the Coronavirus Affects Me (April 13th, 2020)
By: Arush Goel (Grade 3, Mount Prospect Elementary School)
In early December of 2019 I came to know about a tragedy that struck China. A disease called the Coronavirus started making people sick all around China. All of this started in Wuhan, a city in China where 9 people (4 men and 5 women) got the coronavirus. Before long this virus reached other countries and states. The next country that I came to know after China to get the coronavirus was Japan. It soon reached other places and finally the U.S.A. By early March it slowly reached New Jersey (my home state). On the first day New Jersey got 2 cases of the coronavirus. A day later the number went up to 4 and then 11 cases. That is when New Jersey declared a state of emergency. A few days later the governor announced curfew from 8:00 P.M. to 5:00 A.M and my school also closed. By then about 200 people had got the coronavirus in New Jersey and 5 people had died. I was very scared and knew many people around the globe are getting sick. I was told that as long as I stayed 6 feet away from everybody and didn’t meet anybody that was sick I would be safe. So for the next few days I kept myself entertained by doing a lot of reading, biking, and playing basketball with my parents . On March 20th me, my sister and a lot of other kids in Basking Ridge went outside with our instruments and played all kinds of songs from 3:00P.M. to 4:00A.M. to get the vibe back in the town and make people happy with music. Because school was closed I couldn’t meet any of my friends, I couldn’t go to the playground, I stopped all my sports classes and I couldn’t go to any of my favorite restaurants. We started having school classes online. School takes half of my day. After that I started doing different activities like LEGO, reading books, and working on a zoo model. I spent some of my evening with my friends Ishaan and Kavish on Zoom, going out on walks with my parents and helping them with chores. Nowadays I have a totally different life.
By the end of March many countries in Europe including Italy were on lockdown due to this virus. In New Jersey things were still not looking good. About 2000 people got coronavirus and 30 had died. By this time the U.S. became the top nation for coronavirus cases in the world. In the U.S. New York had the maximum cases with Washington state in 2nd, California in 3rd, and New Jersey in 4th. A few days later New Jersey rocketed up to 2nd place. On April 9th New Jersey had 51,027 cases and 1,700 deaths, worldwide there are 1,577,783 cases and 93,675 people dead. I hope this all ends soon though.
China's New Wave (April 13th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
China, the original epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, had believed their share of the pandemic, which began in January, was over. The epicenter had gradually shifted to Italy and then the US, and so parts of China, including the origination point, Wuhan, reopened last week. But on Monday, April 13th, China reported 169 new cases of the coronavirus, the highest in over a month, since March 6th. This, as well as other signs, point to the conclusion that China is experiencing a second wave of the virus; “The latest figures in China are just over 82,000, with 3,341 deaths, according to data released Monday by the National Health Commission. By comparison, the U.S. has the largest number of cases in the world — nearly 560,000 and more than 22,000 deaths — according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University”. For those of us not in China, the news of a second wave is worrisome, as it signals that the rest of the world won’t reopen anytime soon. China has been experiencing the effects of the virus since January, and just when they thought it was over, it came back. World leaders and doctors look to China for news about the rest of the world’s future, and right now it looks grim. Leaders are likely to keep countries on lockdown to prevent any second wave, even after the disease peaks.
Read more here: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/13/832995379/china-reports-169-new-coronavirus-cases-highest-in-5-weeks
How Coronavirus is Helping the Planet (April 8th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
Cancelled vacations. Staying inside all day. Social distancing. All these things are hard and a little annoying, but did you know that they are helping the environment? Because of the coronavirus pandemic, factories have shut down and people have mostly stopped traveling and using cars. The positive effects of this on our planet are inspiring and they provide a true hope we can save our planet. In China, the place where the lockdowns first occurred, a study shows that “From February 3 to March 1, CO2 emissions were down by at least 25% because of the measures to contain the coronavirus, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an air pollution research organization. As the world's biggest polluter, China contributes 30% of the world's CO2 emissions annually, so the impact of this kind of drop is huge, even over a short period. CREA estimates it is equivalent to 200 million tons of carbon dioxide -- more than half the entire annual emissions output of the UK”. In just a month, carbon dioxide emissions have decreased by so much. And this is just China-- once all the affected nations are accounted for, imagine how much larger this number will be. As you can imagine, the pollution levels in extremely polluted areas, like Hong Kong and New Delhi, have decreased greatly and their air quality levels are rising. As the lockdown begins in several countries and continues in others, we can expect to see more examples of a thriving planet. So while you’re staying at home, bored, remember that this is good for Earth!
For more information: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/asia/china-pollution-coronavirus-hnk-intl/index.html
Testing for COVID-19 Grows Harder (April 3rd, 2020)
By: Sindhu Nagarakanti
As the number of cases grows around the world, the number of people waiting to be tested increases. The world’s most important medical testing centers have stated that there has been a backlog of over 100,000 testing inquiries. The backlog was cut when a newer way of testing was created. This test can inform patients of their health in 4-5 days, even 24 hours for high-priority cases. Healthcare workers are working around the clock to fit everyone in to be tested. This crisis, however, is highly unpredictable and no one can assume what will happen in the days to come. Private companies, as well as hospitals, are experiencing severe backlogs with their testing. There have been many problems because there were issues with testing kits and agencies, but as the CDC became more involved, the testing has started to become easier and more efficient. The CDC is extremely important and beneficial during times of crisis and should be regarded with the highest respect and appreciation.
Call To Action and Updates (April 1st, 2020)
By: Sindhu Nagarakanti
Many events have occurred since the start of the Coronavirus epidemic. Today, Florida announced a stay-at-home order as the pandemic grows more severe and the death rate increases. There have been over 4,500 deaths in the United States because of the Coronavirus and over 200,000 reported cases. Because of this, public officials are recommending that people wear face masks. Linked below is an easy way to make a pleated facemask. Social distancing goes without saying, of course. In New York, itself, the amount of deaths has surpassed 2,000. This has encouraged people to force New York to close its parks and open temporary hospitals. At this rate, the Coronavirus will not have an end and the death rate will continue growing at its horrible fast-paced rate. Around the world, there have been over 46,000 deaths and there are around 900,000 cases. We must do all that we can to prevent the spread of this virus.
How to make a pleated facemask: https://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie
Amazon's Worker Issue (March 30th, 2020)
By: Sindhu Nagarakanti
Treating the Coronavirus is an extremely tricky subject as there are many layers that go into this epidemic. One example is workers’ rights. Recently, Amazon Workers have been striking because they lack virus protection. Amazon fired a worker because he organized a protest against the lack of measures that Amazon had been taking to protect their workers from the Coronavirus pandemic. The worker, Christian Smalls, had come in contact with an infected person and was advised to stay home, with pay. Amazon, in retaliation, said that they were taking the highest precaution with their work atmosphere and it was a safe place for their workers to come in. They said that they had increased pay for the workers having to work overtime but many people state that this lack of respect for their workers is “inhumane” and “neglects basic wellbeing.” Amazon has a reputation for not sticking up for their workers and taking advantage of being the biggest company in the world, by criticizing their workers’ unions. The question is, will Amazon continue to fight the government’s orders about the Coronavirus, or will they stand up for their workers and try to conquer this terrible epidemic.
Be Watchful If You Or Others Are Not Safe In Their Own Homes (March 28th, 2020)
By: Roshni Tandon and Ashna Gupta - Ridge Highschool, NJ
While a lot of people can look forward to self-quarantine with their families, people in abusive relationships cannot. A lockdown means that they are stuck in their house with an abuser for a long period of time. If you or someone you know is being abused, here is what you can do.
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CALL 1-800-799-7233
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TTY 1-800-787-3224
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Chat at https://www.thehotline.org/
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Find more information at https://www.bananasplitproject.org/
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YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL 911 (Even if it’s not physical abuse)
Vaccine Update (April 9th, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy
In Wuhan, China, the 76-day lockdown has just ended. In other parts of the world, like Austria, countries are making decisions to slowly lift lockdown restrictions. However, a new study warns this could be a big mistake. The study, based on China’s outbreak, states that lockdowns must remain in place until a vaccine is developed. While the tight restrictions have greatly helped reduce the spread of infections in several countries, if these restrictions are to be lifted, the spread of the virus will start again, as seen in China’s second wave of the virus. The coronavirus vaccine is being developed at a record-breaking pace, and human testing has already begun, however, most officials say that it will still take at least until December to finish it.
Read more at: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/09/world/lockdown-lift-vaccine-coronavirus-lancet-intl/index.html
PSA: When Shopping Alone, Be Wary of the Parking Lot (March 26, 2020)
By: Roshni Tandon
Because many teens can drive, a lot of parents are sending their kids to pick up groceries and run other errands. While you may not realize it, parking lots can sometimes be dangerous places and it’s important to be cautious about where you are. To stay safe, experts recommend that you:
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Lock your car and drive the minute you sit in it. Don’t give anyone an opportunity to enter while you text or chat.
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If there is a van parked next to your car, or a man sitting in the driver’s seat next to your car, do not enter your car.
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If it is late and you feel insecure in a parking lot or you feel that something is off, ask a security officer to escort you out.
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While walking to your car, omit distractions to keep yourself aware-especially at night.
Things Everyone can do to Prevent the Spread of Corona Virus (March 27, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy - Ridge High School
The New York Times’ article has listed out methods everyone should use to prevent thespread of COVID-19 and help return the world to normal. These are simple things that anyone can do, so you should do them too! The first thing you can do is prevent infection. This can be accomplished by maintaining good hygiene - washing and sanitizing your hands and face often, cleaning your house and items you touch a lot (like your phone), avoiding touching your face, and covering your sneezes or coughs so that germs do not spread. You can also prevent infection by socially distancing, trying not to travel, and staying home as much as possible. You can also prepare. This does not mean hoarding items like toilet paper and soap, and it does not mean panic buying. It means thinking responsibly about what you will use over the next 2-3 weeks and buying just that. In addition, you should buy nutritious food to build your immune system and also ensure you have a supply of medicine and things like thermometers in case of an emergency. One of the most important things you can do is to stay home. By socially distancing, you are minimizing the spread of the disease. Even if your exposure is decreased to just 50%, only 15 people will potentially get infected as opposed to 406 originally. While staying home can seem boring and uninteresting, there are a number of things that can help-- creating a structure, socializing digitally, spending time with family. The last tip the New York Times has is to remember that you can recover. There is always a possibility you will get sick, but that doesn’t mean you have to stress and worry about it. About 80% of patients only have mild to moderate symptoms. Many people in other countries have had the virus and recovered quickly, without being tested. If you’re a kid, the chances are that you won’t get sick. But it’s still incredibly important to prevent the spread of the disease, so it is vital to make sure you are trying your best to follow all these tips!
Visit the link below for more detailed information: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-preparation-preparedness.html#illness
PSA: Pay Attention to Your Surroundings When Outside:
By: Roshni Tandon- Ridge High School - Black Belt in Karate
With school and college sports discontinued for the near future, teens trying to workout will start to run outside. Because of quarantine and social distancing, many outdoor activities, sports and exercise drills will now have to be attempted by yourself. However, it is still important to be cautious of your environment. When alone in your neighborhood:
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Look up occasionally to make sure you are aware of your surroundings.
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Take different routes in order to be less predictable.
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If it looks like someone is following you, take an unexpected turn to see if they are still behind you and head towards a public place.
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Always keep a charged phone with you.
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Make sure you let someone know when you step outside and how long you’ll be gone.
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Trust your gut feeling. If something seems off, return to your home.
Coming Together (March 23, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy - Ridge High School
Right now, it may feel like the world is in chaos. Countries are on lockdown, school is closed, and everyone is practicing social distancing. But that doesn’t mean that people can’t come together! In times like these, we need to stick together. And people from all over the world have already begun to do so. Italy is now the country worst-affected since China, and it has been on lockdown since March 10th, with over 50,000 cases nationwide. But even while in self-isolation, Italy’s residents have started coming together from their own balconies by singing together. This is happening all over the country; check out the links at the bottom for videos! A similar thing occurred in Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus is believed to have
originated from. In Spain, another nation on lockdown, people are also taking part in this! A fitness instructor stood on the roof of a building and taught a class where everyone participated from their balconies! In Dallas, Texas, a video of isolated people singing “Lean on Me” together became viral, and other towns in America began to follow. In Basking Ridge, New Jersey, kids who danced, sung, or played an instrument all went to their backyards and played music for everyone who was stuck inside their house. All over India, millions of people came to their balconies at the same time to clap for five minutes, in order to show appreciation for the people fighting the virus-- doctors, nurses, paramedics, and more. In all these instances and more, we are seeing people coming together and showing their solidarity in these tough times. Experts agree this is a natural response for us to have, and they predict this unity and love will become very widespread as the pandemic continues. These heartwarming moments are examples of how people cope through unprecedented issues like these, and they convey the inherent goodness in human nature, showing us all that we’re stronger together.
Link: https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-quarantined-italians-sing-together-from-balconies-and-windows-2020-3
Olympics Update: (March 25, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy - Ridge High School
With huge events being shut down across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s no wonder that people are anxious to know about the status of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The Olympics Games are a huge and prestigious international event, and athletes train for years to be able to reach them. But lately, there has been mounting pressure from the international community to postpone the Olympic Games. Training facilities have shut down everywhere and athletes are unable to continue their rigorous preparation as usual. Additionally, the pandemic is “accelerating”, according to the WHO, and a multinational event with tons of people in close proximity may not be possible. The International Olympic Committee previously stated that they would be
giving themselves 4 weeks to come to a decision, but after nations like Canada and Australia pulled out of the Games, they came
to a decision much earlier: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed to “no later than Summer 2021”. The event will still be
called the 2020 Olympics, and will still take place in Tokyo, Japan. As of now, the IOC has not talked about what will happen to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and if they will be postponed. In addition to the Olympics, many other large sporting events have been cancelled or postponed.
For a list: https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/52020134
Lack of Hydroxychloroquine: (March 22, 2020)
By: Sindhu Nagarakanti
Hydroxychloroquine is a medication that was first used to prevent and treat malaria. Today, it is used to treat many autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. During this current COVID-19 pandemic, Hydroxychloroquine is being used for the treatment of this infection. However, a lot of people are panicking about this condition and some are taking Hydroxychloroquine as prevention without any exposure to the virus. Others are taking it without any symptoms and are stocking up on it in their homes for “emergencies.” This, similar to the situation with the PPE masks is causing there to be a lack of the drug. Currently, the medicine is not available in any pharmacy in NJ. Dr. Teja Kapoor, a rheumatologist from the New York-Presbyterian Hospital says, “NYP is in the middle of the epidemic and many patients are panicking. We are going through that exact problem where autoimmune disease, especially lupus, patients are having difficulty obtaining the drug.” This scarcity of supplies affects many people with rheumatologic conditions who take this drug daily.
For more information visit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/20/hospitals-doctors-are-wiping-out-supplies-an-unproven-coronavirus-treatment/
Online Schooling: (March 21, 2020)
By: Sindhu Nagarakanti
As we all know, the Coronavirus is impacting the world around us in a lot of ways. Students and teachers are also being heavily affected. Switching to online schooling is a bit of a hassle for everyone and this change in everyone’s lifestyle is being handled differently by us all. As this virus becomes a more pressing problem, online schooling could be the new reality for the rest of the school year. Rohan Rao, a junior at Ridge High School, in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, says, “The transition from in-person learning has been a slight struggle because many of the hands-on activities such as labs are not available. Altogether though, my teachers have been doing a wonderful job integrating their lessons online.” There are many varying opinions about this change, however, as some students and teachers are finding it harder than others to adjust. To find out more about how teens and teachers are accommodating themselves to this new method of learning, check out this article by WNYC: https://gothamist.com/news/heres-how-teens-and-teachers-are-prepping-remote-learning
AP Exam Update: (March 20, 2020)
By: Anvita Gurumurthy - Ridge High School
Across the country, schools are shutting down faster and faster to begin remote learning plans. If you’re reading this, you’re probably on Coronacation right now! You might be thankful school is closed, or you might miss it, but regardless, the recent school closures are bringing up huge issues, a main one being standardized testing-- students may not be able to learn all the material or even be present for the tests. If you’re a student, you’ve definitely heard of these tests, and while they may seem unimportant, they are significant to the district, which uses them to assess teachers, meet federal accountability guidelines, and more. Because of this, states like South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan are seeking waivers from Education Secretary DeVos to suspend testing for the school year. Other states, like West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida are not waiting for a waiver and have already canceled their testing. Florida is even giving students the option of repeating the year. Pennsylvania has stated that these tests should not be the focus of educators, and many other states agree. Apparently, a broad waiver may be coming, but no one knows its status yet. If you’re wondering about your state, check out the list at the bottom of this article and find your state to see what they have done. If they’re not on there, they haven’t made a decision yet. A big part of this conflict is college admissions and graduate school exams. LSATs have been canceled already, and for high school students, especially juniors, who need to take the SATs, ACTs, AP exams, and more tests, online learning stands in the way. Already, the College Board has canceled the May 2 SAT exam and has moved the ACT scheduled for April 4 to June 13. Now, students may be unable to take these tests, which are required for many colleges. The College Board is currently considering allowing students to take the AP test from home, which brings its own challenges. Some colleges, like the Case Western Reserve University, have waived the requirement on these tests amid the pandemic, and parents and students are urging other colleges to follow suit. The truth is, this is a new problem, and schools and the government alike are still thinking about how to deal with it. Make sure you’re keeping up with information about your particular school and the tests you need to take so you can stay informed.
Link: https://tinyurl.com/standardizedtestingnews
Get up to date information on: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update
More Information: https://tinyurl.com/ujmaaap