Notes from a pandemic: Inching closer

Fifteen days, huh? Longer than I thought.

It was fifteen days ago that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, my university announced it was extending spring break and moving all instruction online for the remainder of the semester and until further notice after that.

At the time, there were no confirmed cases in our area. But based on what I knew and based on conversation, I thought, “There are people infected here.”

And predictably enough, people testing positive started to pop up in the lower Rio Grande Valley. But today things went to a new level when one of our Brownsville students and a faculty member tested positive for COVID-19.

Friday, March 27, 2020 :: Office of the President

Dear Campus Community:

UTRGV learned today that one of our students and one of our faculty have each tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus). Our student tested positive after traveling out of state and our faculty member after returning from international travel. Please join me in sending positive thoughts to these Vaqueros for a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, a few people in the science online community are starting to say, “Hey, I’ve got COVID-19.” Folks like Clement Chow and Adam Rutherford.

It’s an epidemic when people you don’t know get sick. It’s a pandemic when people you know get sick.

External links

UTRGV COVID-19 Case Update