Thoughts on Going to Competitions Starting June 5th?

[Sub1Hour]

This is the current infection rate in the United States. As long as this trend continues, we should be good to hold competitions SAFELY In a few months. As long as we come out of lockdown smarter and safer then before, competitions could resume faster then we think if some standard competition practices are altered. If we ban spectators all together and bigger rooms allowing for social distancing then we could possibly reopen competitions sooner than if we kept competition standards normal. I also think that the current judging norms allow for too many opportunities to spread the illness. I think that a replacement for signing and getting rid of runners all together could reduce contact between people.

 

[BenChristman1]

ban spectators all together

You do realize that more than half the people at comps are underage and that their parents have to be there?

 

[NevEr_QeyX]

You do realize that more than half the people at comps are underage and that their parents have to be there?

If there is a limit on spectators (which has already been suggested as an idea) that would be the best bet

 

[Sub1Hour]

You do realize that more than half the people at comps are underage and that their parents have to be there?

Yes, more than half of the competitors are underage but much less than half require supervision.

 

[One Wheel]

Good hygiene is obviously a good idea. Trying to limit personal contact is a little silly, and trying to limit spectators to reduce disease transmission is ridiculous. This will pass, probably sooner rather than later, and we'll have trouble remembering what all the fuss was about.

 

[Kit Clement]

Yes, more than half of the competitors are underage but much less than half require supervision.

I would strongly disagree with this based on the typical 13 year old at competitions I'm at. I'm a delegate, not a babysitter.

 

[NevEr_QeyX]

I would strongly disagree with this based on the typical 13 year old at competitions I'm at. I'm a delegate, not a babysitter.

As well as this, most 13 year old’s parents would be opposed to letting their kid do a solo trip to a comp.

Especially during the aftermath of all of this...

 

[Ordway Persyn]

One option for resuming comps quicker could be to have smaller competitor limits (e.g 20-30 competitors max), as there would be a lower chance of spreading the disease.

 

[Username: Username:]

One option for resuming comps quicker could be to have smaller competitor limits (e.g 20-30 competitors max), as there would be a lower chance of spreading the disease.

but.... even if only one competitor is active, he/she could infect potentially tens more in the competition by interacting, and those ten peoples could infect hundreds more.

 

[Spacey10]

I just got into cubing in the summer of 2019, and I average a minute. I was planning a comp at around November, for when I am about 40 seconds. But, November is winter, (technically) in which the virus will develop and increase spread rate, and just to make it worse, the virus thrives in cold weather. My plans just got destroyed. Now, some of you may say a vaccine. But, to mass produce a vaccine and distribute it will take about 3 months. So that makes it August. BUT that is without the discovery time. It may take 2 months to find the vaccine, so October. There is another way, but it is a long shot. The virus doesn't live long in heat, so with June coming up, we have a small chance, but that also may take a while, so July. But remember it is a long shot.

oof, my fingers are sweating

 

[NevEr_QeyX]

but.... even if only one competitor is active, he/she could infect potentially tens more in the competition by interacting, and those ten peoples could infect hundreds more.

You just described a grocery store...

I just got into cubing in the summer of 2019, and I average a minute. I was planning a comp at around November, for when I am about 40 seconds. But, November is winter, (technically) in which the virus will develop and increase spread rate, and just to make it worse, the virus thrives in cold weather. My plans just got destroyed. Now, some of you may say a vaccine. But, to mass produce a vaccine and distribute it will take about 3 months. So that makes it August. BUT that is without the discovery time. It may take 2 months to find the vaccine, so October. There is another way, but it is a long shot. The virus doesn't live long in heat, so with June coming up, we have a small chance, but that also may take a while, so July. But remember it is a long shot.

oof, my fingers are sweating

Can you cite any of this?

 

[TipsterTrickster]

From what I know the temperature doesn’t affect the spreading of the virus as this is a coronavirus and not influenza, and coronavirus are known to not be affected by the seasons. Also from what I know the vaccine should take around 1-2 years to get made and mass produced.

 

[NevEr_QeyX]

From what I know the temperature doesn’t affect the spreading of the virus as this is a coronavirus and not influenza, and coronavirus are known to not be affected by the seasons. Also from what I know the vaccine should take around 1-2 years to get made and mass produced.

Cite, the president gave till the end of the year for a vaccine in one of his recent addresses.

 

[I'm A Cuber]

I just got into cubing in the summer of 2019, and I average a minute. I was planning a comp at around November, for when I am about 40 seconds. But, November is winter, (technically) in which the virus will develop and increase spread rate, and just to make it worse, the virus thrives in cold weather. My plans just got destroyed. Now, some of you may say a vaccine. But, to mass produce a vaccine and distribute it will take about 3 months. So that makes it August. BUT that is without the discovery time. It may take 2 months to find the vaccine, so October. There is another way, but it is a long shot. The virus doesn't live long in heat, so with June coming up, we have a small chance, but that also may take a while, so July. But remember it is a long shot.

oof, my fingers are sweating

Have you been to a comp before?
Also, the vaccines will not be the end, herd immunity will be

 

[Spacey10]

Have you been to a comp before?
Also, the vaccines will not be the end, herd immunity will be

No, I have not been to a comp. I forgot about immunity, but complete immunity is pretty low

Can you cite any of this?

"In cooler, drier climates the virus can travel further. It doesn't fall to the ground as quickly," says Dr. Jeffrey Klausner of UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health.

The website is from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nb...could-slow-spread-of-coronavirus/2328128/?amp

 

[NevEr_QeyX]

No, I have not been to a comp. I forgot about immunity, but complete immunity is pretty low


"In cooler, drier climates the virus can travel further. It doesn't fall to the ground as quickly," says Dr. Jeffrey Klausner of UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health.

The website is from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/socals-warm-climate-could-slow-spread-of-coronavirus/2328128/?amp

Thank you, I was wondering what would come of this.

 

[goodatthis]

I would strongly urge that June is too soon to start having WCA competitions again, especially not in countries that haven't been doing widespread testing and whose covid-19 cases are still significant.

Infection risk is primary determined by the degree of exposure multiplied by time, and so having a group of people (a good bulk of whom are kids) in a confined space for an entire day is especially dangerous. Some of the most significant recorded outbreaks have occurred during events that involve lots of talking, yelling, singing, etc, especially louder venues which require speaking loudly, (think sporting events, choirs, family reunions) because a) they take place within confined spaces where viral particles can hang in the air, and b) talking loudly (or just talking at all) releases a good degree of viral particles. Then there's the extra degree of contact - transmission through surfaces like cubes, solving stations, chairs, entrances/exits to the venue, shared venue bathrooms*, and stackmat timers. All of this compounded over an entire day poses a significant risk. Even social distancing measures fail to eliminate the risk posed by people circulating through the same air that viral particles have been released into.

Another thing to consider: Part of the reason the virus spread so quickly is because there's evidence of a high rate of asymptomatic transmission, i.e. people who don't show symptoms (and never do) can still transmit the virus. And based on how my college friends (in NY state of all places, which has more cases than any other country) have been handling the pandemic, I think it's safe to say that the average age group that attends cubing competitions won't take safety measures super seriously.

The point is, no matter how safe we try to be, the nature of cubing comps - a large number of shared surfaces, being in a confined space for an entire day, lots of conversation, kids who may not think about the risks objectively, etc - pose significant risks. The Spanish flu of the late 1910s infected and killed more people in its second wave than in the first precisely because people thought it was safe to return to business as usual.

*toilet flushes have been known to aerosolize many, many droplets, and there's evidence that the virus can be transmitted through fecal matter

Many of the things I've mentioned are discussed in this article: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/th...KrBsAmKpXuL7qNMbPAndFngdytTTp7VDzInIQNnDO4Xio

 

[indianman27]

I think keeping competitions right now is a bad idea. Since there are a lot of places the virus could be transmitted through like the timer or maybe even through cubes(not really sure if the virus stays on these surfaces). Also physical distancing could be difficult in places having smaller areas.

Restricting the competitor limit also won't be of really big use in my opinion.

 

[KingCanyon]

As a US competition organizer who cancelled their competition on June 6th, I don't think the US should have competitions until about September or later. I cancelled my competition because of the risk of infection and because my venue wouldn't allow it. I think starting off competitions again should be a slow process, starting with smaller FMC and blind events with 20 person competition limits and then slowly moving into dual competitions. This would allow competitors to still compete, but not have as many people concentrated into an area.

 

[One Wheel]

I would strongly urge that June is too soon to start having WCA competitions again, especially not in countries that haven't been doing widespread testing and whose covid-19 cases are still significant.

Infection risk is primary determined by the degree of exposure multiplied by time, and so having a group of people (a good bulk of whom are kids) in a confined space for an entire day is especially dangerous. Some of the most significant recorded outbreaks have occurred during events that involve lots of talking, yelling, singing, etc, especially louder venues which require speaking loudly, (think sporting events, choirs, family reunions) because a) they take place within confined spaces where viral particles can hang in the air, and b) talking loudly (or just talking at all) releases a good degree of viral particles. Then there's the extra degree of contact - transmission through surfaces like cubes, solving stations, chairs, entrances/exits to the venue, shared venue bathrooms*, and stackmat timers. All of this compounded over an entire day poses a significant risk. Even social distancing measures fail to eliminate the risk posed by people circulating through the same air that viral particles have been released into.

Another thing to consider: Part of the reason the virus spread so quickly is because there's evidence of a high rate of asymptomatic transmission, i.e. people who don't show symptoms (and never do) can still transmit the virus. And based on how my college friends (in NY state of all places, which has more cases than any other country) have been handling the pandemic, I think it's safe to say that the average age group that attends cubing competitions won't take safety measures super seriously.

The point is, no matter how safe we try to be, the nature of cubing comps - a large number of shared surfaces, being in a confined space for an entire day, lots of conversation, kids who may not think about the risks objectively, etc - pose significant risks. The Spanish flu of the late 1910s infected and killed more people in its second wave than in the first precisely because people thought it was safe to return to business as usual.

*toilet flushes have been known to aerosolize many, many droplets, and there's evidence that the virus can be transmitted through fecal matter

Many of the things I've mentioned are discussed in this article: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/th...KrBsAmKpXuL7qNMbPAndFngdytTTp7VDzInIQNnDO4Xio

Georgia reopened over 3 weeks ago, and has seen no spike in new cases. By June 5th we'll have 6 weeks of data on Georgia, and and 3 weeks of data on several states that opened up this past week. So far it looks like there may be no second wave of cases, but by June 5th we'll have a much better idea.