To urge University System of Georgia to give an option of taking online classes from home
To urge University System of Georgia to give an option of taking online classes from home
The Issue
Even with masks being required on-campus, the chances of getting coronavirus by returning to campus are very high. Even with CDC protocols, it won't be very long till college campuses become hotspots for the COVID-19 virus. And if we are infected, then that could put our families, friends, and other members in our community at risk when we come back home or travel. Not to mention, if we get sick and need hospitalization, then it could further burden us and our families.
Even though the COVID-19 virus can show up asymptomatically (with no noticeable symptoms) in the age demographic of most college students, it can still takes a toll on our body and makes it EASIER to get other people sick without knowing. The virus also has a relatively high mutation rate, which makes it even more dangerous.
The risks of COVID-19 are many, and recent studies suggest that it can even lead to PERMANENT lung damage (articles at the bottom of the petition).
Although we can wear masks and prevent transmission, there will be some people, who, like it or not, decide to not wear a mask out in public. If they have happen to carry the COVID-19 virus and show no symptoms, it could spread rapidly.
If we instead made our college classes online, it would primarily benefit the lives of college students and faculty. By having online learning, we can still acquire the information we need to continue college SAFELY, until a vaccine is discovered or the cases in Georgia fall to much lower levels. As of now, Georgia has OVER 90,000 CONFIRMED Cases with OVER 2,800 deaths, and this is with current CDC regulations in place, and it is only increasing day by day (as seen in the picture above which shows the weekly increases in COVID cases). However, with colleges requiring on-campus classes, USG is creating even more potential hotspots for the virus to be transmitted and contracted, which would logically only increase the number of cases in Georgia to even higher levels and result in more potential deaths.
The current plan at some USG Universities is to continue on-campus classes until the pandemic reaches unsafe levels. But that could very well happen just by having these on-campus classes. USG institutions have over 333,000 students, as of the Fall 2019 semester (not including faculty; https://www.usg.edu/news/release/university_system_of_georgia_enrollment_increases#:~:text=The%20headcount%20enrollment%20for%20the,Fall%202019%20Semester%20Enrollment%20Report
Currently, the safety of students, faculty, and other members on college campuses should be prioritized, and even with current protocols such as mandatory masks and social distancing, the safety of students and others are still at risk. It would be a much safer option to move to fully online classes so that the spread of COVID can be more effectively contained.
***DISCLAIMER*** For international students, I understand that moving to fully online only would put them at risk of being sent back to their home countries, which is why I am pushing that we are given the option of taking our college classes fully online from our own homes; in this way, international students could still take classes at the universities without putting their college careers at risk.
Articles about the potential permanent risks of COVID-19 on lungs:
The Issue
Even with masks being required on-campus, the chances of getting coronavirus by returning to campus are very high. Even with CDC protocols, it won't be very long till college campuses become hotspots for the COVID-19 virus. And if we are infected, then that could put our families, friends, and other members in our community at risk when we come back home or travel. Not to mention, if we get sick and need hospitalization, then it could further burden us and our families.
Even though the COVID-19 virus can show up asymptomatically (with no noticeable symptoms) in the age demographic of most college students, it can still takes a toll on our body and makes it EASIER to get other people sick without knowing. The virus also has a relatively high mutation rate, which makes it even more dangerous.
The risks of COVID-19 are many, and recent studies suggest that it can even lead to PERMANENT lung damage (articles at the bottom of the petition).
Although we can wear masks and prevent transmission, there will be some people, who, like it or not, decide to not wear a mask out in public. If they have happen to carry the COVID-19 virus and show no symptoms, it could spread rapidly.
If we instead made our college classes online, it would primarily benefit the lives of college students and faculty. By having online learning, we can still acquire the information we need to continue college SAFELY, until a vaccine is discovered or the cases in Georgia fall to much lower levels. As of now, Georgia has OVER 90,000 CONFIRMED Cases with OVER 2,800 deaths, and this is with current CDC regulations in place, and it is only increasing day by day (as seen in the picture above which shows the weekly increases in COVID cases). However, with colleges requiring on-campus classes, USG is creating even more potential hotspots for the virus to be transmitted and contracted, which would logically only increase the number of cases in Georgia to even higher levels and result in more potential deaths.
The current plan at some USG Universities is to continue on-campus classes until the pandemic reaches unsafe levels. But that could very well happen just by having these on-campus classes. USG institutions have over 333,000 students, as of the Fall 2019 semester (not including faculty; https://www.usg.edu/news/release/university_system_of_georgia_enrollment_increases#:~:text=The%20headcount%20enrollment%20for%20the,Fall%202019%20Semester%20Enrollment%20Report
Currently, the safety of students, faculty, and other members on college campuses should be prioritized, and even with current protocols such as mandatory masks and social distancing, the safety of students and others are still at risk. It would be a much safer option to move to fully online classes so that the spread of COVID can be more effectively contained.
***DISCLAIMER*** For international students, I understand that moving to fully online only would put them at risk of being sent back to their home countries, which is why I am pushing that we are given the option of taking our college classes fully online from our own homes; in this way, international students could still take classes at the universities without putting their college careers at risk.
Articles about the potential permanent risks of COVID-19 on lungs:
Petition Closed
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Petition created on July 6, 2020