COVID-19: What You Need To Know

The outbreak of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has certainly created a scary and uncertain time across the world. The virus has managed to virtually shut down countries and is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States as each day passes.

As of April 2, 2020, there were 213,144 confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and 4,513 confirmed deaths. In Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health reports 1,706 confirmed cases, including two close to home in Tazewell County and one even closer to home at Bluefield College. Virginia also has 41 deaths from the coronavirus. Across the state line in West Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Resources reports 191 confirmed cases and two deaths, including two cases in neighboring Mercer County.

Regarding the Bluefield College student, those who had been in contact with the student recently were contacted by health department officials to participate in a phone interview to see if testing for the virus would be recommended. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The symptoms related to the virus are fever, cough and shortness of breath. There is not currently a vaccine for the illness.

In response to the spread of the virus, Bluefield College president Dr. David Olive sent out an email on March 13 stating that BC would cease face-to-face instruction and move classes online until March 30. A follow up email was sent on March 24 tentatively pushing the return to classes back to April 13. That date has now been removed, and BC classes will remain online through the rest of the semester.

“With the direction from federal officials to maintain social distancing practices until April 30, we have made the difficult decision to continue with remote instruction for the remainder of the spring semester,” Dr. Olive said. “We had sincerely hoped to be together for the end of the semester, especially for our senior traditional students.”

Dr. Olive added that the administration continues to consider how best to handle Spring Commencement for seniors. Currently, the plans are to conduct a virtual ceremony in May and then invite spring 2020 graduates back to campus to join December 2020 graduates in the school’s Winter Commencement.

“Our team in Academic Affairs is meeting this week to reconsider current plans,” Dr. Olive said. “I make no promises that current plans will change, but the team will once again review all options previously considered, of which a late summer/fall ceremony was one of those plans. We will communicate the team’s decision in days ahead.”

Josh Cline, BC’s vice president for advancement who also heads the school’s Crisis Management Team, continues to monitor other issues daily in order to make the best possible decisions for the campus community.

Athletes across the United States have also been hit hard by the coronavirus. Virginia governor Ralph Northam recently declared that all K-12 schools would close for the remainder of the year. This eliminated the spring sports seasons for many high school athletes. On the collegiate level, athletes are facing the same hardships, including BC student-athletes like Michael Gutu, a senior from Harare, Zimbabwe, who is member of the Rams tennis team.

“The past few days have been difficult just knowing that I might have played my last tennis match without knowing,” said Gutu, who majors in business management and information technology. “For college athletes, the senior season is something you look forward to. In your last season you are trying to leave a mark and for that opportunity to be taken without knowing is heartbreaking.”

Gutu added that he understands the decision to halt sports activities because of the severity of the virus, and that now he simply needs to focus on the future.

“At the end of the day, it is something that is bigger than a senior season,” he said. “You have to just accept the reality and pray that everything will be back to normal soon.”

Students and athletes are not the only group being required to make major adjustments. Professors have had to find a way to move their lesson plans online, including Dr. Cindy Bascom, professor and chair of the Department of Communication.

“I developed an online course a few years ago when an administrator asked me to do it, but this is the first time I have taught online,” Dr. Bascom said about the transition to online instruction “We had three days to put all our traditional classes online, so my course design is rather basic, with reading, exercises, projects, and discussion forums. Still, I hope to do additional enrichments as we go.”

Dr. Bascom stated some concern about the switch to online classes. She said she’s most concerned about her students being able to make the transition.

“How fast can students adapt to learning online?,” she wonders. “Will they have the self-discipline to work on their own and meet deadlines? Will the tests and assignments work as I’ve intended? Will my students still feel engaged in their learning?”

But Dr. Bascom quickly noted that the adjustments are not just in the world of academics and athletics. She also expressed how she hopes some good will come from all the disruption.

“I miss my church, going out to eat, my interaction with my students and colleagues, and many small things that we all took for granted,” she said. “I’m sad that many people are and will fall ill before this is over, but God is helping us persevere. I am hoping there will be an upside for our society — a kind of reset. The quiet alone time is an opportunity to pray, reflect, take a deep breath, and retune our lives.”