Working From Home - Impacts of Coronavirus

[metrologist]

As predicted, mass arse-covering mode has begun:
Harvard and MIT among others schools have told student to stay home and remote study after the spring break.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/03/10/coronavirus-prompts-harvard-mit-to-send-students-home/

Why is that considered CYA? 90 schools in the community have closed because one student tested positive. My understanding is that the disease has shown to be more infectious and more deadly than the flu for all age groups, and that swift, broad-scale intervention is highly effective at containing the spread.

Although, when all the students still go to the ball game, it's kind of pointless.

[nctnico]

But as I understand, lots of the infected have mild symptoms.

I'd like to see some reference to that. I had the flu a couple of weeks ago and now I have it again. I don't know what to think of it.

[Nusa]

But as I understand, lots of the infected have mild symptoms.

I'd like to see some reference to that. I had the flu a couple of weeks ago and now I have it again. I don't know what to think of it.

If your symptoms are mild, you won't be able to tell without a test. If you're concerned enough to want one, I suggest phoning your health care provider as the first step.

[nctnico]

But as I understand, lots of the infected have mild symptoms.

I'd like to see some reference to that. I had the flu a couple of weeks ago and now I have it again. I don't know what to think of it.

If your symptoms are mild, you won't be able to tell without a test. If you're concerned enough to want one, I suggest phoning your health care provider as the first step.

Well, my wife is also under the wheather like me and she did call but got told that without fever or bad coughing she shouldn't worry. But then again in some parts of the country people with flu symptoms are asked to stay at home. On top of that I have the feeling that this is a typical situation where one asks himself: Do I really want to know? Do I really need to know? Does it really matter anyway? What bothers me most is that if the symptoms are mild for many people then the virus is way more wide spread and only the severe cases get counted. Either way, I decided to work from home and just stay inside as much as possible.

[EEVblog]

If you think a lot of things have been shutting down lately due to the coronavirus, you ain't seen nothing yet.
With the new WHO pandemic declaration, governments, companies, schools etc will go into ultra arse-covering mode & shut down. Be prepared to work from home shortly.

[Towger]

With the new WHO pandemic declaration, governments, companies, schools etc will go into ultra arse-covering mode & shut down. Be prepared to work from home shortly.

I am already working from home. We had a very high number of technical calls yesterday most from companies planning on doing the same. 

I expect the schools to 'close' in the next few days.  I got a very detailed email from the kid's secondary school a few hours ago.  They plan business as usual, same timetable, but all online.  (No CB Radio bush school style.)  For the last few years the kids have had Microsoft  accounts, MS Teams, full Office 360, Skype and Email etc.  (Head of the PTA work in MS.)  In the past they have only really used email, office360 and a few teachers use MS Teams.  All the teachers are currently being trained on their use.  The school now wants school books to be brought home from lockers each day, in case they are told not to open.
Yes they still use books, another local school is iPad only and from what we hear parents and teachers are not happy.

In contrast is the youngest (couple of weeks older than Sagon) National school.  They probably plan on starting a very early Summer Holiday.

[james_s]

I've been working from home but I think I'll go into the officer tomorrow, I'm actually a bit tired of being home. There's a group of perpetual worriers that I work with and during this time I've had to listen to them stirring each other up into a panic on a daily basis. I'm *so* sick of people posting all these hyperbolic news articles, you'd think the world was coming to an end.

The only thing I really fear from this virus is the very real threat of a massive global economic depression. Well that and the way people will behave if we ever get a virus going around that is unusually deadly rather than just unusually easy to spread. It's already chaotic and I have a hard time dealing with what I view as irrational/emotionally driven behavior rather than calculated actions based on coherent logic and reason. It stresses me out when I'm around people who are being emotional and I wish I could just tell them to shut up and stop perpetuating it. I refuse to let my life be ruled by fear.

[MrMobodies]

I see the the spam or phishing mail has started.

[SilverSolder]

I've been working from home but I think I'll go into the officer tomorrow, I'm actually a bit tired of being home. There's a group of perpetual worriers that I work with and during this time I've had to listen to them stirring each other up into a panic on a daily basis. I'm *so* sick of people posting all these hyperbolic news articles, you'd think the world was coming to an end.

The only thing I really fear from this virus is the very real threat of a massive global economic depression. Well that and the way people will behave if we ever get a virus going around that is unusually deadly rather than just unusually easy to spread. It's already chaotic and I have a hard time dealing with what I view as irrational/emotionally driven behavior rather than calculated actions based on coherent logic and reason. It stresses me out when I'm around people who are being emotional and I wish I could just tell them to shut up and stop perpetuating it. I refuse to let my life be ruled by fear.

Talking to the staff at the local supermarket, they were snickering about people buying toilet paper and kitchen towels in enormous quantities.  Seriously, wiping their rears is people's main concern? ...

[Red Squirrel]

There was a case in a city only 3 hours away from where I live.  The fact that it's this close to home might make things get more interesting.

My company getting us to make sure we have VPN access in case we need to grab our desktops and work from home.   I kinda hope it happens tbh, would be kinda fun I think... never got to work from home before. 

I just don't know what they will do for the phones.  Maybe install some kind of soft phone on our PC or something, but that has to somehow interface with the PBX and have all the lines work on it.   Thinking they would just let the phones take a hit, maybe the IVR would just have a message saying to send an email for any assistance or something.

[EEVblog]

It has begun. Sagan's school dance for tomorrow was just cancelled.
Advice received about large groups of kids gathered together etc etc
I give it till the end of the month before they shut down the schools.

[EEVblog]

The only thing I really fear from this virus is the very real threat of a massive global economic depression.

I think that's almost a given at this point. When you already have the worlds airlines shutting down half their fleet or more, tourism virtually non-existent, local service business going bankrupt, and it's only just begun. And by the very nature of the problem, even if it settled down, will extend for many months. The global financial crisis is really here.
Those who have not prepared for this financially will be in for a world of hurt.
I don't want to be alarmist, but horde your cash and gold now, get as liquid as you can.

[EEVblog]

I don't want to be alarmist, but horde your cash and gold now, get as liquid as you can.

An hour after I wrote this the aussie share market plunged another 8% 

[Red Squirrel]

Should be interesting for sure to see what happens to the economy.  Shows how fragile it really is though...

I won't pretend to be an expert when it comes to this stuff but I do wonder if in the end it's not a bad thing to shake things up a little.  Kinda like a system reset, so to speak.  Things will eventually stabilize once all this is over I'm sure.  It's a good time to buy.

[Bud]

I think it will go right back up as soon as there will be positive news on vaccine development.

[Bud]

I don't want to be alarmist, but horde your cash and gold now, get as liquid as you can.

An hour after I wrote this the aussie share market plunged another 8% 

Not sure i understand your call for cash hoarding. The payment infrastructure is not going down, in China people did not have problems to pay online for stuff, did they?

Edit: In fact i think this will give a boost to online services if people will have to stay at home a lot.

[Nusa]

I don't want to be alarmist, but horde your cash and gold now, get as liquid as you can.

An hour after I wrote this the aussie share market plunged another 8% 

Not sure i understand your call for cash hoarding. The payment infrastructure is not going down, in China people did not have problems to pay online for stuff, did they?

Edit: In fact i think this will give a boost to online services if people will have to stay at home a lot.

He's not talking about stuffing your mattress with actual cash. He's talking about having enough cash in the bank to survive if your stocks become worthless because of world events.

[PlainName]

I'm *so* sick of people posting all these hyperbolic news articles

Are the articles made up? Fake news? When even news sources usually considered pukka are essentially saying the same thing, are you suggesting there's some kind of global conspiracy and it's all a con?

[Yansi]

It has begun. Sagan's school dance for tomorrow was just cancelled.
Advice received about large groups of kids gathered together etc etc
I give it till the end of the month before they shut down the schools.

Even tho our country has under 100 infected, we already have all schools closed. Now they are considering even closing institutions such as cinemas, theaters, hair dressers, etc. Excluding only shopping malls and public transport, where they say it does not cause that much trouble due to people mostly flowing around each other, not staying together for more than 15 minutes.

They are also thinking about nation wide quarantine allowing people only to go out with a face mask or whatever is that thing called. Problem is, nobody has them and they were not available here almost at all even before the crisis started. Shite!

[bd139]

They're preparing to shut schools here as well. They did Q&A session with students yesterday asking what tech they have access to so they can manage remote work to do. I think the plan is to shut the schools early before half term and hope it all blows over in the space of 4 weeks. That causes the least amount of disruption.

Still no pasta or toilet paper here which is depressing because I like pasta and shitting 

[PlainName]

Still no pasta or toilet paper here

Try Aldi. All the supermarkets  here (Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsburys, Lidl) have nothing, but Aldi had pallets of loo rolls being ignored when I was there yesterday. Maybe it's stiff crinkly stuff

Hmmm.  Knowing my luck I've just jinxed them and they'll be sold out before I can run up there today.

[bd139]

Looks like I'm going to Aldi at lunch then  . Worst case I have a box of reams of 70gsm A4 paper 

[Ranayna]

I am currently working from home.
My company is not yet directly affected, but we generally want to reduce "people density".

I have to admit, while technically I have no issues, VPN works good, resources are available, I still do not really like it.
I am simply not set up for remote work at home. My laptop dock did not like my screens at all, directly attached without dock I have only one screen, which my laptop cannot drive at it's intended WQHD resolution.
And that is not even talking about the constant distractions from family members, and all the stuff that is laying around on my bench 
I am essentially spending 12+ hours a day in the same room. Going outside is not really an issue due to the shitty weather here.

How is the situation on the Australian west coast? I have some extensive remote sessions planned for next week in the Perth area (Oh the joys of working for a multi-national ) but if the scare goes around in Australia I might be able to re-schedule that...

[bd139]

...and all the stuff that is laying around on my bench 

That's the problem I have 

[newbrain]

I'm not infected (supposedly, as of today) but definitely affected.

I'm a long-haul commuter (Sweden resident and local employee, but working from home in Italy ~20-25%) and my firm is now advising everyone to WFH till new notice, unless you have a compelling reason to go to the offices or labs.

So I'll try and jump on a plane to Italy ASAP (there aren't many airlines still servicing Italy) and join the rest of the family, knowing full well it will be some before I can come back. I know I'm taking a risk, going to the airport and travelling (especially to Italy).