Decisions of the ISU Council: Stockholm Worlds (March 22-28) still on; Synchro Worlds cancelled; 2021 Grand Prix schedule/Beijing test event announced

[aka_gerbil]

Will people who have recently been vaccinated get positive results on ********* antibody tests used at competitions?

They would most likely test positive for antibodies, but that’s not what your testing with the pcr assays that they’ll screen for illness with.

 

[alchemy void]

I can't decide if this thread or the Russian ladies thread is a more consistently miserable read.

 

[Lemonade20]

I can't decide if this thread or the Russian ladies thread is a more consistently miserable read.

The worst one is currently the H&M thread. It's impossible to have a sane conversation without someone calling you names

 

[Erin]

I can't decide if this thread or the Russian ladies thread is a more consistently miserable read.

Hey, the part where we were all talking about what booze we were going to drink during worlds wasn’t that bad?!

 

[skategal]

Hey, the part where we were all talking about what booze we were going to drink during worlds wasn’t that bad?!

I know, right?

I found another one online by searching “Swedish cocktail” and it’s made with vodka, blue curaçao, and sprite.

I may have to try that...

 

[Erin]

I know, right?

I found another one online by searching “Swedish cocktail” and it’s made with vodka, blue curaçao, and sprite.

I may have to try that...

I used to have that when I was in my early 20s. We called it an Electric Long Island because it tastes similar to Long Island Iced Tea. It’s pretty good...I haven’t had one in forever.

 

[Vagabond]

The worst one is currently the H&M thread. It's impossible to have a sane conversation without someone calling you names

By having faith in a higher power, I was able to put that thread on Ignore.

 

[Erin]

(Not directed at you, Sylvia) Neither of these articles are written by Phil Hersh and Nathan Chen still doesn't sound particularly comfortable in them either. And would you look at that, he's concerned about the Russians misbehaving (without naming them but it is obvious).

But tony and co told me that skaters were so excited to skate at Worlds they didn't care!

So, I would prefer to talk about alcohol in this thread (obviously), but having anxiety about certain aspects of something doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t want to do it.

By way of comparison, during the current situation, I moved from the US to Canada. I wanted to do this, but if you had talked to me before the move, there would have been aspects of the move (the flight, the movers in my home before and after, etc,) that gave me anxiety due to the current situation. And even after the fact, if you asked me, would I recommend moving cross-border during a global pan-demic. Not particularly. However, would I have done things differently? Also probably not. It’s probably a clumsy analogy, but I guess I’m saying that I don’t think we can assume that just because he is nervous about some aspects means that he doesn’t want to be there. There are skaters who have made the choice not to be - e.g. Papadakis and Cizeron. And I don’t fault them for that decision at all. It sounds like that’s the right decision for their physical and mental health. It seems like Nathan is in a position where he could make a similar decision if he chose and he has decided that it’s worth the risks.

 

[thvu]

But tony and co told me that skaters were so excited to skate at Worlds they didn't care!

So... what you’re telling us is... you don’t know how anxiety works?

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Guys! I just found out that athletes are three-dimensional people and are capable of having more than one single feeling about a thing!

 

[Aceon6]

I can imagine that those who weren’t that fond of crowded airports and spending umpteen hours in an aluminum cylinder before the crud might be even more edgy to travel right now. Not that they aren’t looking forward to being somewhere else, it’s just that getting somewhere else is fraught with so many decisions and concerns.

 

[PRlady]

I can imagine that those who weren’t that fond of crowded airports and spending umpteen hours in an aluminum cylinder before the crud might be even more edgy to travel right now. Not that they aren’t looking forward to being somewhere else, it’s just that getting somewhere else is fraught with so many decisions and concerns.

Yup. The worst colds of my life were caught on long airplane trips. My colleagues on the same 13-18 hour trek came down with pneumonia, the regular flu and severe stomach viruses. So now I’m supposed to think that this incredibly contagious crud won’t spread on airplanes? GMAFB.

I wish all the attending skaters were vaccinated.

 

[Carolla5501]

Yup. The worst colds of my life were caught on long airplane trips. My colleagues on the same 13-18 hour trek came down with pneumonia, the regular flu and severe stomach viruses. So now I’m supposed to think that this incredibly contagious crud won’t spread on airplanes? GMAFB.

I wish all the attending skaters were vaccinated.

Stomach viruses are now airborne and spread through airplanes?

The real truth is he probably didn’t get all the things you say you got on the plane you got on it because they’re not that dangerous The Air those skaters breathe every day in the rink is probably a lot more dangerous. The air you breathe in the grocery store is a lot more dangerous

As someone who flew every week for years and never got sick I’ve never bought the old air on the plane is dangerous myth. Otherwise I’d be dead by now

How safe is air travel?

MIT Medical answers your questions about COVID-19. Today’s topic? How safe is air travel? What about that re-circulated air in the cabin? And should I look for an airline that’s still blocking middle seats?

medical.mit.edu

 

[PRlady]

Stomach viruses are now airborne and spread through airplanes?

The real truth is he probably didn’t get all the things you say you got on the plane you got on it because they’re not that dangerous The Air those skaters breathe every day in the rink is probably a lot more dangerous. The air you breathe in the grocery store is a lot more dangerous

As someone who flew every week for years and never got sick I’ve never bought the old air on the plane is dangerous myth. Otherwise I’d be dead by now

https://medical.mit.edu/*********-19-updates/2020/09/how-safe-air-travel

Stomach viruses spread in much-used rarely -cleaned bathrooms as on long-haul flights. And when 7 Americans fly to Israel on different flights twice a year and at least three of them are sick 48 hours later, over a course of years, it’s hard to think it’s a coincidence. (My Israeli colleagues had the same issues flying to the US.)

Unless you think Jews and Palestinians are somehow uniquely sensitive to airplanes.

 

[ostile17]

Yup. The worst colds of my life were caught on long airplane trips. My colleagues on the same 13-18 hour trek came down with pneumonia, the regular flu and severe stomach viruses. So now I’m supposed to think that this incredibly contagious crud won’t spread on airplanes? GMAFB.

I wish all the attending skaters were vaccinated.

The top Italian athletes were all vaccinated as they are members of the Italian police forces.
Well, except for Daniel who had it pretty badly!

 

[Dave of the North]

Guys! I just found out that athletes are three-dimensional people and are capable of having more than one single feeling about a thing!

No! And I thought they were as one -dimensional as the fans at this year's skating events!

 

[rfisher]

Slovenia provided a private plane for Vlhova to ski in the World Cup in Sweden (which she's likely to win).

 

[MacMadame]

Stomach viruses spread in much-used rarely -cleaned bathrooms as on long-haul flights. And when 7 Americans fly to Israel on different flights twice a year and at least three of them are sick 48 hours later, over a course of years, it’s hard to think it’s a coincidence. (My Israeli colleagues had the same issues flying to the US.)

But these are anecdotes. The data shows that planes aren't super-spreaders.

There are a combination of things going on here:
1) travel to a place you don't live that has different mutations of flu & cold viruses that you haven't built up an immunity to
2) stress depresses the immune system making you more susceptible to getting sick
3) traveling during flu season means you may have gotten sick anyway
4) airports are crowded and full of people from out of your area carrying germs you may not have built up an immunity to

 

[Carolla5501]

Stomach viruses spread in much-used rarely -cleaned bathrooms as on long-haul flights. And when 7 Americans fly to Israel on different flights twice a year and at least three of them are sick 48 hours later, over a course of years, it’s hard to think it’s a coincidence. (My Israeli colleagues had the same issues flying to the US.)

Unless you think Jews and Palestinians are somehow uniquely sensitive to airplanes.

Apparently you haven’t flown in a year, they only cleaned the bathroom about four times on a two hour flight to Mexico. But the bathrooms are dirty? ( I’m sure you won’t like these facts because they don’t fit in with your preconceived decision thar this is the worst dangerous thing ever.)

The airplane right now is probably a lot better than the bathroom at the arena LOL

Actually, had all these people been on the same plane then I might’ve actually gone partway with your theory. Because there are some things , like norovirus, they can spread very quickly, but what you’re saying is people get sick after every flight to and from Israel? Well then, we should be very grateful that worlds are not in Israel where apparently this phenomena is occurring. But I have a lot of friends who have gone to Israel, for various reasons, and I don’t recall any of them mentioning this phenomena. One young lady on her birthright trip did get rather sick, but I believe that might have been caused by excessive consumption of alcohol at a party.

 

[acraven]

In addition to the list provided by @MacMadame, I would add:

5. The air on planes is very dry, which creates a nasal environment that's less effective than usual at stopping viruses. I've read many recommendations for using saline nasal mist, which is something I try to remember to do.

 

[jmtfti]

I mean, I'm about 100% that I caught one severe cold on a three-hour flight home (at a time when I was already worn down) and I make that guess because despite my standard hygiene protocols (handwashing, no face touching, no touching food I'm consuming, etc.), the woman sitting next to me spent those three hours coughing wetly without covering her mouth, and I was sick 48 hours later...

So in that case, masks are a welcome involvement for the skaters traveling now -- something I'd noticed a few Americans and Canadians had already adopted years ago, based on their "headed off to x competition!" posts -- but I also don't at all fault them for worrying less about airplane air and more about how well they can avoid potentially ill people in still relatively close quarters around them.

 

[clairecloutier]

I too tend to get colds while traveling. Now that I'm familiar with masks and how much they help with fighting transmission, I think I'll just always wear a mask on planes going forward. Why not?

Thread drift, but it's going to be interesting to see if mask-wearing in general becomes more common in the U.S. after CV19.

 

[seabm7]

I have been wondering, many countries require a negative PCR test result before taking an incoming flight. What if any of the athletes or their coaches get a positive PCR result before the flight back home? Most likely their cases will not be serious, so they would isolate themselves in the official hotel until a negative PCR result happens. Then who should pay for the room and board costs for them?

ISU requires a waiver signed by the participants, which I interprete as ISU would not pay for the additionally incurred costs if such a situation happens.

 

[Lemonade20]

I too tend to get colds while traveling. Now that I'm familiar with masks and how much they help with fighting transmission, I think I'll just always wear a mask on planes going forward. Why not?

Thread drift, but it's going to be interesting to see if mask-wearing in general becomes more common in the U.S. after CV19.

Masks do keep you a little bit warmer when it's chilly out too. I will definitely wear when traveling but I also look forward to socializing again

 

[skatfan]

And I will miss the last group unless I have the balls to ask my deputy to go to senior staff meeting for me. As it is, I've just put a ton of OOO on my schedule those three days.....

What is OOO?

 

[once_upon]

What is OOO?

Out of office. Is my guess

 

[cholla]

I have been wondering, many countries require a negative PCR test result before taking an incoming flight. What if any of the athletes or their coaches get a positive PCR result before the flight back home? Most likely their cases will not be serious, so they would isolate themselves in the official hotel until a negative PCR result happens. Then who should pay for the room and board costs for them?

Them and/or their federation.

 

[seabm7]

Them and/or their federation.

Sigh...

 

[anonymoose_au]

Them and/or their federation.

I've heard about this...and it's messed up. Especially since a lot of skaters there will be minors and they can't bring their parents along! So if they test positive they have to quarantine all by themselves. Like, apparently an ISU representative will stay behind if this happens, but the skater has to pay for it?

I'd be pretty pissed off if that was my kid.

 

[cholla]

I'd be pretty pissed off if that was my kid.

I assume minors won't be left alone if it happens.