Samir Naqvi and Nicole Wun
Note: The following project was decided before March 11, 2020, before UC Berkeley officially suspended all classes. As such, all information and data collected were done so up to March 11, 2020.
Beginning Jan 22, 2020, the coronavirus has started to take over the world. Various countries are facing cases, some of them quarantining entire nations and borders closing. As such, many schools around the world are also taking necessary precautions to prevent the virus from spreading through its student body. This is why UC Berkeley should do the same.
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1. COVID-19 is Highly Contagious:
COVID-19 Cases Globally (Jan 22 – Mar 11, 2020)
The first and major reason is because the COVID-19 coronavirus is highly contagious. This map above displays the contagious nature of the novel coronavirus and the ease and vastness of how the virus has spread. The map is animated over time, and contains points representing when a location (city) has officially declared its first confirmed case of the virus. Through the graph, we can see that although it started in China, it has spread to all over the world with cases in over 100 countries. Furthermore, we can see that the same sequence of events occurred in America, and even California, beginning with cases in one or two cities, and now over 10. This elucidates the severity of the issue, as it is nearly impossible to contain and has been spreading exponentially. It demonstrates that if nothing is done, it is only a matter of time where individuals in every city have a confirmed case.
2. Death Rates Will Continue to Rise
COVID-19 Deaths in the World (Jan 22 – Mar 11, 2020)
Here, we examine the deaths rates of the coronavirus over time, starting with 01/22/2020. We can see how the death toll in the world has grown to over 4000 in two months, which is quite alarming. Furthermore, in the graph below, we examine the deaths in the United States caused by COVID-19. With cases starting to appear in February, the death rates of the virus in the United States have increased exponentially. In just 10 days, the amount of deaths has skyrocketed to more than 40. This, combined with the spread we saw on the map, illustrates the seriousness of the virus. This number (# of US Deaths) is projected to continue with the trend, and seems to be increasing daily.
COVID-19 Deaths in the United States (Jan 22 – Mar 11, 2020)
3. UC Berkeley and its Diversity
San Francisco and the Bay Area is home to diverse ethic groups. UC Berkeley is no exception.
UC Berkeley Student Body Demographic – Fall 2019
Within UC Berkeley, the student body is known to be extremely diverse, with students from all over the country as well as the world. The student body at UC Berkeley is composed of 43,815 enrolled students as of Fall 2019 from more than 119 countries. Such a diverse student body could pose as a serious threat not just to themselves but also to all parts of the world in the case they return home after being infected, greatly expediting the spread. In addition, UC Berkeley’s class sizes are often large, with 300-400 students and sometimes up to 2,000 students. This could pose as an extremely dangerous and risky place where the virus could spread, given its contagious nature.
4. Other Schools Have Done the Same
Closed Schools in California as of Mar 11, 2020
Note: This list is not exhaustive, all data is as of March 11, 2020. Click on data points for school name and closure date.
Finally, more than 46 schools in California have already suspended in-person classes or closed as of March 11, 2020. In addition, more than 110 unified schools districts have also planned to close schools starting March 16, according to Edsource. As such, UC Berkeley should also be doing the same. Not only is the virus highly contagious and deadly to certain demographics, the 43,815 student campus could become an epicenter for a new outbreak of COVID-19, worsening the existing conditions. The school should follow suit and take the necessary precautions – such as suspending in-person classes – to keep its students as well as the general public safe.
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In the wake of the global pandemic, universities should make measures with precaution that is in the best interest of the wellbeing and health of its students, faculty and staff.
Sources:
abc7news. “Coronavirus Impact: School and University Closures Related to COVID-19 in San Francisco Bay Area | Abc7news.Com.” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://abc7news.com/education/bay-area-school-closures-related-to-covid-19/6007591/.
“Fall Enrollment at a Glance | University of California.” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/fall-enrollment-glance.
G Mabanglo, John. “‘Please Visit Chinatown’: Coronavirus Fears Empty San Francisco District | World News | The Guardian.” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/27/chinatown-san-francisco-coronavirus-fears-empty-district.
Johns Hopkins CSSE. “GitHub – CSSEGISandData/COVID-19: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases, Provided by JHU CSSE.” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://github.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19.
JOHNSON, SYDNEY. “List of California K-12 Districts Closed for in-Person Instruction Due to Coronavirus | EdSource.” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://edsource.org/2020/california-k-12-schools-closed-due-to-the-coronavirus/624984.
“JtVH5Khvihib7dBDFY9ZDR.Jpg (1920×1080).” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JtVH5Khvihib7dBDFY9ZDR.jpg.
nbclosangeles. “List of SoCal Event Closures, Cancellations and Changes Caused by Coronavirus Outbreak – NBC Los Angeles.” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/heres-whats-canceled-and-closed-because-of-the-coronavirus-in-socal/2326673/.
Solomon, Samantha. “Here’s What Schools Are Closed Due to Coronavirus in Sacramento Area | Abc10.Com.” Accessed March 19, 2020. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-school-closures/103-ac14f8ac-5317-4905-91d9-f36c661a02f0.
CYPLAN 101 
