ASLOK Thoughts in the Age of Covid

Plans for attending ASLOK XXXV?

  • Wasn't planning on attending anyway...

    Votes: 46 40.0%
  • Will be there, masks or not...

    Votes: 17 14.8%
  • Will be there, but only if masks are required...

    Votes: 1 0.9%
  • Will be there, but only if masks aren't required...

    Votes: 4 3.5%
  • Won't be attending due to Covid, but had been planning on it pre-pandemic...

    Votes: 20 17.4%
  • Might be there - depends on how the pandemic develops by the Fall...

    Votes: 20 17.4%
  • Might be there - depends on non-pandemic things like $, vacation, spousal approval, etc...

    Votes: 7 6.1%

  • Total voters
    115
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Pitman

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I'm viewing this year's ASLOK as effectively a sunk cost. I will likely be on the hook for significant costs either way as a result. Low attendance might beat cancelling, but it is likely close to a push. Once we determine what we are doing I can go to the hotel and attempt to renegotiate based on future years potentially, but I have no idea how likely that is to work at this point.

I can understand the VASL appeal, but as I am not a VASL guy at all it is not something I would consider running as an alternative to the live event at this time...
I would be willing to contribute substantially to help defray the costs of a cancelled ASLOK, if that would help you decide to cancel it.
 
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Pitman

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Bret can just register it as either a religious service or as a wedding reception.
So now you have so lost sight of ethics and responsibility that you not only want a game tournament to proceed despite the undeniable health risks it would pose to attendees, the community, and others, but you would be willing to lie and engage in illegal subterfuge in order to do so?
 

dlazov

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Mark your too serious, it was satire, but whatever it’s no big deal, just relax.
 

Sparafucil3

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So now you have so lost sight of ethics and responsibility
Even funnier that a church going, God fearing man would suggest lying. Even funnier than that when he also posted a Bible verse about bravery then want to hide behind a lie. Perhaps someone needs to re-read Proverbs:

Proverbs 6:16-19: There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
Pick and chose I guess. -- jim
 

MAS01

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How in the world did we ever survive the '57-'58 and '68-'69 flu pandemics?
 

Sparafucil3

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How in the world did we ever survive the '57-'58 and '68-'69 flu pandemics?
As a species, through large numbers. As individuals, through luck of the draw on where you caught it, when you caught it, if you caught it, good genetics to get you through, access to medicine or care that got you through, etc. I don't think anyone believes the species will be killed, but there are no guarantees on an individual basis. -- jim
 

MAS01

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Absolutely, Jim! And we will get through this exactly the same way. What was missing in the previous two major pandemics was a 24/7 news cycle on multiple stations with a "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality, frightening the population. I've found it very useful for my own sanity to merely keep the television turned off.
 

MajorDomo

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So, in the case that the virus abates to a level that allows a 2020 ASLOK, there are some things we could do.

A. Let Pete decide on layout, masks, distance... It is one of his professional abilities/duties.

B. Allow a VASL play option for consenting adults from their stately and comfortable Holiday Inn rooms.

C. Limit attendance to a safer number See A above. Price accordingly.

D. Spread those with Covid antibodies across the minis. I assume most of us will be tested by then.

E. Request that those with multiple Covid vulnerabilities observe the above conditions and select antibody opponents to play when possible.

Some of the above changes may well be new normal for FTF vasl tournaments.

Of course, these changes presume a bunch of work on the part of Bret, Pete, the hotel. The hotel conference rooms are probably going to get some changes in these areas regardless of ASLOK.

The world has changed, with 7+ billion people, we have become the major virus food source.
 

aiabx

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How in the world did we ever survive the '57-'58 and '68-'69 flu pandemics?
The major differences were a much lower fatality rate in the earlier flu pandemics, and the new exciting feature of COVID-19 where people are contagious for up to two weeks before exhibiting symptoms, making it very difficult to control the spread without serious measures. Three months in and you guys are looking at 125K dead and still accelerating numbers of new infections. Without drastic measures, people are expecting many hundreds of thousand or even millions of deaths in the US before this is over. That's a lot worse than any flu since 1918.
 

phlegm027

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In this thread everything has already been said, just not by everyone. My estimations about the risk at an event like the ASLOK are based on the fact that I am a medical doctor. Furthermore I have continuously followed the medical literature since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

What do we know so far about how the Covid-19 virus transmits?

The cases where a large number of people have been infected all look very similar. Usually a group of people were in a locked room. It appears that not all people are equally infectious. While in some cases there is hardly any transmission of the virus, even when people have close contact, there are others that can infect a large number of people. These are the so-called "super-spreaders".

Speech seems to play an important role in the transmission of the virus. Every time we speak, we are releasing aerosols containing viruses. These aerosols have the potential to spread far inside enclosed spaces.
Masks can help to make the transmission of the virus more difficult. But they do not provide 100% protection.
Therefore, airing rooms seems to play a very important role in preventing the transmission of the virus.
Prof. Drosten, a virologist from the Charite in Berlin, said that he would rather be in a well-ventilated room without mask wearers than in a poorly ventilated room with mask wearers.
Ideally, one would speak as little as possible. Also, one should speak as quietly as possible.

On the other hand, the direct contact of people, i.e. transmission through smear infections, seems to play a much smaller role.

My personal conclusion is that attending a tournament like the ASLOK exposes you to an incalculable risk. It has already been pointed out that transmission of the virus occurs at the time when patients are asymptomatic. So everyone who goes to the ASLOK relies on the fact that none of the participants is an asymptomatic virus carrier at that time.

It is also important that not only all participants wear a mask, but also that the mask is worn in a correct way (i.e. mouth and nose are completely covered). According to my observation in the last weeks, 20-30% of all persons are not able to do this.
At work I wear one of the masks that offer high protection (FFP2 / N95). These masks become very uncomfortable after a relatively short time (about 2 hours).

My urgent recommendation is therefore not to hold this tournament as a face to face tournament but to hold the tournament virtually.
Don’t forget to mention they want to hold it in Ohio.
 

Jacometti

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I want to make one point about the supposed "importance" of attending an ASL tournament in these times. Several posters here have suggested that "it's just a GAME" etc etc, and therefore not "worth it".

When I attend an ASL tournament, I

  • feel part of a community of people, with whom I share a passion and interest
  • challenge myself mentally and spiritually
  • break away from the day to day normalcy of life
  • take part in an activity I consider valuable and interesting.
I do not see any difference between this activity and attending a religious service in person.

So if church services are able to operate under these conditions, why would an ASL tournament not be treated the same way? Why in a secular state would someone determine that my spiritual life is less valuable than that of others?
 
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