[Exports_project_office] One more thought I wanted to convey at the end of today's PO call

[Ken Buesseler]

Here was my last thought after today's discussion about when to open up 
the solo exercise option.

Let's say we start outdoor exercise on day 2 and everyone tests negative 
on first PCR test, day 5.  Great.

Let's say we start day 2, and 1 or more test positive on first PCR test, 
after day 5.  Not Great.  We immediately will need to be thinking about 
retesting, replacements, extending Q-tines, etc. Also, the news will get 
out (on WhatsAPP, calls to family) and the story will be - /*"US 
scientists arrived in UK are testing positive for COVID."*/ and 
furthermore, /*this group has been walking around the streets of our 
fair city..... */I think the optics and PR would not be good, and why 
risk it.  If after day 5 PCR test, we only allow those who test negative 
out (hopefully 100% of us), that story doesn't happen.  A similar 
positive test result on day 12 will be interpreted as the US scientists 
picked up COVID in Southampton.... also not good, but a different story.

Does this resonate with anyone but me?  I walk every day.  I'm worried 
about the social consequences of (false?) positives and how to deal with 
them, and we are opening up a new planed activity not specified when we 
all signed up for this Qtine and got Institutional travel approvals.  
I'm also trying to confirm verbally/informally that the WHOI folks will 
even be allowed outside their rooms at all- it was not part of the 
approved travel plan with individual isolation at the hotel, but I think 
it would be allowed.

FYI, I am VERY willing to go with the flow and PO vote, but I'm trying 
to think through the worst case scenarios, and this is a slightly 
different reasoning than I've heard so far.

So glad we are able to have this open discussion-  Ken

-- 
Ken Buesseler
Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
http://cafethorium.whoi.edu     @Cafe_Thorium
Director, Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity
http://www.whoi.edu/CMER        @whoi_cmer
508-289-2309

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