How do you implement COVID safety procedures when faced with misinformation?  This was the question that we faced as we entered into the Fall 20 semester in Oklahoma.  The importance of hands-on learning and face-to-face lectures were met with concerns of how did you manage mask mandates, misinformation circulating in the public, and social distancing in buildings and classrooms that were not designed for those types of measures.  Add to this, the desires of the students to either be in the classroom or away from the classroom.  The anticipated biggest challenge was the constant change of the information, turns out that was not the case.  The biggest challenge was the misinformation that was circulating in the surrounding communities, and the actions of the various businesses, governments, and others that could not be controlled by the institution.  For example, a music festival was held the second weekend of the semester which resulted in a spike of cases and quarantines. The belief that "masks don't work" and that "this is a hoax" resulted in individuals proceeding to go to work, go to events, and socialize, which resulted in disruptions.  Here is what we learned, and what we are currently facing.

What went well, what didn't, and hope for the future: COVID practices during a socially distanced semester

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.