I don’t have access to the data by “college attendance” - but the CDC does report by age groups <18 and 18-29, the typical age of university students, incl. graduate students.
In December 2021 ALONE there were 135 Covid deaths (THUS far reported) in those two age ranges.
In November 2021, there were 285 Covid deaths for those ages, in October 473.
More December numbers will come in when reporting catches up - so I leave it to your conscience whether near 1,000 young people in the last quarter is “close to zero” enough for you!?
@coolguy40 But I bet there were a somewhat smaller number of deaths due to a “sore throat outbreak” (very UNcool):
Asked to test, but not required and no proof of test needed.
From Williams email: “In addition, as announced previously, before returning to campus, we are requesting that students get a Covid test if at all possible, understanding that access to tests is difficult at the moment. If you are unsure where to get a pre-arrival test, please use the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nationwide testing locator to find the nearest testing site to your location. We encourage PCR tests whenever possible, but rapid tests are an acceptable option if need be.”
(Link to the whole email: https://www.williams.edu/coronavirus/campus-emails/return-to-campus-update/)
Students to test upon arrival (the testing center was open yesterday for those who came in then), and then 72 hours later. Regular testing will be 2x per week. Last semester it was 1x per week.
On 12/30, they announced that the first week of Winter Session would be held remotely, to give students the chance to move through the initial testing process.
Where did they put the 40 positives? Do they have isolation housing or did they go home or are they isolating in their rooms? Any idea if it’s five or ten days or if they have to test negative to get out early?
"If you test positive after arriving on campus…
You will be moved into a designated isolation space.
If you live close enough to campus to be able to travel home by personal vehicle, you are encouraged to talk to the Health Center staff about whether you can instead complete your isolation period at home.
Most college isolation spaces are now set up as doubles to accommodate the higher number of cases we expect as a result of the Omicron variant. If you move into isolation you will likely share your room and bathroom with other students who have tested positive.
Once in isolation, you will be given an antigen (rapid) test on Day 5. If the result is negative you will move back into your original room and be able to attend classes on Day 6, but will have to adhere to strict masking requirements and take your meals to go until Day 11.
If your antigen test remains positive on Day 5, you will remain in quarantine and test again 48 hours later."
This is bad. They are still going for zero cases. I hope once cases start to decline they will open up more. It’s not realistic to keep such crazy restrictions for this version of Covid. Gosh I hope Bowdoin does not follow suit on this.
Masking everywhere except your own room. No way to visit friends in other dorms. Remote class for first week. And I only read most recent post from them. What about the gym? Or sports? Or the library? Are those all a go just with masks? Grab and go is also a joke. Back to fall 2020 I guess. Sit in your room to eat and take class and zero socializing.
I don’t see it as quite as harsh as you are making it out to be. I do not think they anticipate the grab and go dining to last long term - last I read was that it is just this first week. Remote class for just this first week of Winter Session. Sports are still happening - no outside spectators. I must have missed where it said you can’t visit friends in other dorms?
It’s in the 1/3 update. Masked unless in your own room. Makes even in common rooms. No going in any dorm but your own. I guess the key will be how fast they drop these rules. Worrisome though for sure.
I agree the key at any of the schools will be what has to happen to lessen restrictions like masking everywhere but one’s room, limited social gatherings, grab and go food, etc. How many infections is too many? I hope no school is targeting zero covid.
It’s all theater! In Massachusetts, 90% of towns have no mask mandate, but kids that have been triple vaxxed, and by then most will have gotten omicron, have to mask in their common rooms? Come on.
they have to move to quarantine housing if they test positive?
This is virtue signaling at it’s finest. We’ll pay hard for it in November, wait and see.
On the other hand, over 6000 15-24 year olds died in car accidents in 2019 (happily that’s half the number who died in 1990) and we don’t think of that as a national tragedy, let alone ban them from driving.
I think the reason these schools are doing this is because they are residential colleges and pretty much have to follow the CDC rules for isolation? In that case, they try to keep cases low because they need to put the kids somewhere? I think that could be abated by just having them isolate in their rooms. Problem solved. If kids want to wear masks outside of class and be careful they can. Go ahead and mandate masks in class but that’s it.
CDC says you should isolate, but there is no mandate or recommendation to move out of your house. You are most contagious before you test positive anyway. It’s like chasing the common cold in a college setting - except more contagious!
Most of those young victims were highly medically fragile. That is quite different from reasonably healthy college students. There is no doubt that organ transplant recipients and cancer patients are vulnerable regardless of age. Not so many of those on campus.
My son tested before he left and uploaded to the portal. I am onboard for all the decisions made by Williams. I truly believe everything they have done over the last two years has been with the best interests of their students and staff. It is why my son chose to go there.
