Colleges in the 2021-2022 Academic Year & Coronavirus (Part 2)

Parents Forum
5311

Well, you’re…making it easy for me, I guess, Joe. I mean if everyone runs out and gets it while I stay home because I’m pretty sure I don’t want it, all I have to do is wait a few weeks, and then it’s very unlikely that the people I run into will have it.

Of course, you’re also making it exceptionally hard on every HCW out there, all the immunocompromised people and little kids and babies, and all the people who’d like to be having scheduled surgeries that they need badly and have been waiting for, the heart attack victims, etc. That curve-flattening thing hasn’t gone away.

We do have means available to avoid this, on-campus and off.

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5312

It’s nothing to do with your protecting anyone. It’s about the college protecting itself. It would like to go on being a college, and it’s very difficult to do that when the workforce won’t show up. Like I said above, they’re not actual slaves, and can’t be forced. Across the country colleges and universities are also finding that if they try to go all Beyoncé about it, there is no new you ready to come to campus and take the place.

5313

And that’s the long game.

They know the parents are furious. The parents are always furious. Why wouldn’t they be? Look how much you’re paying! It’s beyond obscene!

But whatever goes on, for the students, this is their university. It has to be very, very bad, especially at the expensive places, for the students not to feel some warmth, not to make friends and see the school as part of themselves. Besides, what other school’s going to give them an undergrad life when they’re 25 and they’ve already had college? Of course they’ll feel a little burst of pride whenever they see or hear their college’s name.

And that’s where alumni donations come from. For years, and years, and years. Generations, if they play it right.

eta: I’m still laughing at the wonderful skill with which UChicago peels summer students away from their parents. Totally a mugging. Classic distract and oops where’s your wallet.

5314

Many colleges have faculty willing to teach in person. Many faculty have recognized the science that exposure is inevitable regardless of teaching style. This is not uncommon. Those born in the US prior to 1957 are presumed to have been exposed to measles; those born prior to 1980 are presumed exposed to chickenpox, per CDC. Endemics will result in massive exposure to the entire populace, which will continue for the foreseeable future. Colleges can and do accept this and live with it, see, eg, statement of Northeastern University on reopening.

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5315

I’m actually not doing anything, Omicron is. Omicron is extremely contagious. It is flying through all segments of society. Colleges are just one little corner of potential spread. Omicron will quickly reach everyone. People can try to isolate but that may not work. We all have some contact with the outside world.

In many ways perhaps it makes even more sense to have colleges, who’s populations are some of the most protected, to go ahead and get this variant on a wide scale. The age group does extremely well against the virus. They are not usually prone to long term effects and they can provide for a higher level of overall immunity.

Omicron will likely burn through campuses quickly and then be gone. College students aren’t really the ones getting hospitalized. Omicron infection has been shown to provide protection against the more dangerous Delta variant. Perhaps it will also provide better protection against the next variant to show up. Covid isn’t going away. Colleges and everywhere ejse will have to adapt.

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5316

Part of the problem for both policy makers at colleges etc. and individuals considering their own potential exposure is that, even if they believe that Omicron is of little danger, there could still be Delta or some other more dangerous variant in theabout 20%

Regeneron COVID-19 Dashboard indicates that while Omicron is about 80% in the US as of December 27, 2021, Delta is still about 20%.

5317

There will always be another variant in the air. Today’s flavor is the IHU variant from France/Cameroon. If we wait for no more variants, colleges will never reopen

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5318

There are thousands of PHD adjunct professors dreaming about being hired permanently at any college or university.

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5320

Faucci the other day stated that most children are hospitalized with Covid, not from Covid. Wonder about the deaths. No way to know.

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5321

I recognize college students are adults. My S can get his nose swabbed and keep his distance with the best of them. The point is that many young adults are at college, away from home and are struggling with the loneliness these restrictions can cause. This struggle isn’t being unable to “adult”.
Some students will thrive regardless. Others are not coping as well. I won’t shame them by saying they just need to figure it out or go remote.
I understood the precautions taken in the beginning, but with the data we have regarding Covid and the mental health of young people, I think it is time to change the game plan.

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5322

Rent a house with friends if you don’t like the dorm restrictions. You meet your ‘tribe’ very quickly in freshman year in my experience even as a very shy 18 year old. So I would have gone to the dorms at first since I didn’t know anyone then dump it by Christmas.

5323

I’ve been reading this thread, and others, with great interest. You are all a very intelligent group of people, so thank you! It’s given me much food for thought.

I do wonder, though–and I’m genuinely curious to hear–what you all think about the risk of Long Covid for our college students (and ourselves). That, to me, is the most terrifying and unknowable aspect of this virus. Yes, chances are a healthy, vaccinated college student won’t get very sick from this variant. BUT, what comes afterwards is pretty darn scary. My own college student knows of several kids in the late teens/early 20s bracket who struggle with long-term or permanent issues from catching Delta and before that, the original virus in spring 2020. All covid variants are known to impact the brain and persist in major organs well after “recovery,” with unknown implications for the future. – Is this not something on parents’ radars? It is on mine. Pretty much exclusively, at this point.

For this reason alone, I think it’s prudent for colleges to institute precautions, as disappointing and frustrating as they may be.

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5324

It’s been a year and a half (and counting). Not quite the same as a tornado watch or a blizzard.

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5325

Studies of long COVID vary, probably in part due to the definition of “long COVID”.

An early pre-vaccine study found rates of long COVID between 25-35% or something like that across age groups (older → worse, but still substantial among the young). A much more recent study found a 38% rate (defined as 12-20 weeks after) in unvaccinated cases, but 4.5 times lower in breakthrough cases among the previously vaccinated (who also have a lower chance of getting infected in the first place).

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5326

Yeah not an option for colleges with residency requirements.

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5327

I would avoid colleges with residency requirements…well…like the plague…

Students living off campus during this pandemic have enjoyed a much less restrictive existence while adulting.

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5328

Yeah. I think part of the problem is that we still don’t really know what “long covid” entails, especially as we start seeing more illness in people who aren’t entirely naive, immunologically, when covid hits them – they’ve had vax or covid before, or just encountered the virus and started to develop antibodies without actually getting sick.

I live in a college town; I have young friends, young tenants, students. I can tell you anecdotally that for those who actually get sick, it’s never been an easy illness to shake. My tenants are a month in and not really well yet; other friends are struggling after a week to get past the acute stage. And that seems to be the trend through the literature: the sicker you are, the more serious your post-acute covid will likely be. And of course because this virus is mutating quickly now, I think it’s really not possible to say what’ll be in three or four months, whether omicron’s faded and we have a soup of variants we know fairly well or there’s something new and spicy out there, so it’s hard to say what the odds will be of getting quite sick.

The most alarming short- and longterm problem I see is still the brain involvement, because that also affects how you function through the illness unless someone is right there taking care of you. It does affect young people. And you have a general sense of odds that may or may not be reliable – I think the only reliable thing I’ve run into is that if I’m thinking the same way about the virus as I did two months ago, I’ve missed some important change. The virus has changed or our understanding has. I expect (hope) that’ll slow down, but in the meantime, part of the exhaustion is just about keeping up.

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5329

Purdue finally reached out. No surprises: Greetings Boilermaker Families!

Purdue University Header300xauto

January 04, 2022

Dear Boilermakers,

Over the past two years, Boilermakers have pulled together like never before. Because of your steady commitment to Protect Purdue, we’ve been able to keep our campus safe and open.

The Protect Purdue team, in conjunction with our Medical Advisory Team, continues to meet regularly and agrees that we will return to in-person instruction next week as planned.

88% of Boilermakers on the West Lafayette campus have chosen to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and compliance with required surveillance testing throughout the fall semester was high. Boilermakers have also demonstrated a steadfast commitment to wearing masks indoors, staying home when sick, and utilizing the Protect Purdue Health Center (PPHC). So far, these actions have led to extraordinarily low levels of COVID-19 transmission traced to campus activities. The latest evidence also suggests that the Omicron variant, now the dominant strain, generally causes milder symptoms and cases, with vaccinations and boosters appearing highly protective against serious illness.

We turn our attention to rebuilding our “campus bubble” during the coming weeks as we return from across the country and around the world. In the fall, we had hoped and expected to reduce some safety requirements early this semester, but the emergence of the Omicron variant has forced us to delay any such easing, at least for a while. Rather, we all need to renew our commitment to the Protect Purdue Pledge as it reads, “As part of the Purdue community, I will continue to take responsibility for my own health and protect others, as well as our campus community, by helping to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other infections.”

COVID-19 protocols in place throughout the fall semester will remain in effect with some additional considerations:

  • Face masks are required in all specified indoor spaces for everyone on the Purdue University campus, regardless of vaccination status.
  • All Boilermakers should consider purchasing higher quality face masks (N95, KN95) for enhanced protection, especially in the beginning of the semester.
  • Routine surveillance testing for those who have currently chosen not to get vaccinated and submit proper documentation resumed on January 3 for employees and will resume on January 10 for students.
  • If you are ill or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, whether you are vaccinated or not, it is critical that you continue to follow the Protect Purdue Pledge: stay home and away from others, contact PPHC right away, and follow additional instructions.
  • If you test positive using an at-home COVID-19 test, you should follow the same steps: stay home and away from others, contact PPHC right away, and follow additional instructions.
  • All students should have a personal plan for proper isolation or quarantine should it be necessary and on-campus accommodations not be available.
  • Students directed to quarantine or isolate by PPHC will receive an academic case manager and an absence notification will be sent to their instructors.
  • Instructors are expected to implement course attendance policies and absence accommodation practices that support students’ ability to follow Protect Purdue guidance and are consistent with the university’s academic regulations.
  • All travel, event, and visitor guidelines remain in effect.
    • Anyone hosting an international delegation of 3 or more individuals is required to discuss the visit in advance with Mike Brzezinski, dean, International Programs.
    • We encourage anyone traveling, or hosting events or visitors, to be diligent in following Protect Purdue guidance and minimize activities involving food during these first few weeks of the semester.
  • Continue to watch for Protect Purdue direction regarding isolation and quarantine protocols, which will soon be updated, consistent with the latest medical guidance.

Particularly for our students living in University Residences, it is important to reiterate: do not travel to campus if you currently have COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms. Rather, stay home, contact PPHC right away, and follow additional instructions. With flu cases on the rise nationally, continued Protect Purdue efforts will limit the spread of other illnesses as well.

We continue to encourage all Boilermakers to receive the vaccine and subsequent booster when eligible. If you have not received the COVID-19 vaccine and are eligible to do so, you are encouraged to do so today. Purdue’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic is open 7am – 4pm Monday through Friday and is located on the northwest side of the Co-Rec. Walk-up vaccinations are available during clinic hours.

If you are vaccinated and it has been at least two months since you received the J&J vaccine or at least six months since you received the second dose of any other approved vaccine, you are encouraged to schedule a booster today. This additional dose will provide you and the Purdue community with enhanced protection. Visit the Protect Purdue website or click here to schedule a booster appointment online. All who have received the booster should upload proper documentation at vaccine.purdue.edu.

Since early 2020, our decisions have been based on the best medical and scientific guidance available, including that of our own team of leaders and experts, our external Medical Advisory Committee and our partners at the Tippecanoe County Health Department and the Indiana Department of Health. As the pandemic becomes endemic, the number of positive cases by itself becomes a less informative indicator of the health of our campus and our ability to protect Purdue. That said, we will continue to consider, evaluate and modify our approach based on many factors including positive cases, case severity, availability of and our ability to deliver campus resources, and community trends.

As we look ahead, we again do so with less certainty than anyone would prefer, but with reassurance that Boilermakers want to be on campus and have demonstrated a willingness to do what is necessary to operate safely and without interruption.

Happy New Year, welcome back, and thank you in advance for doing your part, through common sense and the Protect Purdue Pledge, to protect yourself, others, and our Purdue community.

Sincerely,

The Protect Purdue Implementation Team

5330

I don’t understand this…where does an infected on-campus living student isolate? They can’t expect everyone to go home, especially those who are a plane flight away. Nor can all students afford a plane ride on short notice, or a hotel room (and many hotels won’t allow a positive person to book a room).

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