I am guessing that schools ordered PPE a while ago, but that is wild speculation on my part!
I don’t think we have enough PPE or testing kits to deal with the current outbreaks nationwide. The northeast may have stockpiled enough, but my reading suggests that the areas of new outbreaks are woefully underprepared.
Not enough pie for all the plates looking to be filled. I also think it’s easy to say you’re going test all students every week but I’ll believe it when I see it. It’s all designed to make parents comfortable sending their kids to school and paying full fare for a less than appealing scenario.
There are currently @200,000 college students in 4 year institutions in Maryland. Another @135,000 at community colleges. How ever many more at private institutions.
Maryland currently has a goal of testing 10,000 people for Covid each day. There is simply no way we will be able to effectively test each of these college students on a regular basis. If we even attempt it we won’t have any tests left over for k-12 kids, the elderly, hospital patients, the general public, etc. It’s just not really feasible at this point. It won’t be feasible in two months. This is also reality across the US.
We should probably focus these tests and ensure we are testing the critical populations. It is what it is. I certainly hope my kids go back to school as normal as possible in the fall. I fully support them going. I don’t see them as the vulnerable population.
Aren’t ;c
Again, this varies by school. I completely trust the NESCACs who have said they have specific testing plans. The numbers are overall smaller than bigger schools and aren’t just “goals”. They are specific plans.
I said this from the beginning. Even if schools want to bring kids back what makes you think they can and be able to adhere to cleaning guidelines? Most companies in my location are still working remote and probably will be until September at the earliest. It’s not because they don’t want people to return to work. They just can’t meet all the guidelines given the number of people and the facilities the way they’re currently configured.
Can anyone here walk into Walmart and get Clorox wipes, Lysol and hand sanitizer on any given day? How about masks and nitrile gloves? I haven’t been able to. How will they magically appear for companies and colleges in August?
I just asked the mods to restart the closed down Covid thread. It’s obvious that there is a need for it because that’s bleeding onto this thread.
And please guys, no politics. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of all the anger and hate and violence. Let’s keep this thread clean of politics and disputes, please?
MODERATOR’S NOTE: Once again, each post in this thread should be about school issues related to COVID-19. No political or general COVID discussions allowed. Please help us keep this thread open!!
It was the administrators’ decision to close the other thread and the moderators are not permitted to reopen it. One administrator was deluged with complaints about the thread. He is not going to permit another one.
Thank you for sharing this article. This paragraphs stuck out:
“If you do more frequent testing, you can really handle a very large number of contacts per day. So the key thing for us will be, number one, to make sure that we can do regular testing; number two, to make sure that, like if we need to, we can increase the frequency. Number three is to make sure that we’re looking at the results from the testing in an intelligent way so we can figure out quickly if it turns out that people are having parties more frequently than we thought, then we can do something about it”.
There are schools like my Daughter’s that have resources to at least attempt the above, in addition to the many other risk mitigation measures being implemented for minimizing contact in all aspects of daily life - housing, dining, and classrooms - to protect professors and staff. There are schools with their own labs and testing capability who plan to implement the test, isolate, contact trace protocol that every pandemic handbook promulgates. Since there is no national plan for that nor will it be forthcoming (nor are states having great luck so far in implementation), it would actually seem worthwhile to see if a smaller school where participation in protocol measures is required of its members has success in managing its community - and the business of education - during a pandemic. I’ll get heat for that last comment, I know, but I’m just not sure that planning for every person to stay home until a vaccine is available is any more viable a solution for survival of society than what’s being proposed by some well resourced schools.
There are no schools that have the resources to do this if they can’t get the reagents, the swabs and the PPE.
They can with pool testing. Increases capacity by 10x.
I love your positive attitude, well done…
Agreed, but I guess I’m unclear as to why you think no school could possibly have the reagents, swabs and PPE. Not trying to be facetious, I would be interested to know.
I live in a small town where pretty much anyone could be tested for Covid by mid-April by our local clinic…just call and go get tested even without symptoms. Even today that is the case.
Meanwhile my sister in NJ who works in a hospital and had covid patients every day couldn’t be tested until the end of May unless symptomatic.
If anyone wants to discuss COVID generally, PM me.
I understand pooling testing. That certainly allows more throughput but you still need the tests available to begin with. I’d say in reality, since they’ll have to test some of those pols over that the increase may be closer to 6-7 times. In the end, like I said, that’s on the lab test side. You still need however many raw tests to cover everyone to begin with.
I know these schools have big testing plans for the fall. I’m just not sure how they can actually accomplish them in today’s reality. I just see it sucking every single resource away from everyone else and these kids aren’t the most vulnerable that should be protected.
So some places are sitting on an excess of supplies while others are suffering from a lack of them? Isn’t this exactly what is likely this Fall? That the schools rich enough to stock in supplies will have plenty, while the poorer schools, schools largely serving the less fortunate communities, etc., are left to deal with whatever outbreaks happen without adequate resources?
They are also listening to their students and parents. College surveys repeatedly show that an overwhelming majority of students want to return to campus. At my NE LAC, we had over 80% of students indicate they wanted to be on campus this fall. The percentage for parents was only slightly lower.
ETA: A student from D20’s class is headed to Bowdoin this fall. He has been telling everyone he is disappointed he didn’t choose Middlebury because he hates the Bowdoin plan. I’m just not sure how much CC reflects student (and many parent) opinions on returning to campus.
Hamilton already informed students and parents that they will follow whatever quarantine restrictions New York has in place.
@SammoJ , we are doing the same here…having conversations with our D17 who is heading back to her off campus house soon. Making sure that all roommates are on the same page about self monitoring for symptoms and the need to contact the health center immediately and follow self isolating instructions. Not getting too low on groceries in case they all have to suddenly self isolate.
@twoinanddone , this is from several pages back but my son’s school (Elon) is allowing doubles but the bunks must remain on the opposite sides of the room. I haven’t heard of a school assigning sides either, but maybe this is to help facilitate separate move-ins, rather than waiting to talk it out with the roommate (who will be likely accompanied by family members?)
And even if they do adhere to the guidelines, it won’t be for long. Corners will be cut before long, and things won’t be cleaned and disinfected properly. And desks will start to be moved a little bit closer. Masks will start to be worn less.
Massachusetts is telling colleges and universities in the state they they will help them secure regular testing. In addition to the supplies, colleges already know which labs are processing their tests this fall. The governor seems to understand that it’s in everyone’s best interest, given the large number of colleges and universities in the state. At least in MA, colleges are not just out there on their own, trying to figure out how to obtain PPE supplies and testing. Plans are clear.