I’m not, for those big southern schools with big fraternities and sororities, where they didn’t do entry testing. Inevitably, some students would be infected. Inevitably, they would infect other students. Eventually, some student would become so sick they’d be tested.
Let’s take UNC for an example. Students started moving in two weeks ago. That’s time for four generations of infection. Of all those infected students, a few will be so sick they can’t/don’t want to hide it.
I’m confident there are hundreds of students at UNC who are infected but not yet identified.
Nothing says, “We’re serious about controlling outbreaks” like a lackadaisical covid dashboard that is updated once a week.
I’m moving my daughter into her off-campus apartment in Athens this weekend. UGA won’t stay open for long given what I’m seeing off campus. Mask wearing is at about 50% (at most) and social distancing isn’t happening. Downtown was very crowded last night. There are lots of parties happening (pictures all over Instagram) and classes don’t start until Thursday. So disappointing, but not surprising. What is wrong with these young people???
@“Cardinal Fang” I didn’t realize how long the UNC-CH students had been on campus already.
ND confirmed COVID-19 cases are at 45 at the campus now. Only 11 tests were administered by ND yesterday, and 3 tested positive. (Copied from Twitter but did not want to post link.) I give ND points for posting daily. Demerits for the students congregating under the dining tents at night and not wearing masks. Tame compared to some of the videos I have seen from other schools.
I don’t understand what the administrations of UNC and University of Georgia are doing. I don’t understand what they envision will happen. To me, it looks like their process is inevitably going to end up with many students and many staff members infected with covid, because they’re doing basically nothing to stop that from happening.
Other schools like Notre Dame, schools which do entry testing, which test contacts, which isolate, are trying to contain the virus. UNC is doing… what exactly that is going to stop contagion?
I became friends with a woman whose child had a deadly cancer 25 years ago. Her child relapsed and had single digit chances of living another 5 years. Yet, she beat the odds. The woman has a COPD. Yet, they are blithely living their lives with regard to COVID safety other than abiding by the letter of the LAW in their area. What to say?
Many people believe that the students’ chances of getting terribly ill (let alone incapacited, disabled, dead) are very small. Far lower than the flus we get each year. Let them go off to college, infect each other , hopefully get a mild case of it while they are away from home, and then they’ll be safe when they come home for breaks, from getting it or infecting family members. I’ve had several outright tell me this. These teenagers are chomping at the bit at restrictions at home because of parents, grandparents etc that they could infect, but they don’t have to worry about that in a crowd of young people.
So it’s okay with these parents that their children go out and infect the college faculty and staff instead? Don’t they realize that college employees don’t want to get covid or pass it to their families either? Or doesn’t it matter as long as the students’ familes are safe?
Many feel that those who work at colleges are essential works that choose to face this risk as do those in businesses that have been open. Healthcare, restaurants and a lot of business are open to all who frequent them. A teacher/professor at a college can wear a n95/99 mask, put on PPE like Hospital ER workers and certainly insist on socially distancing, and masks for all in the classroom, Colleges can work their ventilation systems and have the instructors enter the classroom 5 minutes after class time and leave 5 minutes before. They are not going to be at high risk. As for staff, they run the same risks as those in shops and other places large number of people frequent. Those at highest risk and do not wish to go to work can not do so. The same decision that essential workers have been facing
I’m more concerned about communities that may not want this onslaught of careless young people who can really cause virus numbers to spike upwards.
Even more worrisome to me are the k-12 schools and daycares opening. Many families are forced into some very hard choices here. Have to work to keep things going. Who watches the kids while they work? Without school open, some very unsafe child care or no childcare happening. I’m sadly watching this happen And those providing the childcare/instruction have to work too despite the risks.
For many, there are no good choices.
Personally, our kids would not be going physically to school this year,but we are privileged to make this choice without fear of disasterous consequences.
Your kid gets the “full” college experience and a few kids get pretty sick, several professors and staff get very sick, and one of the schools’ employees dies
vs
Your kid has a relatively monastic existence, masks, isolation, lockdown, no parties, no sports, honestly…limited fun…limited illness in the community, no deaths
The vast majority would kill the staffer. After all, they’re paying good money for the experience they aren’t getting now.
While saying that, I also think too many University Presidents are putting their staff at risk by being more concerned about finances than they are health.
It’s a really difficult situation, but most people don’t know someone who has died from the virus, so collectively we see the threat as limited. I have a friend who knew 11 people who have died from COVID (4 weeks ago, I haven’t heard an update). My appreciation for the risks might be higher than many.
Even if you’re willing to accept fatalities, it’s possible at a certain point the university will have to close because too many (students and/or teachers) are out sick.
We may see that play out at UNC.
If so, I’m interested if the infected students are encouraged to remain on campus. Since most are in-state, driving home is an option.
As I’ve stated before, a lot of the risks to professors, instructors, staff can mitigate the risks better than most essential workers can. Many of them might want/need to go to work. Also,some schools at risk for drastic closures and cuts if they don’t reopen. My concerns are not as focused on the college employees, but on other issues
We do not know what the long time ramifications of COVID19. Too many I know who are highly knowledgeable, much smarter than I am, particularly about this, are concerned about long term side effects. If these fears are correct, many who have let their students go to school may be in for more than they expected.
Nothing at all is wrong with them. They are following the lead of “old people” i.e. adults in Georgia, Iowa and some other states that are in Covid denial, won’t wear masks or social distance, and keep calling this “like a bad flu”. The rest of us, in states that have been super compliant, now are paying with shutdowns of colleges and elementary schools because"what is happening in the rest of the country". It really just ticks me off. I’m tired of it.
At this point, large outbreaks and even shutdowns appear inevitable at many schools. It’s just a matter of time. Remote learning doesn’t look so bad in comparison.
I’m actually impressed with how forthcoming UNC has been about the clusters. I agree that these colleges who are bringing kids back without initial testing, adequate mitigation strategies and some kind of enforcement are acting irresponsibly. At least at UNC you have some idea of where most of the cases are popping…
Other reports of this high schooler are less generous, said he was asymptomatic so didn’t think he needed to quarantine. The parents say they ‘miscalculated’ the length.
What’s so impressed about it? That’s the least a college should do. A highly infectious disease like COVID-19 won’t go away by ignoring it. It must be actively contained and information is the first step to containment.
I’ve read other information on Twitter that people at UNC’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases are appalled and embarrassed at the way UNC is handling covid.
The UNC governing board that oversees 16 UNC universities across the state called a lot of the shots regarding reopening. The Board is kinda a mess. I wonder if UNC is being so vocal about its clusters b/c they didn’t want to re-open this way? I have no inside knowledge to this effect, just wondering.
NC State just 30 miles up the road has also re-opened, and I’m not seeing same reports. It’s about the same size. Can’t imagine things are much different in terms of infection rates. Are they just keeping it under wrap? Not good either way!