The University of Arizona caught an outbreak early with wastewater testing. Everyone was negative when they arrived on campus. A few days later wastewater testing showed one dorm positive. They tested everyone in the dorm with a 1-hour test. Two were positive and asymptomatic. They have been isolated.
Nice work. That’s how you do it.
While I don’t agree with the UA policy, is that not the advice given in most work places? We are not allowed to talk about anyone with it either. People who test positive or who are quarantined for 10-14 days just disappear and we are to continue on like they are on vacation or don’t exist. Contact tracers are suppose to tell people if they have been exposed and what to do. Again, I do NOT agree with it, but it is our HR policy (sent to everyone via email) and I gather protects the employer from HIPPA violations?
In other news, after 3 weeks of prep, H’s district started their virtual school this week. He is flat out miserable. He is NOT a tech guy. I don’t even ask how his day went anymore. I’ve learned a lot about canvas trying to help him and he’s relied on several teachers to help get him set up. I am proud at how much he HAS done setting up cute modules, videos, etc. Today, he had his first live class. Imagine trying to teach 100 5 & 6 year olds (K/1) at once on Google meet. He said it was like trying to keep 100 puppies in a basket. However, while I feel badly that he is miserable, I selfishly like this schooling method. I figure once the kids start back, it will just be a matter of time before we get sick.
There is a vast difference from a camp of a couple hundred younger kids versus a college campus of thousands of young adults who are partying.
Also, being off in the woods separated from everyone else and never leaving. This is more or less what some small rural residential colleges are doing, but it’s unworkable for most colleges.
Seems like Michigan State is the only responsible adult in the region. I was counting on Michigan to do well so that State could open up for spring, but it looks like that dream is trashed.
Two students at my son’s college have been sent home for violating the guidelines. My son is still quarantining at home, but leaves for college next week.
Ugh really?? Do you know if they are freshmen or upperclassmen?
Just read University of South Carolina has seen cases double this week with cases at 183 between Aug 20-25 and additional 191 testing positive on Wednesday alone. They’ve only been back for a week. It’s interesting to watch how different schools have different tolerances for big numbers.
@homerdog Upperclassmen. I feel terrible for these kids, but the college has been very upfront about the fact that this can’t work if the rules aren’t followed.
@homerdog They are upperclassmen. Freshmen aren’t on campus yet. In fact, most upperclassmen aren’t moved in yet either. Student leaders, including Junior Advisors (RAs) and first-year orientation leaders, moved in on Monday. I was glad to see the administration’s zero-tolerance policy.
Bloomsburg in PA (~8,000 undergrads) has gone virtual for the fall (quarters…through early October). They’ll re-assess in a few weeks about classes that start Mid-October.
I’ve unofficially heard that two sororities are on total lockdown.
So they were RAs and orientation leaders? Boooooooo!
@EyeVeee
At Bloomsburg, After just two weeks at school friend’s daughter has the COVID. Basically because her covidiot roommates were out with a boy whose fraternity brothers had Covid. She got tested because her roommates were around the sick guy and they were coughing and not feeling well. Her roommates haven’t been tested and refuse to get tested.
Does Bloomsburg have any sort of covid policy? Reporting symptoms, agreeing to get tested, isolating, anything?
I’ve gotta say that fraternities and sororities are punching above their weight in disease spread here.
Yes, but these “infractions” probably would not even be considered an issue at most schools. These kids were not partying. But they did violate the rules.
And they’re not being suspended, they’ve been kicked off campus, but will be enrolled remotely. In any case, the rules couldn’t have been more clear. I’m a bit surprised that they would test them.
Not many college age young adults have enough maturity, sense of collective responsibility, contentiousness, risk averseness, selflessness and patience to choose staying home. Even the best among them would find reasons to live away from home even if all classes are online and no benefit in paying for boarding and dinning etc. Most would eventually start mingling and hanging out outside, take masks off to eat and then keep it off even if done eating and drinking. There will be parties and drinking and hooking up.
I can’t imagine why colleges are putting all the responsibility on hormonal minds. Some colleges may do better than others but every college will see positives, quarantines, diseases and transmit it to staff, faculty and surrounding community, which will lead to hospitalizations, ICU, ventilators, long term complications and may be even some death. I think every college and in-person student knows it and sadly feels comfortable with this collateral damage so they can have “normalcy”.
None has bad intentions and most will make effort to follow rules but consequences are inevitable, at least in high positivity areas.
So it’s so interesting. I just dropped my kid off but he’s on North campus and even though he is “off campus” it’s like 2 blocks away from campus. Everyone was wearing masks. Protocol for checking in was staggered. No real issues. There are not like Covid police… They “Do” expect the kids to follow the rules. The drop off was very smooth actually.
This could all fall apart tomorrow but so far so good. Masks wearing was even inside in common areas. So I unrealistically still have some hope.
Not all the tests being done are correct. False negs and positives. It’s just another check. They can isolate like one part of the dorm per se and then quickly check those kids. It’s actually very smart. No need to check every kid (depending on the dorm situation).