Uni students and seven day isolation

[Roosin33]

I have a family member who is attending uni as a first year in a low case area. They have been told that for the first seven days, they are not allowed to interact with their new housemates. There will be a kitchen rota, etc... Meanwhile, second and third year students living on private property can do what they want, and I doubt will be socially distancing at all.

I feel extremely sorry for first year students who are going to be a) experiencing home sickness already but b) not even allowed to mix with their new housemates for the first week. I know it’s only a week, but to an 18 year old who has moved away from family for the first week this week sounds absolutely miserable.

Is this common amongst universities? Have other universities made these policies?

Obviously thousands of students moving around is a concern and has to be managed, but as far as I know second and third year students are free to just move and obviously you can’t police students in private properties as that’s not the universities concern.

Was just wondering if there’s any guidance anywhere for students or whether it’s just being left? I know many students have already moved back, so it’s a bit late anyway!

[Blankblankblank]

A university my cousins DD is going to is saying 2 weeks isolation when they move into halls.

[StatisticalSense]

This is going to cost more lives in the form of suicide than it would possibly save in terms of Covid. While those coming from countries on the quarantine list should be asked to completely isolate for 14 days for home students it would make significantly more sense for flats to isolate as a whole if the university wants to do anything as the level of risk to the typical student of significant complications from Covid is extremely low. Obviously there will be a small number of extremely vulnerable students but these are best dealt with on a case by case basis using techniques such as a later moving date combined with agreement to isolate at home before moving (so the rest of the flat have already completed isolation before they move in).

[tyrannid]

I think this is a terrible idea. I used to be a hall warden in uni halls and the levels of homesickness and feeling alone were huge in the first few weeks. We used to spend loads of time supporting students who were away from home for the first time and that was without enforced isolation. As @StatisticalSense says, the mental health issues are immense. Surely that must outweigh the Covid risks?

[Roosin33]

I understand why the uni are worried. But it seems pointless when the second and third years will be freely mixing, as will the first years as soon as the quarantine period is up.

I remember being home sick all too well. If I were a first year, I’d definitely be taking a gap year.

[TheDrsDocMartens]

My first year isn’t having to isolate (in Scotland , where they seem to be more cautious)

[Bol87]

This seems a largely pointless exercise .. after 7 days, they’ll be out mixing with the world again, drinking, shopping, lunching & inevitably mixing with other year groups. Also 7 days is pointless as they recon 10 is a more likely incubation period..

[NaturalBlondeYeahRight]

My dd going this year and I’ve heard nothing like this from any of her friends from various unis

[Frenchfancy]

Since when did 1st year students do what they were told? Unless they are guarded 24/7 they won't stick to it.

[SparkyTheCat]

@StatisticalSense universities also have a duty of care to their staff, most of whom are older and therefore more at risk.

[SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito]

This will result in suicides.

[SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito]

[quote SparkyTheCat]@StatisticalSense universities also have a duty of care to their staff, most of whom are older and therefore more at risk.[/quote]
Really? I think I only had one tutor over the age of 50 in my whole degree.

[SparkyTheCat]

@SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito well for a start I'm (much as I wish it were otherwise!) well over student age. As is every one of my colleagues. My university has 5000+ staff doing a huge range of jobs - not just lecturing, but lab techs, admin, IT, security, portering, catering, cleaning... my point is, it isn't just about the students, many of whom PP have correctly stated are (mostly) at lesser risk.

[SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito]

Ah, I thought you meant "older" as in "an older person", you meant "older than the students". My mistake.

[ChanceChanceChance]

@SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito

Ah, I thought you meant "older" as in "an older person", you meant "older than the students". My mistake.

There are quite a lot of older staff of course, as in all workplaces.

Plus retiring is a choice these days so more people stay on.

I don't know if the quarantine would work.

If they don't try, cases will.spread. but how much can they do really?

[SparkyTheCat]

@SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito I feel pretty ancient these days, but that's a whole other issue

[leafeater]

It's a bit late to tell them now, can't exactly defer at this stage.

I really don't need my anxious dc sitting alone in a room 4 hours from home for a week.