Homesick DD locked down in uni room

[RollercoasterRita]

We took our DD to university in the middle of September. She was excited and full of hope. Now due to someone in her halls of residence being tested positive for COVID, her whole floor has been locked down in their tiny rooms with food parcels being delivered to outside their doors. Totally understand the precautions which need to be taken, but my baby girl is lonely and scared and homesick and I just want to drive up there and get her. I feel so helpless....

But there are signs that immunity only lasts for a very short time. So herd immunity won't work. Plus all those people who will suffer from the effects of the illness long term.

But there are signs that immunity only lasts for a very short time.

That’s not taking into account T cell response though.

In my experience, universities are extremely worried about serious things going wrong with students - eg student suicide - and it's a massive deal to them if something does go wrong. But university is not boarding school - universities don't have a parental type duty towards students.

@Legit

In my experience, universities are extremely worried about serious things going wrong with students - eg student suicide - and it's a massive deal to them if something does go wrong. But university is not boarding school - universities don't have a parental type duty towards students.

Yes, I think a lot of people don't get that point. They are not locus parentis as the students are adults. They do have the duty of care but it's not the same as if they were at school looking after schoolchildren. They will advise students if they're having difficulty but they aren't looking after them in the same way as a parent would look after a child. They also don't have the power to "send students home".

They also don't have the power to "send students home".

I don’t disagree with any of your points, but given all that they shouldn’t have the power to put them under the equivalent of house arrest either.

@TheKeatingFive

They also don't have the power to "send students home".

I don’t disagree with any of your points, but given all that they shouldn’t have the power to put them under the equivalent of house arrest either.

No, they shouldn't. However, asking students to stay in their rooms and self isolate because there has been the case is not equivalent to "locking them in their rooms" or house arrest. It will also have been ordered by public health officials or NHS test and track and not the University's idea.

All the people saying shes an adult. When did you leave home for the first time during a global pandemic?

However, asking students to stay in their rooms and self isolate because there has been the case is not equivalent to "locking them in their rooms" or house arrest.

It is if the key cards don’t work or the fire escapes are locked.

Students should be under the same guidelines and rules as everyone else. Additional restrictions beyond what is required in the local area are not appropriate.

@TheKeatingFive

However, asking students to stay in their rooms and self isolate because there has been the case is not equivalent to "locking them in their rooms" or house arrest.

It is if the key cards don’t work or the fire escapes are locked.

Students should be under the same guidelines and rules as everyone else. Additional restrictions beyond what is required in the local area are not appropriate.

I don't believe that the fire escapes are deliberately locked all the key cards have been deliberately inactivated. That would be against the law.

I absolutely agree that students should be under the same guidelines and rules as everyone else and that there shouldn't be any additional restrictions.

Don’t have the power to ‘send students home’.

But do have the power to put guards on their doors, preventing them from leaving their rooms?

Absolute bollocks.

@YardleyX

Don’t have the power to ‘send students home’.

But do have the power to put guards on their doors, preventing them from leaving their rooms?

Absolute bollocks.

They don't have the power to put guards on the doors to prevent them leaving their rooms either. There may be security guards outside who advise them not to leave because they are meant to be self isolating but that's not the same thing. If they really wanted to leave they can although obviously they may get fined just as anyone else who is meant to be self isolating may get fined.

Bollocks. They are threatening to throw them off their courses. So not ‘may get a fine, the same as anyone else may get a fine’.

In that respect, it’s an absolute abuse of their ‘powers’.

I’m not at risk of losing my job if I was to be caught outside of my house. Not sure if anyone is? Or is it just the students?

@YardleyX

Bollocks. They are threatening to throw them off their courses. So not ‘may get a fine, the same as anyone else may get a fine’.

In that respect, it’s an absolute abuse of their ‘powers’.

I’m not at risk of losing my job if I was to be caught outside of my house. Not sure if anyone is? Or is it just the students?

They can't throw them off their course for leaving their halls either.

@RollercoasterRita
Surely you spoken with your child before she decided to go this year that isolation was a very strong likelihood? Given that there have been area lockdown for weeks this cannot be a surprise to you surely?

I'm afraid that I acknowledge its difficult. But ultimately, its no different to any other household being expected to isolate.

I'm afraid that I acknowledge its difficult. But ultimately, its no different to any other household being expected to isolate.

It's different because most households don't consist of one tiny room.
Most people have lived in their house and in the town/city more than a couple of weeks
Most people will have someone they know nearby, friends, neighbours, relatives

All those saying ‘the rules the rules’ - you have more faith in the rule maker than I do! Indeed - especially as the rule makers are more than happy to break the rules to suit themselves. How is driving up to rescue your child and taking them home in the car any different to what Dominic Cummings did? And Cummings was actually sick - these kids are being locked up on the off-chance.

[quote SoloMummy]@RollercoasterRita
Surely you spoken with your child before she decided to go this year that isolation was a very strong likelihood? Given that there have been area lockdown for weeks this cannot be a surprise to you surely?

I'm afraid that I acknowledge its difficult. But ultimately, its no different to any other household being expected to isolate.[/quote]
It's completely different to 'any other household' there's no 'household' for a start.

“It's different because most households don't consist of one tiny room”

There’s usually a few rooms with shred kitchen/bathroom isn’t there? They must see people in passing at least? They must be using the kitchen or how are they eating/drinking? They must be using the bathroom? How do they get food? Someone must be delivering it or they’d starve!

“But do have the power to put guards on their doors, preventing them from leaving their rooms?”

Is that what the guards are there for? Not to protect the students? Presuming there aren’t many places they can go though if quarantining? What would you suggest instead?

I do agree that the return in large numbers has been badly thought out, and maybe universities needed a more rigorous testing program or better plans in place . This age group are likely to be asymptomatic super spreaders, and have a tendency to socialise in close contact, so this should have been predicted.

@NoGinNotComingIn

All these people saying "go and get her" that's all very well but the problem there is if EVERY parent does that you are potentially taking the virus with you and infecting more people. Not smart. What if they need the loo on the journey home? Service station I guess? Then once you are home you won't be staying in the house with your adult child you'll be going to work etc etc. Collect them after 2 weeks and look for a uni closer to home if they can't cope without their parents, but don't pick them up when they are meant to be isolating, it's very silly and short sighted!!!

Yes I completely agree, at this age they tend to be asymptomatic If positive, so really it’s safer to isolate away from the family for 2 weeks, then decide if they want to stay or not.

Hopefully the universities will look at ways to minimise spread once they have isolated to prevent this continually happening or I can’t see them being able to stay.

There’s usually a few rooms with shred kitchen/bathroom isn’t there? They must see people in passing at least? They must be using the kitchen or how are they eating/drinking? They must be using the bathroom? How do they get food? Someone must be delivering it or they’d starve!

Okay so a tiny room with a food parcel dropped to your door I wouldn't fancy that myself. If self catering and using a kitchen how are they meant to get food? certainly some on the news were struggling. I don't think sharing a bathroom would make up for me being cooped up in a tiny room for a fortnight, in fact I'd be worried I'd catch coronavirus in there.

My DD also now potentially in self isolation in her room, one girl has had symptoms and is waiting for test results and according to the uni website they all have to self isolate, food parcels to bedroom doors, rotas for shared areas such as bathrooms. She sounds utterly pissed off. This is not sustainable is it? We can't just keep them all on a rolling lockdown until the end of term??

My grandad when he was alive recounted the stories of the trenches in France during the First World War particular those days when it was snowing , the smell and death all around - not quite the same as your daughter experience

If she wants to come home why don’t you get her and do the isolation together.
If she wants to stay then send a nice parcel of things to cheer her up.
TBH this is going to keep going on, wouldn’t it be better to online study this year? They’ll be locked down every five minutes as it is

@tryinghardnottocry

My grandad when he was alive recounted the stories of the trenches in France during the First World War particular those days when it was snowing , the smell and death all around - not quite the same as your daughter experience

Did anyone say that it was?

My son mentioned he was “starving” this afternoon.
Not quite the same as famine victims in Ethiopia but I still made him a sandwich.