It’s reported that 17-21 are spreading the virus now , should Universities open ??

[Charliescar]

Just that really ??

I don’t see why schools should shut if Universities can stay open .

I think that students are far more Likely to spread the virus that students at school.

[Egghead68]

[quote Bool]@Egghead68 there won’t be a vaccine in 6 months.[/quote]
What do you base this on @Bool?

[Bool]

@egghead68 They haven’t even FOUND a vaccine yet that works. Let alone tested it thoroughly, made millions of them and distributed it in the population. I hope I am wrong and our government can organise that in 6 months but I very very much doubt it!

[Egghead68]

@Bool on the contrary they have vaccines that are producing good immune responses and are now in the final stages of testing. The Oxford vaccine, for example, is already being manufactured by Astra Zeneca so it is ready to go when the final round of testing is complete.

[willloman]

Yes - otherwise do we permafreeze the lot until next year? Youngsters need to get on with lives. They may even be crucial to herd immunity.
Also lockdown only a few weeks...They need to urgently get testing sorted so that only infected need isolate and the rest of the world can get on with it. Govt need to stop dishing out money to friends relatives cronies and actually put some civil service in!

[Bool]

@Egghead68 we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. I don’t think there will be a mass vaccination programme done by March.

[TheKeatingFive]

Let alone tested it thoroughly

They’re in the process of this.

made millions of them

This is already done. If it gets approval they’re ready to roll.

That’s not to say approval is a given, it isn’t. I wouldn’t be betting the farm on a vaccine in six months either.

However they are quite far along the process and if they don’t hit major snags it’s certainly possible.

[Bool]

@willloman ufff I hardly dared say it but students and school kids are absolutely critical for herd immunity.

[Bool]

@TheKeatingFive when I say testing I don’t mean testing qualitatively. I mean testing to be absolutely sure the vaccine can be given to a population without any disasters. And yes they are testing qualitatively at the moment but I haven’t heard they have found a vaccine that works yet. Anyway a mass vaccination programme indeed won’t be done by March.

[Egghead68]

@Bool you’ve offered no evidence in support of your opinion. It appears to be based on a “hunch”.

I don’t want decisions bring made about young people’s lives on the basis of a hunch.

[Bool]

@Egghead68 it’s not based on a hunch. It’s based on knowing how long vaccination programmes take to get up and running. I would argue your 6 month timeline is based on a hunch!

[feelingverylazytoday]

They haven't even FOUND a vaccine yet that works
Of course they have. There are currently nine vaccines in stage 3 trials.
Yes, universities should open, with the same precautions as the rest of society. It's obviously going to be a lot different to other years, but people can adapt.

[TheKeatingFive]

I mean testing to be absolutely sure the vaccine can be given to a population without any disasters

That’s exactly what they’re doing now. Stage 3 trials.

Are you actually paying attention to the vaccine trials? There’s a lot of coverage.

[willloman]

Even if vaccine ready, can Govt. deliver? Like they've delivered on everything else.
Not holding breath or much hope.
Feel local councils/counties should take more control. People are not just statistics - what works in one place may not suit another. Local communities need to be pro-active, not wait on an increasingly confused govt. response.

[Bool]

@TheKeatingFive yep. And they don’t even know yet if it will prevent someone from catching Covid. That’s what the phase 3 trial will hopefully show. But they just don’t know yet.

[Itsabeautifuldayheyhey]

Is it too much to expect students to just mix with 5 others in their accommodation or out at a pub? They can still facetime or just phone other friends.

Going away to uni is still good for students to help them develop independence.

[mum2jakie]

Poor bloody students! These are supposed to be the best years of their lives. Spending thousands to be locked inside their own rooms and mixing with a random group of strangers they likely have nothing in common with...It is too much, in my opinion! Would have been better to be upfront - tell them all teaching would be delivered online and let them make an informed choice about whether they wanted to pay out for halls or not.