University students...did Boris say students will not be sent home who have tested positive and are ill with COVID

[TenhillPlace]

Trying to work through that one.
So my fresher DC, first time way from home, tests positive and is quite ill...so who takes are of them? Genuine question...

Jthink that's what he's suggesting. Not going to happen though as you say.

Yes - in order to stop it spreading all over the country. I back this idea.

No what he said was students wouldn't be sent back home en masse as in March if there's need to put restrictions in. If an individual student wants to go home that's their choice. Back in March dd was kicked out of halls basically as was dp's dd, I did both the pick ups, lots of driving that week!

Yes that is what he said. In a case of an outbreak they stay at there university accommodation.

Realistically a lot of parents will fetch them, but if you look at the regulations then you're not in a household bubble with them if they're living away so probably are discouraged from fetching them and moving the disease around at least.

That's not unusual though. I had chickenpox (and then glandular fever) at uni and couldn't get home because I'd have had to go by train.
My dd's going into the second year and has been talking about it with her flatmates, and only one of them might get to go home if ill.

Do other ill freshers head home? I would have thought they'd stay put like they would if they had flu etc particularly given it's usually mild at their age. I thought the point was more stopping universities sending home mildly ill positive testees. Presumably if they were seriously ill the Cummings rule would be applied.

I think he said that they won't all be sent home if there was a local lockdown.

At Dn's uni halls they have an accommodate block set aside for students who test positive. So if you test positive you go in there with all the other positive cases until you are no longer infections (10 days) at which point you go back to your regular accommodation and life continues as normal.

infectious

Yes, I can see that by going home, COVID will spread across the country but concerned at the implications for who cares for these teenagers.

Better government planning is needed...testing prior to arrival...what if you are arriving from Bolton...can you move to uni? More regular testing whilst there...

DC strongly thinking of a deferral or living at home. DC not wanting to be at risk away from home and perhaps the final straw given such an increase in online tuition.

Well it depends how Ill. If they need hospitalisation, it'll be done locally. If they're poorly in bed, can't get up to make food etc you might prefer to fetch them but they could hardly catch a train home. Depending on when in the term, flat mates night be happy to have food at t door. If they're well enough to make their own way home, they're well enough to feed themselves.

What happens with Halls tho? If Mary in Flat 1 studying Geography gets it, who has to isolate? All her flat and class?

My ds had to self isolate in his uni accommodation in March as one of his flatmates did have Covid. I was worried sick about him because the other students went home but I couldn’t have him back because my parents are very elderly. He was fine and didn’t develop any symptoms but I was painfully aware that he could become very ill and be on his own. I would have asked the student welfare team to check on him if he became poorly, but if they couldn’t I don’t know what I would have done. As soon as his 14 days were up we went and fetched him.

Most teenagers won't need caring for, it'll be like a heavy cold for them. They will already potentially have infected their housemates so it makes sense not to risk another household.

Is your DC particularly medically vulnerable to Covid in some way? I get your worry if so, but otherwise won’t they just deal with it as they would any other illness?

And student welfare teams will absolutely check on them if needed. Universities have an obligation.

If someone is poorly to an extent they can't look after themselves they'll go to hospital. Hopefully the hospitals aren't overrun like before. But yes if it gets to a point they're really ill and the hospital can't care for them then you'll have to go and get them. But it's unlikely.

Who cares for them? Seriously? They're adults. This is no different to another adult living on their own.

I work for a university ours will have care policies and procedures in place to help with self isolation if symptoms are mild.

From what I know (of two universities) arrangements are being made to provide support for sick students. They are not going to be abandoned.

In both, students in halls are in household bubbles (who will have to self isolate) and there is (supposedly) an attempt to socially distance teaching so that students in the same subjects should be OK. I am not sure I believe these plans will all work, but they are certainly there.

@TenhillPlace

Trying to work through that one. So my fresher DC, first time way from home, tests positive and is quite ill...so who takes are of them? Genuine question...

There's usually a health centre for the students. If they're very ill they call emergency services, the same as anyone else.

Who cares for any adult living alone? These aren't children, but adults.

My son spent two years at a US university, during which time he had surgery in another state, flew back to his uni, and recovered without the need for any family intervention. Also had unknown illness after travelling (well prior to any hint of Covid) but managed it by himself without the need for help. Young people are more resilient than given credit for. With Covid, they're best resting up instead of travelling and potentially spreading virus to another part of the country.

Agree with this.

In terms of who cares for them, I'm sure there will be official pathways to ensure they receive food and prescription meds as required. Other than that they'll liaise w the medical authorities themselves and look after themselves just like any other young adult. Remember they are in a group that are likely to have mild or no symptoms.

I think it's maybe more to stop closing down the uni/sending the whole lot home.
Eg, if Warwick university, for example, has an outbreak, it's better to contain in Warwick than close the whole campus down and send students back to, eg, Dorset, London, Leeds, Telford, Kent etc etc to possibly create waves of infection.

Who cares for them? Seriously? They're adults. This is no different to another adult living on their own

Scottish, so just turned 17.
Yep maybe an adult, but a harsh comment..I said working through the thinking...
As others have helpfully offered, universities are putting in place arrangements to care for students...thankfully they must think that adult students might need support.

If dd is very ill she’ll come home and we will all quarantine

She was ill in March and we all quarantined at that point so I’m really hoping it won’t happen again

(She may not have had covid though...who knows!)

I think it's sensible for students to stay in their halls if they get sick. They are likely to have a mild illness. I had a bad flu at university and my housemates looked after me and made me food.

If the students go home and infect their family then their parents are statistically more likely to get seriously ill due to being older. And then the illness could be spread to grandparents who are even more vulnerable. Realistically some parents will prefer to fetch their student children home though and there isn't a lot that can be done about it.