Tracking University Covid Outbreaks

[TheeStallion]

University of Glasgow: 124 positives - 600 self isolating students www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54268780

Abertay University (Dundee): 1 student positive - 500 told to isolate

Oxford Brookes: 30 positives

Uni of Liverpool: 87 positives of staff and students

St Andrews: 4 positive, 40 isolating

Edinburgh Napier: 11 positive

Kent: 2 positive

Newcastle: 30 positive, 22 students, 8 staff

Swansea: 11 students

Cases reported at:

De Montfort (Leicester)
UWE (Bristol)
Aberdeen
Manchester Metropolitan
Stirling
Bath
Warwick
Queen Margaret (Edinburgh)
Queen Mary (London)

My son moved into halls at Staffordshire about 3 weeks ago.
He had a bad headache last night so I've advised of everything he needs to look out for.

Swansea: 32 students positive

Aberystwyth: 12 positive

Bangor: 6 positive

Cardiff Met: 3 positive

Glyndwr (Wrexham): 2 cases

University of South Wales: one case

Loughborough: 1 case

Sheffield Hallam: 40 cases

Dundee: 96 (shared between uni of Dundee and Abertay)

York: confirms positives in single figures

Aberdeen: 62 cases

Uni of Gloucestershire: 7 cases

Cumbria: 4 cases

62 universities reporting cases/outbreaks

@CousinKrispy

It's really difficult and I feel for the students who are having to start or continue their degrees under these circumstances.

The DfE itself has stated that unis must offer a blend of online and in-person teaching (unless social distancing can't be maintained, or there's a local outbreak). Unis therefore haven't been allowed to offer that "Just live at home and you can do your entire degree online" option on their own accord.

I work in the sector and my colleagues and I are all at the point of nervous breakdowns from working nonstop over the past few months to try and make campuses "covid-secure" and get as much teaching and other provision as possible moved online. I'm not saying that in a bid for sympathy, just hoping that parents and students can understand that unis have been working very, very hard to try and make this work for the students. All without having been given financial assistance from the government to do so.

It's shit but I don't know what the alternatives are. Not go to uni, go straight into the (even more shit) job market? Unis refund part of fees, then can't pay their own bills and go bust, those students are left high and dry?

It's not business as usual for anyone in any sector right now. Everyone is having to make sacrifices and settle for less than they would like. There are a lot of people working very hard to try and make it as decent as possible for students.....I really hope the majority of students will still be able to learn and grow and gain something of value despite the circumstances. And I wish the DfE and the private accommodation sector would see the needs of students as something worth supporting in a meaningful way.

Echoing CousinKrispy's comments here. There is nothing I can add that can be put more eloquently than this.

@CousinKrispy, @prettygreenteacup, @Murraytheskull, @GCAcademic & @BigBlueHouseBear and anyone else I have missed who works in the sector, do we have a thread anywhere where we can chat and let off steam? If not then do we need one?

@stillinbedat10am I'd certainly love one. I'm not aware of an existing thread, though I only check Mumsnet sporadically.

@CousinKrispy let's see if anyone else wants one and if so we shall start one. I'm not sure if it would sit better in the "Coronavirus" topic (which, let's face it, is probably going to be the main talking point at the moment) or in "Staffroom" under education, but I'm sure we can fit it in somewhere.

Feel free to use this thread to vent! I work at a university and I created this thread to raise awareness.

Academics have tried so hard and done their best. Senior management have a lot to answer for over this shitshow.

I would love to - I'm struggling to keep my head above water at work at the moment and have nowhere to really vent. My only concern is the gutter press, they are very keen to talk to people in my profession and I wouldn't want them finding things that would end up in the press.

A chat would really help though, staff in the sector are really struggling (myself included) and it feels like nobody gives a shit.

In my city (Bath) little outbreaks are occurring in the areas of high student occupancy I notice although only apparently a few at the uni...50 cases overall in last week but only a few prior to this.

I've made us a thread to chat on. Hopefully as well as discussing how hard things are at the moment we can also find the lighter side of life at times.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4038372-An-Academic-Pandemic-The-Perils-Pitfalls-Pedagogy-and-WTAF-moments-of-working-in-a-Uni-during-Covid?watched=1

My DD has just started as a Fresher at University of Manchester. 10 rooms in her flat but only 7 have moved in. One of her flatmates started with symptoms on Monday and got a positive result yesterday. Dd started with symptoms yesterday as did 4 of the others so they've all been for tests today. It's highly likely that they'll all be positive too. Considering that they've only known each other 10 days, they've pulled together really well. The University seem to have systems in place to get them shopping so they all seem to be quite chilled out and fortunately no one is too ill at the moment. At least with them all getting it early on, they're hoping that it will reduce the number of times that they'll have to isolate.

@TheeStallion

Uni of Aberystwyth has become first to suspend all face to face teaching following an outbreak at its campus.

Aberystwyth have announced today that they're going back to F2F next week.

@110APiccadilly

That doesn’t make any sense.

I'm not sure what doesn't make sense. According to this, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54360834, they had an outbreak, they paused F2F while they assessed the situation, then they, PHW, the council, and the health board decided their arrangements were fine, so they've resumed F2F. That seems sensible enough.

Sheffield: 65 cases, up from the 30s a few days ago.

Uni of Manchester: 106 cases

Uni of Edinburgh: 117 cases

Uni of York have confirmed a total of 16 cases.

thank you
my dd is online lessons but has a job at the uni cafe

Uni of Manchester: 221 cases
Uni of Glasgow: 172
Edinburgh: 154
Manchester Met: 127
Edinburgh Napier: 120
Liverpool: 108
Aberdeen: 82
Dundee (and Abertay): 74
Sheffield: 65
Newcastle/Northumbria: 62
Strathclyde: 49
Sunderland: 44
Sheffield Hallam: 40
Swansea: 32
Warwick: 30
Queens University Belfast: 32+
Oxford Brookes: 30
St Andrews: 25
Portsmouth: 17
York: 16
Stirling: 12
Birmingham City Uni: 12
Aberystwyth:12
Sussex: 11
York St John: 10
Salford: 8
Gloucestershire: 7
De Montfort: 6
Bangor: 6
Leicester: 6
Coventry: 5
Essex: 5
Brunel: 4
Cumbria: 4
Southampton: 4
Bath Spa: 3
Hull: 3
Cardiff Met: 3
Plymouth: 3+
Keele: 2
Kent: 2
UEA: 2
Glasgow Caledonian: 2
Robert Gordon: 2
Huddersfield: 1
Royal Holloway: 1
Staffordshire:1
Loughborough: 1
Reading: 1
UWE: 1

Very clear Scottish and Northern Unis suffering worse outbreaks than Southern or London ones. London Unis appear to be doing really well.

How is Leeds doing? The map looks very dark blue all around Hyde Park and Headingley.
Also do we know if a point has been decided where they will stop any face to face teaching? It isn’t feeling awfully safe.

Can you post a link to where this information is?
I'm pretty sure the Newcastle/Northumbria stats are out of date. The students in second/third year houses won't be included. I know this because my daughter's household in Newcastle has at least one, and potentially eight students affected.

Be interesting to see the Universities in Sheffield - we had a lot of cases early on - mind you, one of our Unis is twinned with Wuhan Uni!

Leeds And Leeds Beckett Haven’t provided figures but I think they are going to soon.

There is the information on each university, here is the page for Newcastle. unicovid.uk/universities/england/newcastle-university/

The 62 number was a statement made on the 25th so I suspect it’s considerably higher than this.

Thank you @TheeStallion

@nightsoutasap Totally agree with you on this. Can’t stop worrying about my DD who is an introverted and doesn’t know anyone, if she were to become sick would just be on her own in her room. Something needs to be done to make sure thses students are cared for. What happens if you’re too ill to call for medical assistance?

@Bickles

How is Leeds doing? The map looks very dark blue all around Hyde Park and Headingley. Also do we know if a point has been decided where they will stop any face to face teaching? It isn’t feeling awfully safe.

Leeds have been very quiet, but like you I've been watching the map. Something like 86 in the Hyde Park corner MSOA. DD had heard for friends, friends of friends with confirmed infections. The good news is that ( anecdotally again, sorry) people don't seem to be getting too ill yet, with things still relatively calm in Jimmies and the LGI so far.