Study in the time of COVID-19 (2019/20 intake): online learning, the rule of six and who knows what's next? Anything could happen!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from the previous thread as our young adults start their second year at universities up and down the land (and some overseas too!).

Yes, DS said he was asked for his NI number to prove his identity. He could not provide it and then when he tried again was told that there were no tests available. He tried in home town and uni city. As he doesn't have access to a car he couldn't book a drive through test. I think he is doing his self isolating and then carrying on as normal. I really don't think he has it anyway. His flatmates seem to find it unnecessary to self isolate. Their risk is smaller than his, but not miniscule. He says that he feels fine today. DD has been advising him as she has now recovered from the virus.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 in answer to your question - yes. Trouble is if you are in a household it means the whole household should isolate with you. If a test had been taken then a negative test would have ended the isolation period early.

Sometimes logging on very early in the morning might produce more results for test sites as they update the slots. It is so random though.

DD's other friend also tested negative, so, all being well they finish their isolation on Saturday. They were really feeling the cabin fever today as it has been a gloriously sunny day In Newcastle, unlike rainy South Yorkshire.

I have read some awful stories about students in catered accommodation getting poor quality food, tiny meals and the wong food - meat for vegetarians, nuts for students with nut allergies.

Some universities aren't handling this well at all.

Have you seen Newcastle’s latest advice for isolating students @Ginfordinner? They can get £50 food vouchers, a Deliveroo food delivery, medication and emergency packs delivered etc - though whether this is only if you’re in university managed accommodation I’m not sure. It’s on their FB page and website.

DS has had one flatmate test positive and the rest decided not to, as they all had similar symptoms at the same time. This means they have all been able to isolate in their flat rather than confine themselves to their rooms. I’m not sure if it’s the best thing to have done or not.

Decided not to go for tests, I mean

@Labellesauvage I think that sounds very sensible. As tests are in such short supply especially

DS’s logic was that a) he should probably not go out if he was contagious and b) tests are in short supply so what’s the point if you’re 99% sure you’ve got it?

Have you seen Newcastle’s latest advice for isolating students...?They can get £50 food vouchers, a Deliveroo food delivery, medication and emergency packs delivered etc - though whether this is only if you’re in university managed accommodation I’m not sure. Are those being given to SI students without the expectation of payment @LaBelleSauvage123? If so, Newcastle is to be commended. UEA allegedly is currently charging handsomely for a fortnight's worth of food (over £200!!!!) for those self-isolating!

BTW, I think your DS is being very sensible regarding to test or not to test too.

There’s no mention of payment - he’s investigating today. I must say I’ve been very impressed with the university’s response so far.

My DD got it and recovered before Newcastle had got their act together. She is in private rental, though.

@LaBelleSauvage123

There’s no mention of payment - he’s investigating today. I must say I’ve been very impressed with the university’s response so far.

Lancaster are charging a whopping £18 per day for a pretty uninspiring food parcel.

@Badbadbunny that is what UEA was charging but they've brought the price down to a still not very affordable £12 a day tariff.

Had a very down DD FaceTime me tonight. She was at a cafe in town today with a housemate and was told to drink up as they don’t want students hanging around. Feeling very isolated, hating the online lectures already. Just don’t know what to say when I’m in a classes being coughed on by lots of children every day. Did my best to try to stay positive.All seems so unfair. Only one person has symptoms of everyone she knows that is positive and that’s loss of taste.

Also Durham have threatened students with expulsion if found having a party or community service(!?)and fines for not wearing masks. I just hope this sweeps through the NE student population and we see a drop in cases soon so restrictions can loosen.

Worded that badly. Community service as a punishment obviously.

Your poor DD! So unfair that students are being blamed for this.

I think it inevitable. They are easily identifiable scapegoats and it is all being whipped up by the media. Just wait until Christmas...

It just doesn’t make sense when they go home and live together, socialise together and study together. But schools can carry on even though they go home and mix with families.

It's a joke blaming the students given that the powers that be think the young people are getting infected from the 'home' communities in the North East/North West (rather than the other way round!).

Isn't Durham one of those university cities where there is quite a history of animosity between 'town' and 'gown'?

Such a pity and no need for such an off-hand attitude by locals. You can't have it both ways - expect the students' custom but basically tell them they're not welcome!

@Benjispruce2 that's dreadful. Some people o5n the "hospitality" trade need access to a dictionary. Scapegoating of the young and relatively powerless ( financially and politically). Who'd have thought it?

That sounds horrid @Benjispruce2 DS hasn’t mentioned anything like that, but we haven’t spoken to him since Saturday. The 3 others in his flat had mild symptoms AFAIK and he says they are all just working at home - everything online for him too I think, but only lectures this week. DD (Bristol) said her zoom seminar yesterday was very odd!

I also find the disconnect between schools and unis very odd. But we in schools are subject to government rulings whereas unis are independent and set their own rules

If so many young people are testing COVID-19 positive without any symptoms, I am sure that it's rife amongst school children too (but they just won't know unless someone in their bubble has been tested and has a positive result).

This is true @Newmodelarmy, and goes to show the impossibility of the situation. My DS is self isolating as his gf had a notification from 6th form, yet neither has symptoms. Most people without symptoms will obviously just move through society with a clear conscience, yet could be spreading the virus.

I'm a little confused - perhaps not helped by a relatively uncommunicative son (likely my fault, my Dad and I are similar - working on it!)

They've had lockdown since March and online lectures - but at home with no face to face at all. They're in a similar situation now but at least they're with their peers? First years I can imagine in large halls and a bit less clarity whats going on, can be difficult to settle, but second year should be a bit better with that?

@LaBelleSauvage123

Your poor DD! So unfair that students are being blamed for this.

It isn't fair when you look at the statistics, but the media (and I suspect leant on by the government, but I may be being unfair) are fanning this one to (I suspect) detract from the transmissions in schools.

I am getting very suspicious about the media, and what they are putting out.
Big news on Saturday night-Government lost some of the figures and we had 12k cases in one day, the biggest, by around 5k, we'd ever had.
News reported: Trump is in hospital (x a lot)

Bigger news on Sunday: Government admits to losing nearly 16k positive results, showing that instead of levelling off on Friday as they said, it actually had increased by 2-4k over the week.
News reported: UK over 500k cases. (with perhaps a little mention of the missing numbers halfway down the report)
Yes, since then there have been a few reports into it, but they've been muted, and very much the fact it meant cases were rising still was hidden.

It very much suits the government narrative that if the students were sensible, then it wouldn't be spreading.