Covid at unis this term

[bestbefore]

How's it looking at your DCs uni this term? I've not heard about huge case numbers

• but have about cases in schools..anyone got any insight? I'm just feeling hopeful that perhaps the vaccine is doing its job because they are all certainly partying despite not having large lectures f2f!

@RampantIvy the raw data is from the coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ with data at MSOA level via coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/download

I just filtered the MSOA file for any containing "university" in their name. Rough and ready is possibly an over-generous assessment of my approach, and is of course only for a handful of areas. The bulk of university areas don't have the word "university" within their area name for example.

As others have said many, and possibly all Unis, do publish their covid case numbers, but I'm not aware of a single source that consolidates all uni C19 case data within the open public domain. Although if anyone does please post a link to it.

DD had Covid in the summer so we're less worried.
She felt a bit ill this week and everything is set up so she can access all of her lectures online.
There are positives coming out of this crappy situation, and the online provision is one of them.

In my daughters school the cases are starting to spread again in the last few weeks. My DD had the vaccine but only 5 kids did when she went, so I suspect the numbers vaccinated 12-18 probably aren’t that high, especially in the lower age groups

And I’m glad I made that choice to vaccinate after speaking to a friend the other day who told her her colleague had died of Covid, and so had her 13yr old daughter (no known underlying conditions). That scared me, as I have a 13yr old DD too

I am finding that website confusing @boys3. I'm not sure which links to select to get that data

www.dur.ac.uk/coronavirus/cases/

These were the Durham cases up to 22/10 . Of course We don’t know know how many are participating in getting tested.

I found DD's university case count now. Newcastle - 7 students and 31 staff. All her lectures have been F2F.

UEA cumulative figures, 7 days up to and including Thursday 21st, 6 students and 13 staff.

DD is at Sciences Po Aix, but searching for 'coronavirus' and 'Covid-19' on their website comes back with 4 events (including Worst of all worlds? Conspiracy theories, dystopia, apocalypse), 3 reviews in the press from 2020 and a page of 'useful contacts' which doesn't look specific to the pandemic. No stats.

DD is at Glasgow, seems to have been. Rey few cases of Covid but as elsewhere, very nasty freshers flu. DDs developed into a chest infection which is taking its time to shift as has several of her friends and there have been a couple of cases of pneumonia in her halls. DD is double jabbed as are most of her friends.

DS is in Y10 and cases in school were rife so much so the Council allowed any students in his year group to work from home if they preferred 3 days before the half term break. His school has very good online learning facilities. So glad we have a 2 week half term, hoping that will be a firebreak. He had his single jab just before half term break.

www.exeter.ac.uk/coronavirus/statistics/

Headcount for this October v. October 2020 - 1,100 v. 74. I would say that is a definite improvement. DD's lectures and seminars all f2f. They do wear masks in lectures, but not out and about.

Round here it is the school cases that are escalating. 60% of the pupils at DD's old primary schoool were off school last week because they had tested positive. The orchestra performed at a concert with only one third of the players.

Dd is 2nd year at Exeter. She's not heard of anyone with covid yet this year but as others have said, freshers flu has hit lots really badly this year.

Nothing from my dd2's uni - I expect they're all vaccinated which is reducing incidences. She had it in the summer though.

my other dd started last year and they all got covid in the first couple of weeks, it was horrendous.

@boys3 Could you possibly do a comparison of Fallowfield Central in Manchester, as that’s where the accommodation is? Thanks, really interesting stats.

@MatildaJayne quite a change from last year

Loads in Bristol unfortunately (2 fully vaccinated in her house, both have already had it). Fault of the lab that told many with mild symptoms they were negative, obviously weren't and now it's going round v v quickly. They are all v angry as they've done their best to not get it (all vaccinated, already had it, test daily).

Only one case in DD's house of 12 students but plenty of freshers flu (dd just recovering). Most of the people she know are double vaccinated, even the girl who got it. She's got around 50% f2f lessons but they're not allowed in with a cough!

Both DDs friends are double vaccinated and much sicker than they were compared to how they felt in July when they had it before. Which is really annoying them. Managed to all go to several festivals and clubs without catching it all summer but the stupid testing fiasco has started to cause cases to spiral in SW.

@mumsneedwine

Both DDs friends are double vaccinated and much sicker than they were compared to how they felt in July when they had it before. Which is really annoying them. Managed to all go to several festivals and clubs without catching it all summer but the stupid testing fiasco has started to cause cases to spiral in SW.

Sorry to challenge, but you said they attended all those things in the summer, and didn't catch it, but then caught it in July. So, if they really had it in July that is 90 days there or thereabouts...... is there a possibility that the recent PCR picked up the previous infection, and they actually do have freshers flu rather than Covid?

@BigWoollyJumpers all had it between February and July and all vaccinated in August. Festivals were July and August and clubs from July onwards v frequently.
2 that have it now definitely have COVID (cough, no smell or taste, headache, fever). All had freshers flu in early September.
They are both now poorly and getting worse daily. Last time they both had it they had a sniffle.

Thank you, @boys3, that’s such an improvement.

@BigWoollyJumpers @mumsneedwine similarly my mid-teens DC who had already had covid last year and had both vaccines this summer and was exposed to Covid on several occasions (accidentally obviously but including sharing a tent with two people who developed covid symptoms the following day and tested positive) over the summer finally caught it at the start of September and was relatively unwell with it (not ill enough to be in hospital). As a rule, hospitals are seeing very few vaccinated people ill enough to require admission but there are lots with reasonably unpleasant symptoms.

Dd's at Durham. She has to test regularly with the uni tests-they do them and someone else reads and they get the result. They have to do them within a certain length of time before being in gatherings bigger than a certain size. She says she's just got into the habit of testing 2-3 times a week, as have her friends.

Last week they had I think she said 3 cases among the university, and at least one of those was not a student, because she heard their colleagues talking about it.

They've had freshers' flu though.

DD received a contract tracing email on Sunday from the University and needed a PCR test. Unfortunately just as she was cooking a roast dinner for friends. The test is negative but, wisely, friends decided not to go round till she had the results. She will be eating cold roast dinner all week.

Not heard of any cases from 3rd year at Durham but they all had it last year or year before. They’ve all had an awful cough/flu though for over 2 weeks but negative tests.