Anyone worried about the student getting sick from Covid?

[Janeway]

I was not worried, because I was only thinking along the lines of the very very low death rate for college aged students. Now I see a number of parents postponing college a year because they are concerned their student will get sick and be out of classes for long enough to get too far behind in classes to catch up.  I realize now that this is a real possibility. 

[BusyMom5]

I've already told mine that she may need to drop a class or two if she gets too sick.  I dont think it's likely, but it is possible.  I would rather her finish 3 classes with As, and drop 1-2 other classes if that becomes the case.  

Also,  this is the perfect time for kids to realize that life happens and sometimes things just dont work out as we planned.  This year is not going to be ideal for anyone.   Every single person is going to be affected.

[Lanny]

Yes I am concerned about that. But that doesn't apply only to college or university students living in dorms. That also applies to many other things people normally do, like taking airplane flights or going to a supermarket. Granted, the airline flights or supermarket visits are for an hour or a few hours and not in living in close quarters or studying in close quarters with others. Sometimes we must put our trust in God and in those who are running the schools, trying to do the best they can with a lot of options, none of which are without issues. Some of the states in the USA have bans or quarantines on people arriving from as many as 31 states (and DC?) now so I have advised my DD to be careful, before taking any trips outside of NC.  And if my DD goes back to her Federal Work-Study job I have suggested to her that she examine any possible risks to her health, when she looks at the changes they are making for the reopening.  I personally believe that many of the students who take a "Gap" year are going to forget much of what they knew before the "Gap" year began and that their educations and their lives will suffer because of that. However, their health (physical health) might be better because they took the "Gap" year.  In normal years, prior to 2020, there were many different types of opportunities available to people taking a "Gap" year, but this year, with Covid-19, things are much different and most of those students will be staying at home. Much good luck to your DS at AC!  We are under strict quarantine here. Everyone until August 1st. Those of us who are over 70 until September 1st. That gets old, but I know it protects us.

[daijobu]

Death and symptom-free survival are not the only outcomes.  Patients can end up with long term disability and organ damage.  

[EKS]

I am very concerned.

[Selkie]

I am also very concerned. Two of my kids have decided to take a gap year, and the other is waiting to see what happens over the next month at his college. As of now, they've only said that everyone will be back on campus, masks will be required, and the water refilling stations in the dorms will be turned off. Oh, and the final three weeks of classes for fall semester will be online, but students can stay in the dorms during that time. 

I suspect they know they will have to send everyone home shortly after the semester begins, but don't want to miss out on the dorm and meal plan $$. 

[8filltheheart]

My 2 college kids are both 100% online and living at home for the fall semester.  My college sr has a congenital heart defect.  That alone makes me nervous about her getting it.

[Tree Frog]

4 hours ago, Lanny said:

Some of the states in the USA have bans or quarantines on people arriving from as many as 31 states (and DC?) now so I have advised my DD to be careful, before taking any trips outside of NC

Where have you found this information? We're preparing to take ds to college several states away and I would like to see if we're likely to encounter any problems traveling through states.

[Tree Frog]

I'm concerned. I take a deep sigh when I think about it, but he's an adult. He needs to know I trust him to make good choices. He'll be 15 hours away, living off campus. I'm thankful he opted to live off campus instead of in the dorm again. We've talked through things and will continue to talk throughout the semester. I'm sending items specific to Covid with him and we've told him how to access medical care should he need something outside of the university clinic. One thing I've asked him (and our 2 dd's) is to give us a list of all their passwords in case we need to access his computer or accounts should he be sick. He knows we won't use them unless it's urgent. Dh and I are also making contingency plans should he need us. 

[easypeasy]

I am concerned - but DD2 is in about the very best demographic possible if she were to get sick. She's got zero (known) preexisting conditions and she's usually healthy as a horse and fit as a fiddle.

The other option would be for her to stay home, lose her entire scholarship (it was contingent upon full-time enrollment Fall 2020). If she were to do that, she would 100% be getting a job because she is beyond done with being at home all day long 24/7 - so the risk would still be there & she would be wildly depressed on top of it all.

The risk is everywhere unless she stays home full time. Since that isn't a true option for DD2 (she's old enough to make her own choice about the job/school), I'm trying to focus on her good chances if she were to get ill.

On the other hand, I have a high school senior who will be concurrently enrolled and will be on campus 3 days/week for in-person classes. And a just-graduated-college daughter who is going back to school to get a certification before beginning grad school. She also has a lab that will be in person once or twice a week (she still hasn't gotten clarification if they're dividing the lab class into two groups, or what).

So they won't be living on campus, but will be physically ON a campus. DD2 (the college freshman) will actually be spending less time IN any classrooms (most of her classes have moved online).

It's all so confusing right now. 😕 I just want to be 100% excited about something!! I miss that feeling!! 😕

[Lanny]

6 hours ago, wilrunner said:

Where have you found this information? We're preparing to take ds to college several states away and I would like to see if we're likely to encounter any problems traveling through states.

 

I strongly suggest, let me make that more clear, I STRONGLY SUGGEST  that you check the laws of the states you plan to transit and the law of your final destination state. Possibly it could be that you transit a state that requires that you go into quarantine (probably for 14 days) or  that your destination state requires a quarantine like that. I've read that in articles on FoxNews.com and also in articles that come into the Google Feed on my Android phone.  One place to begin is on the web site of the college that your DS will be attending, to see if they require OOS students from your state to go into quarantine when they arrive. And then look on the web site of the destination state where the school is located. Much good luck to your DS!

[gstharr]

About 1/3 of the graduated seniors at my new 10th grader's school will be taking a gap year.  Most of them have admissions to highly selective schools. 

[*LC]

8 hours ago, wilrunner said:

Where have you found this information? We're preparing to take ds to college several states away and I would like to see if we're likely to encounter any problems traveling through states.

This map is put out by AAA. https://gds.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2ec42826968d4d0980ccca0fbbfe0c7c

You can pick different settings. When I choose roadway checkpoints, there is one on i-95 in Florida and some on South Dakota & New Mexico highways that cross tribal lands. Except for the one in New Mexico, a checkpoint simply requires filling out a health form. 

This website is put out by Kayak and includes information on restrictions and includes whether hotels in a state are open. 

https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions/united-states

I don't know how up-to-date either site is, so you should search for more specific information on the states you will travel through. Your student's college probably has a webpage dedicated to information specific to the college that would include any travel restrictions/quarantine specific to that school.

 

[historically accurate]

I am sticking my hands over my eyes and ears and singing "lalalalalala" really loud.

She is 18, and she is more than ready to go to college. I can't deter her at this point. I will be very, very cranky if they send her home in 3 weeks after paying for room and board, but she needs to go to college for both her mental health and mine. 

Unfortunately, her school is in a much worse place than home at this moment in time, but she'd be at risk here as well. So, it is what it is has become my new mantra. 

 

[*LC]

13 hours ago, Lanny said:

Some of the states in the USA have bans or quarantines on people arriving from as many as 31 states (and DC?) now so I have advised my DD to be careful, before taking any trips outside of NC.  

She should be careful, of course, but NC does not have travel restrictions at this point, and I'm sure it will be news on campus if that changes. My sibling and family live in NC, and they are currently on vacation out west at a national park. They fly back tomorrow. Their college kid is working at a South Carolina camp this summer and will return home to NC in a couple of weeks. 

Lanny, I'm sure it is hard to be so far away from your daughter in such uncertain times.

[Lanny]

21 minutes ago, *LC said:

She should be careful, of course, but NC does not have travel restrictions at this point, and I'm sure it will be news on campus if that changes. My sibling and family live in NC, and they are currently on vacation out west at a national park. They fly back tomorrow. Their college kid is working at a South Carolina camp this summer and will return home to NC in a couple of weeks. 

Lanny, I'm sure it is hard to be so far away from your daughter in such uncertain times.

 

Thank you!  The reason I suggested to my DD that she be careful, before looking at trips to states other than NC, is that there is a lot of Covid-19 in NC and I believe NC is on the list (with many other states) that some states require someone arriving from NC to do a quarantine.   I thank God for WhatsApp and Email. That makes it much easier.  I wish that she could have come home the first week of May, as scheduled, but all airline flights here (with the exception of occasional Humanitarian flights and the Cargo flights) have been cancelled. If the Colombian government doesn't extend that, possibly our airline service will resume on  01 September 2020, but I think they will be looking very closely at the USA (and also some other countries) before permitting flights to/from the USA.  I am very thankful that American Airlines issued a Refund to DD for the ticket she had for May. The financial situation of American Airlines is horrible (to put it mildly) and SPIRIT (the best financial situation of the major U.S. airlines) changed their schedule, so at the moment one can't connect the same day on SPIRIT, which is a PITA. At the moment I have my fingers crossed and will pray that DD can come home at Thanksgiving, after the Fall 2020 semester finishes.  I am extremely thankful that DD is in a safe place and sheltering in place there!

[Serenade]

I am not very worried about my son going off to college and getting sick from Covid.  I'm much more worried about the negative consequences for him if he doesn't get to go.  He doesn't learn well online.  He is also a junior transferring from a community college to a 4 year school, and all of his classes except one are lab classes -- physics, genetics and organic chem.    These are not easy classes to take online; he doesn't have any easy filler classes he can take. He also has a special research class as part of a scholarship, and this would essentially be for naught if the students are sent home.  I'm also not sure our relationship can take another year of him living at home.  He's 20 and that boy man needs to fly.   Like many schools, my son's school is ending all classes before Thanksgiving, with finals online.  I full expect him to be sent home before then, but sheesh, I really hope he gets at least a couple of months on campus first.  He's supposed to move in on August 11.  The first students at his university are moving in on August 1 (staggered move-in), which is a week from today.  Hoping and praying that there will be no closure announcements next week.  I have so much anxiety about this.  

[*LC]

Sorta. What a non-committal answer. My thoughts on it have never made me want to keep my college kids home this fall. 

For me it is like when my kids get their driver's license. When they are new drivers, I worry/think about all the things that can go wrong when they are driving. When my older kids drive, I don't even think about all the things that can go wrong. Of course, these thoughts pop up occasionally if they are super late arriving home with no warning, or the weather is super bad. 

Even before Covid, college students died every year from various causes. Years ago I stumbled across a website that compiled a listing of all the college students that died by year, which was very depressing to read. I remember 3 students dying at my college while I was there. One died from flu, another from meningitis, and the other in a car accident. (I am very glad that there are meningitis vaccines now, but everyone went to school without it back in the day.) I'm sure there more students that died while I was in college, but I remember these three because one of these was a good friend, one was a roommate of a friend's brother, and one was the passenger in a car a different friend was driving. I also know that 3 students I went to high school with died during our college years, one in a car accident, one from drugs, and one from suicide. 

When I was looking for the college student death website, I went down a rabbit hole and found these articles. I don't know they will make you less worried about Covid or more worried about the fragileness of life general. (When I couldn't find the site I was looking for, I typed in covid and college deaths and very few articles on college students dying from it. 

https://onwardstate.com/2013/09/24/student-death-rates-go-unnoticed/?fbclid=IwAR0QVR3tKV7cONgGRlUSrRz38mmokgUM5l37I2-1fYMhL5GHe6xZVGOCx5Q

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/14/us/california-usc-student-deaths/index.html

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/college-students-died_n_6091622

https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/02/13/flu-breathless-severe-college

https://people.com/crime/faith-hedgepeth/

https://news.yahoo.com/man-21-faces-murder-charge-222200376.html

https://www.foxnews.com/us/college-students-murder-new-york-guilty-verdict-nicaragua

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/06/26/remembering-seth-smith-19-a-cal-student-who-was-killed-in-berkeley-on-june-15

My college students have had two friends/classmates die this summer. Neither was from Covid, one was a farming accident and the other from cancer. A friend's college-age kid had a teammate drown this summer. 

My sophomore had at least 6 friends/classmates/acquaintances die in high school. One from an allergic reaction/asthma, one by drowning, two in car accidents, and two by suicide. 

I had two acquaintances who had college kids die last year, one in a car accident and one from an undetected heart defect. 

I will remind my kids to take precautions and what to do if they feel sick. I will hug them when they leave for college. I will tell them I love them every chance I have. All things, I normally do, but sometimes something happens ... My kids have grown up knowing life is fragile as their dad died from cancer when they were young. 

P.S. The 2020-21 off-campus parking permits at their school sold out the day they went on sale, so students are definitely planning on coming back to campus.. I don't know if the permits selling out that fast is normal or if off-campus students don't want to take the buses. My college students have always walked or biked to class. 

 

 

 

 

[Tree Frog]

1 hour ago, *LC said:

This map is put out by AAA. https://gds.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2ec42826968d4d0980ccca0fbbfe0c7c

You can pick different settings. When I choose roadway checkpoints, there is one on i-95 in Florida and some on South Dakota & New Mexico highways that cross tribal lands. Except for the one in New Mexico, a checkpoint simply requires filling out a health form. 

This website is put out by Kayak and includes information on restrictions and includes whether hotels in a state are open. 

https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions/united-states

I don't know how up-to-date either site is, so you should search for more specific information on the states you will travel through. Your student's college probably has a webpage dedicated to information specific to the college that would include any travel restrictions/quarantine specific to that school.

 

Thank you. Dh also found this website.

https://ballotpedia.org/Travel_restrictions_issued_by_states_in_response_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020

[almondbutterandjelly]

I'm not terribly worried at the moment.  Most of dd's classes have gone online, and I expect even the "blended" and "face to face" classes will probably go online (her face to face summer class met in person the first week and has been online since then because two of the girls in the class had family members that got exposed or something.  It has just stayed online since then).  Dd is very careful about masking and hand sanitizer, and her school is being very appropriately paranoid.  She needs to be taking classes, for mental health as much as continuing her education.  She lives at home and commutes so living situation is not an issue of concern.

[kiana]

3 hours ago, kand said:

I think in this particular thread, people are mostly not particularly worried about their student dying of Covid, but are talking about the consequences to the kid’s education if they come down with it and miss a lot of class. Even if the kid feels okay, they can’t go to class if they have Covid. And those who are symptomatic can be out for a very long time. I’m assuming colleges know this is likely to be the case, and professors will have allowances for this, but I haven’t heard yet how that will work. Perhaps the drop policy will just be different this year. That would help a lot if students can drop classes without a hit to their transcript.  

 

I would expect drop policies to be very generous under such circumstances. Unless it's right at the beginning of the semester, incompletes are also options; this would apply especially to a student who got ill and was able to work some but not quite to keep up.

If your student does become ill, try to have them just drop a note either to instructors or to someone in the dean of students office depending on the policy for your college; if the instructor knows what's going on they can work with the student.

I would much rather write makeup tests for later than assign poor grades to someone who's unwell and trying to soldier through.

[SanDiegoMom]

I am more worried about her getting it and bringing it home, honestly.  We live a lot closer than we used to, and she's bringing a car, so in her mind she can come back and forth a few weekends a quarter.  I haven't said yes or no to that yet-- but her town is a hotspot for sure.  

Her classes are all virtual but we already signed the lease and I would really like for her to keep working towards independence. (Slower than most of her peers, but she's getting there). 

[frogger]

My son is 20. He can decide for himself what risks he is willing to take but I let him know he is welcome to stay home if that is what he so chooses.

Honestly, his health didn't particularly enter his mind when deciding I think.

 

He thought everything sounded like a big pain in the rear.

Quarantines, traveling from Alaska to Alabama with a mask, cancellations of things, loss of the common areas that he had fun socializing in, masks, rules he knew would be a pain and others wouldn't likely follow anyway. If he is just going for classes and not all the social stuff, clubs/projects, group discussions, study groups, why go when he can do that just as well online? If things get shut down, it is hard to get him and his bike home with no car and the best airport a 2 hour drive away. So he would probably end up paying a lease to sit in a place with less outdoor space and do online classes. He thought if that happened, he'd go nuts.

If he did get sick, would he be isolated alone? How would he get stuff? How are they organizing care for sick students? He has friends but a much bigger support group here. I mentioned I got tested last week because I had (probably a cold) with shortness of breath but probably because asthma. Anyway, I've already had meals offered. I know many people who wouldn't come in but happily drop stuff on our porch.

Even when we were on "lock down" (it really shouldn't have been called that), in Alaska he can hike up a mountain, study while chatting with his siblings, practice Judo with his brother, his quality of life up here will just be dramatically better if social distancing is increased. He goes to college TO BE social and meet people and talk to teachers etc. 

Since he does fine with online classes anyway, he thought it would be simpler and cheaper to just stay home.

[whitestavern]

I worry, but I try to remember the odds are in their favor. DD (junior) hasn't decided if she's going back. Most of her classes are online or hybrid, except for labs, and due to campus regulations she will not be able to spend much time with her bf. She's weighing a lot of things before making her final decision, and we will support whatever she decides. DS is an incoming freshman, heading to school in CT (where we also live). I feel good about where we are as a state, and most that attend his school are from the northeast. I don't feel he will do well online (kind of checked out second semester of senior year of hs), and I feel like he'd lose a lot taking a gap year, so he is going to live on campus. Miraculously he has all f2f classes - the first kid I've heard in his school that does. Ironically he chose that college because the engineering classes are capped at 24, so it ended up working out well for him. He's got a bit of anxiety, and because of that is being very cautious (always wears his masks, avoids crowds, tries not to touch surfaces, etc. ) I will be nervous until he comes home at Thanksgiving though. 

[Corraleno]

RE: dropping classes... that may not be an option if the student has scholarships that require full time attendance.

I'm extremely concerned about DS getting sick because he will be living alone, off-campus, 2500 miles from home, and he can't drop classes if he wants to keep his scholarships. If he gets sick, he will be totally on his own, and I don't know how he'd even be able to get meals, get meds, get to the doctor, etc., if he ends up bedridden. I honestly wish his university would just announce that all fall sports are cancelled and all classes will be online, so he could just stay home, because the case rate is much lower in our home state, and he wouldn't be interacting with thousands of other potentially contagious people every day. But so far all but one of his classes is listed as in-person, and they are claiming they will have varsity practice this semester even though there cannot be any actual competitions. I'm convinced that after driving 4 days to get him to school, and then me flying home, they will go totally online within a few weeks anyway, and it will all have been for nothing.  ☹️

[Bootsie]

24 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

RE: dropping classes... that may not be an option if the student has scholarships that require full time attendance.

I'm extremely concerned about DS getting sick because he will be living alone, off-campus, 2500 miles from home, and he can't drop classes if he wants to keep his scholarships. If he gets sick, he will be totally on his own, and I don't know how he'd even be able to get meals, get meds, get to the doctor, etc., if he ends up bedridden. I honestly wish his university would just announce that all fall sports are cancelled and all classes will be online, so he could just stay home, because the case rate is much lower in our home state, and he wouldn't be interacting with thousands of other potentially contagious people every day. But so far all but one of his classes is listed as in-person, and they are claiming they will have varsity practice this semester even though there cannot be any actual competitions. I'm convinced that after driving 4 days to get him to school, and then me flying home, they will go totally online within a few weeks anyway, and it will all have been for nothing.  ☹️

In almost all situations there are appeal processes if a major illness causes a student to need to drop classes and that would cause them to lose a scholarship.  With the current situation, professors and universities are going to be even more accommodating for these issues than in the past, I think. 

[Corraleno]

55 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

In almost all situations there are appeal processes if a major illness causes a student to need to drop classes and that would cause them to lose a scholarship.  With the current situation, professors and universities are going to be even more accommodating for these issues than in the past, I think. 

I sure hope so — and I hope NCAA will be equally accommodating, because dropping below full time affects athletic scholarships and eligibility, too. 

[easypeasy]

9 hours ago, whitestavern said:

I worry, but I try to remember the odds are in their favor. DD (junior) hasn't decided if she's going back. Most of her classes are online or hybrid, except for labs, and due to campus regulations she will not be able to spend much time with her bf. She's weighing a lot of things before making her final decision, and we will support whatever she decides. DS is an incoming freshman, heading to school in CT (where we also live). I feel good about where we are as a state, and most that attend his school are from the northeast. I don't feel he will do well online (kind of checked out second semester of senior year of hs), and I feel like he'd lose a lot taking a gap year, so he is going to live on campus. Miraculously he has all f2f classes - the first kid I've heard in his school that does. Ironically he chose that college because the engineering classes are capped at 24, so it ended up working out well for him. He's got a bit of anxiety, and because of that is being very cautious (always wears his masks, avoids crowds, tries not to touch surfaces, etc. ) I will be nervous until he comes home at Thanksgiving though. 

question re: the bolded. I’m assuming bf is either boyfriend or best friend, but my question applies either way and is something dd and I have been wondering about. 
 

Which campus regulations, specifically, would prevent your dd from spending as much time as she wanted with her bf? I’m just wondering if there are specific policies about spending time with ppl or if it’s just the general PITA of it all?
 

DDs campus has a mask policy and you have to pre-reserve the dorm study rooms and such. They’ve said suite mates will be considered “family units.” But it’s left dd and I wondering where/how ppl can just ... hang out!? They haven’t specifically said anything about having guests in your dorm room - but how many, if so? Can roommates forbid guests coming into the room? (Like,we figure at some point, dd will have a trusted-friend group and they can get COVID tests at any time on campus... but how are they going to hang out? And when a roommate has her friends over without masks in the rooms... doesn’t that contaminate the others’ safe space?)

so many questions!!1 I’m sure the kids will sort it out in real time, but for now - while we have more time on our hands than we should this close to her leaving for college - we just keep imagining the plethora of complicated scenarios!!) 😅

[whitestavern]

3 hours ago, easypeasy said:

question re: the bolded. I’m assuming bf is either boyfriend or best friend, but my question applies either way and is something dd and I have been wondering about. 
 

Which campus regulations, specifically, would prevent your dd from spending as much time as she wanted with her bf? I’m just wondering if there are specific policies about spending time with ppl or if it’s just the general PITA of it all?
 

DDs campus has a mask policy and you have to pre-reserve the dorm study rooms and such. They’ve said suite mates will be considered “family units.” But it’s left dd and I wondering where/how ppl can just ... hang out!? They haven’t specifically said anything about having guests in your dorm room - but how many, if so? Can roommates forbid guests coming into the room? (Like,we figure at some point, dd will have a trusted-friend group and they can get COVID tests at any time on campus... but how are they going to hang out? And when a roommate has her friends over without masks in the rooms... doesn’t that contaminate the others’ safe space?)

so many questions!!1 I’m sure the kids will sort it out in real time, but for now - while we have more time on our hands than we should this close to her leaving for college - we just keep imagining the plethora of complicated scenarios!!) 😅

 

Students are not allowed to enter a dorm in which they do not live, so she can't go to bf's (boyfriend) dorm and vice versa. Her campus is pretty small and there are not a lot of places where they can hang out. While the weather is nice they can spend time outside, but most of their free time is at night, and of course it will be dark earlier. 

[elegantlion]

My son only has to go part time this year to finish his degree-he commutes. He's been very vigilant this summer about social distancing. Our community is under a masks required ordinance. One of his classes has moved fully online, the other is partially online - it's an upper level math course, so I'm assuming at least tests in person. He's quite happy to stay home, and I'm glad he's able to. 

My university moved all of my classes online and my TA duties will be online, so I don't have to go to campus at all. We had to provide rationale for moving my TA sections online. I'm high risk, so this is good news. I believe my university will be all online before we start, or shortly afterward. It is a current hotspot. One class I was slated to TA had me in a large 200 person lecture hall on the 4th floor with 25 students. Fine, but I can't do stairs because of respiratory issues and their recently announced elevator policy is 2 person per ride. I don't trust the logistics of that. Then what about restrooms and going in and out of the door. Some older restrooms are so tightly designed to stay six feet apart, you'll be able to have 1-2 people in line at most - normally you can see 10-12 in line between classes. Plus custodians are already stretched, there are some buildings that always have problems, lack of supplies, unusable toilets.They're recommending face shields for instructors w/ or w/out masks. 

Not only am I worried about people in dorms and on campus not following protocol, I'm concerned about the protocol working at all. Both my school and my son's are big commuter schools, so exposure is going to move outside the campus very easily.  I know there are severe economic issues with no opening dorms, but I'd be surprised if most schools stay open even half the semester. 

 

[Mom0012]

I am not worried about COVID for my kids any more than I worry about anything else for them. Looking at the data, there is very little reason for me to worry about the virus for them. If I was going to worry about this virus, I should be just as worried about the flu for them. Also, unless I want to try and shut down their lives for years over whatever small risk there is, they are going to get the virus eventually. 

My ds is headed to the beach with friends today and I am more worried about their planned stop in Philadelphia and the rising crime rates in many cities. I'm more worried about him drowning in the ocean or getting in a car wreck. Honestly, I'm by far more worried about my kids sitting at home with nothing to do for the next year than this virus. 

My dh is an essential employee and at far greater risk than either of my children. And yet, he goes to the office each day and we live our lives and hope for the best. Again, looking at data, chances are good he will be fine. 

[Mom0012]

And the other thing that keeps me from worrying is going to the CDC's website each week and watching the mortality rate fall off a cliff.  Even as cases rise. 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm

 

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Mom0012

[Corraleno]

1 hour ago, Mom0012 said:

And the other thing that keeps me from worrying is going to the CDC's website each week and watching the mortality rate fall off a cliff.  Even as cases rise. 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm

 

 

It says right on the bottom of that chart that it does not include all Covid deaths so far. This one, from Worldometer, is more up to date:

Edited July 27, 2020 by Corraleno

[plansrme]

Zero percent worried. I am more worried about drastic lockdown measures in the event that a roommate in an on-campus apartment tests positive, so she's moving off campus. We have known multiple teens and young adults with positive Covid tests (as I imagine most everyone else on here has), and they've all been either asymptomatic or had a slight fever for 24 hours or less and been done with it. In the very unlikely event that she were to get really sick, she has friends, teammates and a coach who could check in on her until one of us could get to her. 

[Janeway]

On 7/25/2020 at 9:53 AM, *LC said:

Sorta. What a non-committal answer. My thoughts on it have never made me want to keep my college kids home this fall. 

For me it is like when my kids get their driver's license. When they are new drivers, I worry/think about all the things that can go wrong when they are driving. When my older kids drive, I don't even think about all the things that can go wrong. Of course, these thoughts pop up occasionally if they are super late arriving home with no warning, or the weather is super bad. 

Even before Covid, college students died every year from various causes. Years ago I stumbled across a website that compiled a listing of all the college students that died by year, which was very depressing to read. I remember 3 students dying at my college while I was there. One died from flu, another from meningitis, and the other in a car accident. (I am very glad that there are meningitis vaccines now, but everyone went to school without it back in the day.) I'm sure there more students that died while I was in college, but I remember these three because one of these was a good friend, one was a roommate of a friend's brother, and one was the passenger in a car a different friend was driving. I also know that 3 students I went to high school with died during our college years, one in a car accident, one from drugs, and one from suicide. 

When I was looking for the college student death website, I went down a rabbit hole and found these articles. I don't know they will make you less worried about Covid or more worried about the fragileness of life general. (When I couldn't find the site I was looking for, I typed in covid and college deaths and very few articles on college students dying from it. 

https://onwardstate.com/2013/09/24/student-death-rates-go-unnoticed/?fbclid=IwAR0QVR3tKV7cONgGRlUSrRz38mmokgUM5l37I2-1fYMhL5GHe6xZVGOCx5Q

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/14/us/california-usc-student-deaths/index.html

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/college-students-died_n_6091622

https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/02/13/flu-breathless-severe-college

https://people.com/crime/faith-hedgepeth/

https://news.yahoo.com/man-21-faces-murder-charge-222200376.html

https://www.foxnews.com/us/college-students-murder-new-york-guilty-verdict-nicaragua

https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/06/26/remembering-seth-smith-19-a-cal-student-who-was-killed-in-berkeley-on-june-15

My college students have had two friends/classmates die this summer. Neither was from Covid, one was a farming accident and the other from cancer. A friend's college-age kid had a teammate drown this summer. 

My sophomore had at least 6 friends/classmates/acquaintances die in high school. One from an allergic reaction/asthma, one by drowning, two in car accidents, and two by suicide. 

I had two acquaintances who had college kids die last year, one in a car accident and one from an undetected heart defect. 

I will remind my kids to take precautions and what to do if they feel sick. I will hug them when they leave for college. I will tell them I love them every chance I have. All things, I normally do, but sometimes something happens ... My kids have grown up knowing life is fragile as their dad died from cancer when they were young. 

P.S. The 2020-21 off-campus parking permits at their school sold out the day they went on sale, so students are definitely planning on coming back to campus.. I don't know if the permits selling out that fast is normal or if off-campus students don't want to take the buses. My college students have always walked or biked to class. 

 

 

 

 

Awesome. I am definitely not sending him now!!

[easypeasy]

20 hours ago, whitestavern said:

 

Students are not allowed to enter a dorm in which they do not live, so she can't go to bf's (boyfriend) dorm and vice versa. Her campus is pretty small and there are not a lot of places where they can hang out. While the weather is nice they can spend time outside, but most of their free time is at night, and of course it will be dark earlier. 

thank you for your reply. By "dorm," do you mean that they can't enter a dorm building itself if they don't live in that building - or they can't enter any dorm room in which they do not live? 
I'm just comparing policies so we can imagine possibilities that might come up for dd. (As of now her school hasn't said anything specific about dorm building isolation. 
 

I do not envy those in charge of making these rules right now. 

[whitestavern]

3 hours ago, easypeasy said:

thank you for your reply. By "dorm," do you mean that they can't enter a dorm building itself if they don't live in that building - or they can't enter any dorm room in which they do not live? 
I'm just comparing policies so we can imagine possibilities that might come up for dd. (As of now her school hasn't said anything specific about dorm building isolation. 
 

I do not envy those in charge of making these rules right now. 

 

Originally she told me no one can go into a dorm if they do not live there, but she received clarification that guests are allowed to meet in common areas as long as they wear masks. Not sure how much better that is in all honesty. 

[Innisfree]

4 hours ago, easypeasy said:

thank you for your reply. By "dorm," do you mean that they can't enter a dorm building itself if they don't live in that building - or they can't enter any dorm room in which they do not live? 
I'm just comparing policies so we can imagine possibilities that might come up for dd. (As of now her school hasn't said anything specific about dorm building isolation. 
 

I do not envy those in charge of making these rules right now. 

Dd's college has said only residents may enter each dorm building, and also that no one may enter another student's dorm room, even if they live in the same building.

OP, I do worry about dd's safety, like I worry about her every time she drives. But I don't obsess about it, and I'm not keeping her home: not that I could, as she's an adult now, and she's been looking forward to this for so long.

Realistically, I think the worst risk for her is that she'll have a rotten semester of online classes and spend most of her time sitting in her dorm room, because she doesn't want to be sent into quarantine. She is acutely aware that her risk of quarantine (and, of course, infection) is dependent on the behavior of every other person she comes in contact with. Seeing contact with hallmates and classmates as dangerous is so very much not how I would like her to start freshman year, sigh.

Now, if she brings the virus home from campus to us at Thanksgiving or whenever they get shut down, that's a bigger risk due to dh's and my preexisting conditions. Again, not going to obsess. We'll take reasonable precautions based on conditions at the time and the best information we have then.

Editing to add that I probably should point out I did invest a possibly unreasonable amount of money in the best masks I could find for dd, with plenty of extra, high-quality filters. Might as well stack the decks as much in her favor as possible...

Edited July 27, 2020 by Innisfree

[Mom0012]

12 hours ago, Corraleno said:

It says right on the bottom of that chart that it does not include all Covid deaths so far. This one, from Worldometer, is more up to date:

 

If you feel Worldometers is more accurate than the CDC, that's what you should use. But Worldometers is showing daily deaths which draw your eye to the daily highs and CDC is showing how the average death count is dropping. If you calculate the average death count for the week ending July 18, the last week the CDC has reported, the numbers are pretty close to the chart you posted. It just more clearly shows the trend.

[RootAnn]

@easypeasy My DD's U says you cannot enter a dorm that is not your own. (Normal rule is you can go in as a guest of a current dorm resident. All guests are registered at the front desk.) The exception is the honors dorm on campus that all honors members can enter. I assume that is still allowed. I have not seen rules about going into other dorm rooms other than your own. Students are expected to social distance in common areas. I think they want masks worn in floor lounges but I'm not positive on all the particulars. There are maximum group sizes, too.

Meals are supposed to be "to go" but lots of buildings are supposedly going to be no loitering areas. So the places you used to be able to go eat will be off limits. I think commuters are facing outside eating no matter the weather.

I expect the guidelines will be changing as the semester goes.

Sure, I'm worried she might get sick. But I worry about all sorts of things. It doesn't usually change my actions. I'm hoping for the best right now -- that her campus & college area has less infections by the time school starts, that they won't go all online mid-semester, and she has a great semester.

[easypeasy]

5 hours ago, Innisfree said:

Seeing contact with hallmates and classmates as dangerous is so very much not how I would like her to start freshman year, sigh.

Editing to add that I probably should point out I did invest a possibly unreasonable amount of money in the best masks I could find for dd, with plenty of extra, high-quality filters. Might as well stack the decks as much in her favor as possible...

 
I feel exactly the same - starting off freshman year feeling like everyone you meet might be carrying the plague is so far from ideal I can't wrap my brain around how these kids aren't going to waste away from loneliness while surrounded by thousands of people! 😕

Any links you'd care to share for the masks/filters you have purchased?? I have a collection for dd, but am always interested in finding more/better to send along!

[Innisfree]

4 minutes ago, easypeasy said:

the masks/filters you have purchased??

https://halolife.io/pages/our-story 

These are $$$$$ but have very good filtration, surpassing n95s. Unfortunately they are manufactured in China and take a long time to arrive, but everyone in our family feels like they're comfortable. I like the fact that, although mine doesn't press down hard on my nose, I can tell it's got a good seal around my face because I feel it inflating and deflating slightly as I breathe.

The instructions say to change the filter weekly if you're in high public contact situations, which I'd assume a dorm would be. We're thinking that if the whole mask is simply put in a paper bag for several days, though, the virus should die, so I'm not sure if that's necessary. I think these masks were originally designed for use in areas with wildfires, so changing filters entirely makes more sense to me in that situation. I am sending dd off with extras, though.

https://easymasks.com/collections/easy-masks

These are made in NC and shipped quickly. The filtration isn't as good, but if you read the product description for the filters, they still capture a fairly high percentage (80%) of particles down to .3 microns. They feel comfortable to me, though I don't think the seal is as good as on the Halo masks, but ymmv.

[Innisfree]

4 hours ago, RootAnn said:

Students are expected to social distance in common areas. I think they want masks worn in floor lounges

Yep, same. Any time dd leaves her dorm room, she is expected to be masked. Group size limits apply, too, though I'm not sure what they are precisely, and obviously that could change.

All meals will be picked up and carried back to dorm rooms.

[8filltheheart]

These masking policies are going to end up being pretty worthless.  Students will just find places off-campus whether apartments or houses or open fields to hang out where no one is masking.  We are pretty diligent about masking, even masking around our ds who works full-time at a hardware store (b/c he is very unsanitary and most definitely NOT careful).  Dd was thinking about going out of town to see her friends.  Out of curiousity (not telling her what to or what not to do) I asked her if she was going to mask around her friends.  She looked at me like I had 2 heads.  She said, "No way."  I think that is going to be their gut reaction when they are around their friends.  There is something in the psyche about feeling "removed" while wearing a mask.  (Our ds says so all of the time.  He hates it.)

[easypeasy]

8 hours ago, Innisfree said:

https://halolife.io/pages/our-story 

These are $$$$$ but have very good filtration, surpassing n95s. Unfortunately they are manufactured in China and take a long time to arrive, but everyone in our family feels like they're comfortable. I like the fact that, although mine doesn't press down hard on my nose, I can tell it's got a good seal around my face because I feel it inflating and deflating slightly as I breathe.

The instructions say to change the filter weekly if you're in high public contact situations, which I'd assume a dorm would be. We're thinking that if the whole mask is simply put in a paper bag for several days, though, the virus should die, so I'm not sure if that's necessary. I think these masks were originally designed for use in areas with wildfires, so changing filters entirely makes more sense to me in that situation. I am sending dd off with extras, though.

https://easymasks.com/collections

8 hours ago, Innisfree said:

https://halolife.io/pages/our-story 

These are $$$$$ but have very good filtration, surpassing n95s. Unfortunately they are manufactured in China and take a long time to arrive, but everyone in our family feels like they're comfortable. I like the fact that, although mine doesn't press down hard on my nose, I can tell it's got a good seal around my face because I feel it inflating and deflating slightly as I breathe.

The instructions say to change the filter weekly if you're in high public contact situations, which I'd assume a dorm would be. We're thinking that if the whole mask is simply put in a paper bag for several days, though, the virus should die, so I'm not sure if that's necessary. I think these masks were originally designed for use in areas with wildfires, so changing filters entirely makes more sense to me in that situation. I am sending dd off with extras, though.

https://easymasks.com/collections/easy-masks

These are made in NC and shipped quickly. The filtration isn't as good, but if you read the product description for the filters, they still capture a fairly high percentage (80%) of particles down to .3 microns. They feel comfortable to me, though I don't think the seal is as good as on the Halo masks, but ymmv.

/easy-masks

These are made in NC and shipped quickly. The filtration isn't as good, but if you read the product description for the filters, they still capture a fairly high percentage (80%) of particles down to .3 microns. They feel comfortable to me, though I don't think the seal is as good as on the Halo masks, but ymmv.

thank you! We have easymasks but haven't tried the halo. So I ordered two to try out. 😅 With five people having to be on-the-go and wearing masks full time I'm trying to find Cinderella's slipper for every family member! 

[katilac]

On 7/27/2020 at 3:13 PM, 8FillTheHeart said:

 Out of curiousity (not telling her what to or what not to do) I asked her if she was going to mask around her friends.  She looked at me like I had 2 heads.  She said, "No way."  I think that is going to be their gut reaction when they are around their friends.  There is something in the psyche about feeling "removed" while wearing a mask. 

Plus they're young and feel six feet tall and bulletproof. 

[Guest]

On 7/24/2020 at 3:16 PM, Janeway said:

I was not worried, because I was only thinking along the lines of the very very low death rate for college aged students. Now I see a number of parents postponing college a year because they are concerned their student will get sick and be out of classes for long enough to get too far behind in classes to catch up.  I realize now that this is a real possibility. 

If a student gets sick, they would be able to get an incomplete. Schools are having to be very flexible during this time. 
 

Having said that, my DD picked all online classes because she didn’t want the sudden transition again. 

[Roadrunner]

USC students got hit by Covid

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/los-angeles-county-coronavirus-covid-015914408.html

[Hoggirl]

I copied this from someone on FB, but I wanted to share this here for any students who are going to be living in dorms at a college that is going to have them move to a different place to quarantine if they test positive.  The sentence, “It would be so much easier to ask a roommate to grab ‘the blue Nike bag in my closet and my laptop’ than to try to figure out what he or she will want for two weeks,” really stood out to me.  Your list may look different but having a separate bag all packed and ready to go seemed wise to me. 

If you have a student returning to campus, this is important:

Have them pack an emergency COVID go-bag in case they test positive and have to quarantine.

In these uncertain times, the possibility exists that your child may test positive, and have to leave his or her dorm for a quarantine location. It's a good idea to have a pre-packed bag in his or her closet. It would be so much easier to ask a roommate to grab "the blue Nike bag in my closet and my laptop" than to try to figure out what he or she will want for two weeks.

Here's what to pack:

Extra cell phone charger
List of important peoples’ phone numbers written out and a list of any allergies
2 or more complete changes of comfortable clothes: sweats, PJ pants, T's, underwear, socks
Fleece throw
Cough drops
Tylenol to bring fever down, help with aches
Vicks Vap O Rub
Mucinex DM or Robitussin Cough & Chest Congestion
Thermometer
Body lotion, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, hair brush, hair ties
Prescription meds
Tissues
Snacks
Masks
Some sort of distraction -- e.g., a coloring or sketch book with crayons or colored pencils, deck of cards
Pulse Oximeter -- it is important to monitor your oxygen level
A copy of your medical power of attorney and HIPAA waiver -- both very important, as you want your parents to be able to know what's going on and make decisions for you in the event you cannot

[lewelma]

I'm going to have to say No, or I would not send him.  He is going from an elimination zone to a pandemic zone. Isn't that a crazy thing to have to say and think about?!?! These are just crazy times. My ds will be in an apartment with 4 other students who have agreed to limit interactions with others.  They may form a bubble with one other flat of 2. Boston is strict on masks, and they have all online classes with NO access to campus.  And if things go belly up, he can't even choose to return home as quarantine is full, and if he can get a spot, it will cost us $3,000 on top of the international flight. So when he leaves, he leaves for good. I believe the risk is low - the risk of getting it and the risk of it being a major illness. He needs to live his life, and his life is there not here.