Colleges Helped To Spread COVID
Just what you'd think would happen, bringing college kids back to campus helped to refuel the spread of the coronavirus, a study says.
Kaiser Health News:
Colleges’ Opening Fueled 3,000 COVID Cases A Day, Researchers Say
Reopening colleges drove a coronavirus surge of about 3,000 new cases a day in the United States, according to a draft study released Tuesday. The study, done jointly by researchers at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Indiana University, the University of Washington and Davidson College, tracked cellphone data and matched it to reopening schedules at 1,400 schools, along with county infection rates. (McAuliff, 9/23)
The Wall Street Journal:
Reopening Colleges Likely Fueled Covid-19 Significantly, Study Finds
Colleges and universities that reopened for face-to-face instruction might have caused tens of thousands of additional cases of Covid-19 in recent weeks, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Indiana University, the University of Washington and Davidson College. The researchers estimated that an extra 3,200 cases a day occurred in the U.S. that likely wouldn’t have happened had schools kept classes online. (Korn and Abbott, 9/22)
The Hill:
Reopening Colleges May Have Caused Tens Of Thousands Of Coronavirus Cases: Study
Reopening colleges and universities for in-person classes led to more than 3,000 new cases of coronavirus a day that otherwise would not have occurred, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Indiana University, the University of Washington and Davidson College participated in the study, according to The Wall Street Journal. They used GPS tracking data to analyze movements of people, including returning students, and determined the infection rates in counties where colleges were located during the period where campuses began reopening. (Budryk, 9/22)
In other school news —
The Washington Post:
29-Hour Meeting Ends With Miami School Board Voting To Reopen Schools Next Month
After a 29-hour marathon meeting that included 18 hours of public testimony, the Miami-Dade County School Board voted Tuesday to start welcoming students back for in mid-October with a staggered return for five-days-a-week instruction. Miami-Dade, the fourth-largest school district in the country, had started the school year last month with all-remote learning. It was one of only a handful of systems in the state given permission to do so by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) because of exceptionally high coronavirus rates. (Strauss, 9/22)
AP:
More Kansas Schools Ending In-Person Classes, Sports
More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines. Both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams, but Derby still plans to hold Friday night’s game, the Wichita Eagle reported. Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes against the recommendation of the state’s reopening guide. (9/22)
PBS NewsHour:
How Maine’s Colby College Is Striving To Keep COVID-19 Under Control
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many academic institutions across the country are dealing with outbreaks -- or offering only virtual learning in an attempt to prevent them. But one liberal arts school in Maine is seeking to avoid either fate. (Brown and Frazee, 9/22)
USA Today:
COVID-19: How Hybrid Schedules Impact Students With Online Learning
As school districts created their plans for returning to school, a hybrid schedule, which puts students into two groups who rotate attending in-person and virtually, emerged as a popular choice. But as districts go from fully virtual to hybrid schedules, it's also splitting students into two other groups — those who are in-person part-time and those who are always virtual. (Slaby, 9/23)
