Read on Twitter
Students are coming back to campus and their college dashboards are starting to show COVID-19 case increases. It is easy to get worried about the numbers rising. HOWEVER, there are some things Students/Faculty/Staff should think about when evaluating case numbers...
THREAD
1/9
THREAD
1/9
First, comparing across institutions is tricky. Dashboards aren't created equally. Just ask @CovidDashboards.
Ditto testing protocols. Very few institutions (77 at @C2Initiative's last count) are testing every student weekly+ using PCR tests.
2/9
Ditto testing protocols. Very few institutions (77 at @C2Initiative's last count) are testing every student weekly+ using PCR tests.
2/9
With so few institutions actually testing at that "gold standard" highest level, it is hard to compare actual testing approaches and case counts.
SO, I recommend focusing on YOUR institution, not how it compares to others.
3/9
SO, I recommend focusing on YOUR institution, not how it compares to others.
3/9
Now, your institution is probably seeing a spike in cases right now. That is to be expected.
Whenever students move from point A to B, the virus is likely to travel with at least some of them. This is one of the few "known knowns" in research about COVID-19 on campuses.
4/9
Whenever students move from point A to B, the virus is likely to travel with at least some of them. This is one of the few "known knowns" in research about COVID-19 on campuses.
4/9
. @danielmangrum and Paul Niekamp showed the impact of student mobility during last year's spring break on case counts here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094119020300826
5/9
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094119020300826
5/9
And @andersen_hecon, @AnisabelBento, @Basucally, @KosaliSimon and I present preliminary estimates of the impact of student mobility on case counts the fall here:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.20196048v1
(We're updating that paper soon. Stay tuned.)
SO, what can you do to keep cases down?
6/9
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.22.20196048v1
(We're updating that paper soon. Stay tuned.)
SO, what can you do to keep cases down?
6/9
I don't mean to beat a dead horse but the rules are simple:
1) Wear a 2-3 layer cloth mask. Everywhere. If you can get a N95, FDA-Approved KN95, or KF94, then you get extra credit - especially with new variants of the virus.
2) Keep your distance. 2M / 6FT at all times.
7/9
1) Wear a 2-3 layer cloth mask. Everywhere. If you can get a N95, FDA-Approved KN95, or KF94, then you get extra credit - especially with new variants of the virus.
2) Keep your distance. 2M / 6FT at all times.
7/9
3) Don't travel if you don't have to. Seriously, don't go anywhere you don't have to go - don't travel home if you live on a residential campus, no bars, no eating out, etc - at least for the first month of the semester. Let's get those case counts down before we tempt fate.
8/9
8/9
4) Most importantly, as cheesy as it is to say, we need watch out for each other. Call each other out if need be. Take care of each other.
We can get case counts down if we stick together. We did it in the Fall, we can do it now.
Now let's get to work.
9/9
We can get case counts down if we stick together. We did it in the Fall, we can do it now.
Now let's get to work.
9/9
