Got to say the doomsaying on the virus is pretty strange. Last week had a wave of students filing to opt out of hybrid classes because of fear of “the variants.” It be one thing if they were worried about infecting parents, elderly. But they clearly indicate personal fear. 1/x

Not saying we shouldn’t keep an eye on variants and exercise caution, but we’ve been hybrid since august and there have been no classroom outbreaks. And law of large numbers (30k+ students + 8k staff) suggests not anomaly. Most vulnerable faculty are completely online. 2/x

So why the uptick in fear among students? Are we suffering from something like Stockholm syndrome and don’t want the lockdown to end? Is this just cause negative news gets more clicks is shared more in social media? Surveillance testing at UGA has positive rate collapsing.

I have students that already had Covid, explaining they are afraid of catching the variant, while I realize this is possible, the possibility is very small. Also we are at 20% in most classrooms. They will get it in their dorms/frat houses/sorority houses etc. not class

Just saying something really weird is happening right now.

Addendum.
One of my fellow faculty just texted me with alternate hypothesis.

Does this have something to do with UGA cancelling spring break?

Alternate hypothesis being: These students will secretly go on spring break secretly and zoom into classes.

I wouldn’t put it past some.

However the reporting is relentlessly negative. Everybody knows we doubled vaccination rate since Biden came into office? Not a headline.

And I do find many of my students extremely pessimistic about their lives. Lot of mental health issues. Try to get a psychiatrist appointment lately? Therapy appointment? Apparently it’s impossible. I feel like I need to everyday supply a counter narrative.

We should share more good news.