Virtual frosh weeks and no-guest dorm policies: Campus life in the age of COVID-19
EDMONTON — As the number of COVID-19 cases spike among the college-age cohort across the country, it is raising questions about what the return to campus life will be like, and whether the university traditions of frosh week and socials will become something of a bygone era.
As lockdowns ease, COVID transmission has been spreading among Canadians in their 20s, leading some health experts this summer to start calling it a “young person’s disease.”
“I think it’s probably inevitable, I suppose, as things start to open up … and people are experiencing COVID fatigue and want to socialize,” said University of Alberta infectious disease professor Ameeta Singh.
In British Columbia, public health officials have spoken out about partying and other behaviours that have led to a spike in cases among the cohort. Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s chief public health officer, said there has been a “rapid increase in the last few weeks in younger people.”
Of 4,200 or so active cases in British Columbia, 788 were among those between the ages of 20 and 29, or approximately 19 per cent of cases. In Alberta, where there there are around 1,000 active cases, 234 were among those between 20 and 29, or 23 per cent. In Ontario, of 899 “not resolved” cases, 220 of them are in 20s, or 24 per cent.
“I think that people, younger people, do have a tendency to think that they won’t be affected by COVID if they get it,” Singh said. “Perhaps (they are) less (likely) to consider that others in their circle, whether it be parents or grandparents that could potentially be more severely affected were they to become infected.”
The case counts in Canada track similarly to the United States, where numerous states have seen exponential rises in cases among younger people. Officials in Texas pinned outbreaks earlier this summer on young people floating down rivers on inflatable tubes.
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In Canada, over the course of the pandemic, 15.2 per cent of all COVID-19 cases are among those aged 20 to 29, while 14.3 per cent are among those between 30 and 39. Those aged 40 to 49 account for 15 per cent of all cases.
But those aged over 80 comprise 32.7 per cent of hospitalizations from COVID-19, and 71.5 per cent of the nearly 9,000 people who have died. Of those requiring intensive care units, 24.7 per cent are between the age of 60 and 69.
The federal government’s data says that less than three per cent of hospital admissions for COVID-19 were among those between the ages of 20 and 29, and accounted for 3.6 per cent of those in the ICU. The 20-29 cohort accounted for only 0.1 per cent of the total deaths from COVID-19.
The coronavirus may be called a young persons disease now, but it remains most serious among the older population.
Many universities and colleges have shifted to remote classes for September. And while there might not be a lot schools can do about off-campus behaviour, where most bars and restaurants are now open, campuses across Canada are attempting to control what they can, with enhanced cleaning and signage and physical-distancing measures.
“The safety and well-being of our students, staff, faculty, instructors and researchers remains our utmost priority,” says a statement from Montreal’s McGill University.
Most schools seem to have at least some opportunities for in-person interaction. Two of Canada’s largest universities — University of British Columbia and University of Toronto, will have mostly online classes, but will also be running in-person classes with physical-distancing requirements.
McGill University in Montreal is working on orientation activities for new students that can be done virtually. An article in the McGill Reporter says the “regular programming” of frosh week has been modified. “They replaced regular programming like Beach Day and campus tours with activities like a virtual scavenger hunt, a cooking show, painting, yoga and fitness classes, TikTok challenges, trivia nights, bingo, a virtual escape room, and Zoom-facilitated meet-n-greets,” the article says.
At the University of Alberta, student groups are planning virtual orientation activities for new students and professors have put up videos explaining how they’ve adapted their courses for remote learning.
Some technical programs at colleges face particular challenges. Algonquin College in Ottawa has a mandatory mask policy on campus, in accordance with Ottawa Public Health guidelines, and says it has reconfigured workspaces, such as labs and shops, to comply with physical-distancing requirements.
Dalhousie University in Halifax also has a mandatory mask policy, as does the University of Calgary. In Calgary, there’s yet another twist: campus residences have had to set up isolation rooms where those suspected of catching COVID-19 can self-isolate for the required amount of time. The university also notes there is a “no guest policy” in effect for students living in residence.
Memorial University in Newfoundland, which is recommending masks, also says that students and staff should keep a diary of who they’ve come in contact with on campus. “If you are on campus, reduce socializing in public spaces, and remain in your office as much as possible,” says its website.
“People still need to bear in mind some of the restrictions that have been put in place,” said Singh. “That needs to be maintained throughout the pandemic.”
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