Three weeks after the opening of colleges or universities for face-to-face education, the counties that housed these institutions “experienced a 56% increase in incidence,” wrote a research team led by the CDC in the agency’s weekly report.
Meanwhile, the researchers found that the incidence decreased by 5.9% in counties without universities and by 17.9% in those with universities that teach remote classes.
The researchers – from the CDC and the United States Department of Health and Human Services – examined the schedules for fall classes posted on major college and university Web sites in the United States. They looked at which institutions taught remote or face-to-face classes in early September.
They also looked at estimates of the incidence of Covid-19 in counties where universities were doing remote learning, compared to counties where universities had face-to-face classes and counties with no university.
The researchers found that counties where universities taught face-to-face classes were more likely to be identified as Covid-19 “hotspots” at least once compared to those where universities taught remote classes and those without universities.
The study did not consider mitigation strategies – such as wearing masks and social distance – at the local level or on university campuses. It was also unclear whether Covid-19 cases in university counties were related to transmission on campuses or within the community.
Further research is also needed to determine whether similar findings would emerge between counties with smaller colleges and universities.
“College and university administrators should work with local decision makers and public health officials to strengthen community mitigation, in addition to continuing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 on college and university campuses,” wrote the researchers.
Sororities, fraternities connected to the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases
Fraternity and fellowship meetings and activities have been linked to hundreds of Covid-19 cases at a university in Arkansas, according to another report released on Thursday.
According to researchers from the Arkansas Department of Health and the CDC, 54 meetings were linked to Covid-19 cases at the university and more than 90% of these events involved fellowships and fraternities.
The fellowship’s rush week was August 17-22, with an outdoor event on August 22. The fraternity’s rush week was August 27-31. Despite the ongoing pandemic, only on September 4 did the university ban more than 10 people from meeting; Ultimately, the fraternity’s bidding day was online.
The report said that 5% of Covid-19 cases occurred among people who received instruction in class, 31% among people who participated in fraternity or fellowship activities and 15% among people who lived in fraternity or fellowship houses.
Virtual events were “associated with fewer cases than face-to-face events,” according to the report.
“The rapid increase in Covid-19 cases was probably facilitated by living environments and activities on and off campus,” said the report.
The report encouraged health departments to work with student organizations and university leaders to ensure that people are taking precautions against the spread of Covid-19.