22 SCIENCE NEWS | February 27, 2021

MARK MAKELA/GETTY IMAGESC. CHANG

FEATURE

O

ne year into the COVID -19 pandemic,

we know the SARS-CoV-2 virus

spreads easily through large indoor

gatherings and communal living

spaces. A person can become infected, spread the

virus to friends, family, teachers or coworkers,

and then start exhibiting symptoms several days

later — or never show any signs of infection.

With these kinds of risks, a college campus seems

like one of the more dangerous places to spend

time. In fact, U.S. counties with large colleges or

universities that offered in-person instruction

last fall saw a 56 percent rise in COVID -19 cases in

the three weeks after classes began compared with

the three weeks before. Counties with large schools

that offered only remote learning saw a drop in

cases of almost 18 percent, researchers from the

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

reported on January 8 in Morbidity and Mortality

Weekly Report.

Universities that opened their campuses in

August and September faced an uncharted,

months-long experiment in infection control.

They had no manual, no surefire way to keep

students and staff from getting sick.

Science News took a look at five universities that

opened in the fall. Each school cobbled together

some type of testing at various frequencies

COVID-19

on Campus

Fall semester was the start of a big experiment By Betsy Ladyzhets

At the University of

Colorado Boulder,

students pick up campus

maps and pandemic

protocols on August 18.

Each school that opened

for the fall semester had

its own patchwork of

safety measures in place

to try to keep students

and staff safe from

COVID-19.

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