Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

COVID-19 Cases Spread on Campus Due to Housing Settings and Social Gatherings, CDC Reports

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 09/30/20

Two new reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conclude that COVID-19 is spreading on college campuses due to congregate housing, the increase of social gatherings, and disregard for mask wearing.  

The CDC reports between August and September — just when college campuses reopened —COVID-19 cases increased by 55% nationally among young people aged 18-22 years. The greatest increases occurred in the Northeast (144%) and the Midwest (123%).

"The observed increases in Covid-19 cases among persons aged 18-22 years could be driven by many factors, including changes in behavior or risk profiles resulting from multiple social, economic, and public policy changes during this period,” the researchers write the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “Because approximately 45% of persons aged 18-22 years attend colleges and universities and 55% of those attending identified as White persons, it is likely that some of this increase is linked to resumption of in-person attendance at some colleges and universities.”

The report cites that about 71% of 18-22-year-olds live with a parent and nearly half of the age group attend colleges and universities. About 33% live with a parent while enrolled. To prevent cases on campus and within broader communities, the CDC says “it’s critically important” for students, faculty, and staff to “remain vigilant” and take steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

A second study, led by a team at the North Carolina Department of Health and the University of North Carolina, showed the university experienced a rapid increase of COVID-19 cases within 2 weeks of opening the campus. Student gatherings and close living settings, likely contributed to the rapid spread of COVID-19.

"The rapid increase in cases within two weeks of opening campus suggests that robust measures are needed to reduce transmission at institutes of higher education, including efforts to increase consistent use of masks, reduce the density of on-campus housing, increase testing for SARS-CoV-2, and discourage student gatherings," the researchers wrote.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.