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

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • 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.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.