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Covid-19 transmission risk greater in student halls than in classrooms shows data

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date21 December 2020
Date21 December 2020
Publication titleMyLondon (England)
The largest outbreaks occurred in halls of residences at several universities in England during the autumn term, according to a report from the Office for National Statistics ONS.

Data from the universities of Exeter and Loughborough suggests the number of COVID-19 cases among the student population rose steeply after the start of the term, but they fell during November.

In Exeter, university students make up the majority of recorded cases in the area during late September and early October. But the ONS report concludes that there is not enough evidence to be certain whether infections spread from the wider population into the student population or whether the arrival of students had an impact on the rising levels of COVID-19 in the wider community.

The findings have been published after university students in England were permitted to travel back to their family homes for the Christmas period between December 3 and December 9. Universities have been told to stagger the return of students over five weeks in the new year to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

Medical students and those on placements or practical courses with a need for in-person teaching in England can return to campus from January 4, but remaining students should be offered online lessons from the start of term and should only return gradually from January 25, the guidance says.

Bringing together information gathered at a number of English universities, the ONS researchers found the risk of transmission to be greater in residential settings at universities, with “minimal evidence found of the virus being spread in face-to-face teaching settings such as classrooms and lecture theatres”.

Figures from the Student COVID Insights Survey, carried out by the ONS once in October and twice in November, suggest that students follow COVID-19 guidance in much the same way as the general public.

Nine out of 10 students said they always or very frequently...

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