9įurther compounding the issue, universities implemented different testing and data storage processes for their students’ return as there was no universally accepted protocol. 7, 8 Obstinacy is one theory as the University of Illinois, a highly prepared institution with numerous safeguards, had a significant outbreak that grew from COVID-19 positive students who refused to isolate and continued to host or attend social gatherings.

For example, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Michigan State, and Notre Dame have moved their fall 2020 classes online after COVID-19 outbreaks early in their semesters, in order to curb the virus’ spread. 4, 5, 6Īs of September 2020, multiple schools have opened for the fall semester, only to close within weeks and move back to online learning due to large outbreaks of COVID-19 cases. Researchers saw similar factors in university outbreaks as what was seen previously in outbreaks at meatpacking plants, nursing homes, and prisons where multitudes of peoples work and live closely in one locale. Students started moving into dorm rooms for their fall semester despite the growing number of cases in various regions and the obvious inherent risks of being present in a current or potential outbreak. When August 2020 arrived, many school districts and universities across America caved in and welcomed their students back for in-person learning. Then the pressure was on to open schools again.

Measures were eased and workplaces reopened in summer 2020. 3 As the year wore on and the pandemic persisted, many Americans grew tired of waiting. For many colleges, revenue could not be generated from housing or dining plans if there were no students present on campus. Universities were also feeling financial pressures that could only be solved by having an in-person student body. 1 As early as April 2020, researchers were lamenting the negative effects of school closures on their students, ranging from increased food insecurity to decreased academic performance. When America went into quarantine in March 2020, schools across the country sent their students home to finish the year through distance learning, with mixed results based on demographics and implementation. After many states relaxed their social distancing measures throughout late spring and early summer, the question of allowing millions of students to return to school became a more pressing concern as the summer wore on. As the novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) continues to change day-to-day life around the world, a new struggle has come to light in America.

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