Dataset Information

Contacts and behaviours of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of the 2020/2021 academic year.

ABSTRACT: University students have unique living, learning and social arrangements which may have implications for infectious disease transmission. To address this data gap, we created CONQUEST (COroNavirus QUESTionnaire), a longitudinal online survey of contacts, behaviour, and COVID-19 symptoms for University of Bristol (UoB) staff/students. Here, we analyse results from 740 students providing 1261 unique records from the start of the 2020/2021 academic year (14/09/2020-01/11/2020), where COVID-19 outbreaks led to the self-isolation of all students in some halls of residences. Although most students reported lower daily contacts than in pre-COVID-19 studies, there was heterogeneity, with some reporting many (median = 2, mean = 6.1, standard deviation = 15.0; 8% had ≥ 20 contacts). Around 40% of students' contacts were with individuals external to the university, indicating potential for transmission to non-students/staff. Only 61% of those reporting cardinal symptoms in the past week self-isolated, although 99% with a positive COVID-19 test during the 2 weeks before survey completion had self-isolated within the last week. Some students who self-isolated had many contacts (mean = 4.3, standard deviation = 10.6). Our results provide context to the COVID-19 outbreaks seen in universities and are available for modelling future outbreaks and informing policy.

SUBMITTER: Nixon E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8175593 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Contacts and behaviours of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of the 2020/2021 academic year.

Nixon Emily E Trickey Adam A Christensen Hannah H Finn Adam A Thomas Amy A Relton Caroline C Montgomery Clara C Hemani Gibran G Metz Jane J Walker Josephine G JG Turner Katy K Kwiatkowska Rachel R Sauchelli Sarah S Danon Leon L Brooks-Pollock Ellen E

Scientific reports 20210603 1

University students have unique living, learning and social arrangements which may have implications for infectious disease transmission. To address this data gap, we created CONQUEST (COroNavirus QUESTionnaire), a longitudinal online survey of contacts, behaviour, and COVID-19 symptoms for University of Bristol (UoB) staff/students. Here, we analyse results from 740 students providing 1261 unique records from the start of the 2020/2021 academic year (14/09/2020-01/11/2020), where COVID-19 outbr ...[more]

PMID: 34083593

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Project description:ImportanceDuring the 2020-2021 academic year, many institutions of higher education reopened to residential students while pursuing strategies to mitigate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission on campus. Reopening guidance emphasized polymerase chain reaction or antigen testing for residential students and social distancing measures to reduce the frequency of close interpersonal contact, and Connecticut colleges and universities used a variety of approaches to reopen campuses to residential students.ObjectiveTo characterize institutional reopening strategies and COVID-19 outcomes in 18 residential college and university campuses across Connecticut.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective cohort study used data on COVID-19 testing and cases and social contact from 18 college and university campuses in Connecticut that had residential students during the 2020-2021 academic year.ExposuresTests for COVID-19 performed per week per residential student.Main outcomes and measuresCases per week per residential student and mean (95% CI) social contact per week per residential student.ResultsBetween 235 and 4603 residential students attended the fall semester across each of 18 institutions of higher education in Connecticut, with fewer residential students at most institutions during the spring semester. In census block groups containing residence halls, the fall student move-in resulted in a 475% (95% CI, 373%-606%) increase in mean contact, and the spring move-in resulted in a 561% (95% CI, 441%-713%) increase in mean contact compared with the 7 weeks prior to move-in. The association between test frequency and case rate per residential student was complex; institutions that tested students infrequently detected few cases but failed to blunt transmission, whereas institutions that tested students more frequently detected more cases and prevented further spread. In fall 2020, each additional test per student per week was associated with a decrease of 0.0014 cases per student per week (95% CI, -0.0028 to -0.00001).Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this cohort study suggest that, in the era of available vaccinations and highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants, colleges and universities should continue to test residential students and use mitigation strategies to control on-campus COVID-19 cases.

Dataset Information

Contacts and behaviours of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of the 2020/2021 academic year.

Publications

Contacts and behaviours of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of the 2020/2021 academic year.

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