WICHITA, Kansas — In just two weeks, thousands of college students in Kansas will board planes and hop into cars daydreaming of sweet potatoes and turkey legs.
Most of those students won’t return to campus for the rest of the semester. To cut the risk of spreading the coronavirus, the majority of universities in Kansas will have students finish the fall semester online.
Even one-way Thanksgiving trips, health experts worry, could mean trouble when all those students return home, pack around holiday feasts, pass the gravy and hug an uncle or a grandma they haven’t seen for months.
One study found that student travel during spring break led to the local spread of the coronavirus. Now that the virus is surging across Kansas, the mass exodus from college campuses could make the spread even worse.
Here’s what Kansas six universities are — or aren’t — telling students before they leave to help prevent the spread.
Get tested before you go
Kansas State University has been encouraging all students to get tested before leaving — specifically three days before they travel to get results before they go.
“The thought of taking the virus back and infecting Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa — we just want students to be thoughtful about that,” said Dr. Kyle Goerl, the director of K-State’s health center.
K-State can test about 1,000 students each day. That’s not enough to test every student before leaving. But that’s still more available than at most of the other state universities.
The American College Health Association, or AHCA, guidelines suggest colleges should encourage students to get tested to “know before you go.” The association acknowledges that’s not possible at all schools with limited resources.
Completely quarantining before leaving is out of the question with in-person classes still going on. But the university says students should cut back on the off-hour socializing. Even just a friend dropping by to share a cup of coffee risks spreading the disease and is the kind of behavior K-State says students should reconsider before traveling.
“Where we get into trouble is the social activities off campus,” Goerl said. “A lot of it is related to parities.”
Pittsburg State University is also offering tests to students before leaving campus on Nov. 20.
Tests available if needed
The University of Kansas will offer testing to departing students — but only if they need one to travel.
