Wright State campus | Photo by Soham Parikh | The Wright State Guardian
With spring break upon Wright State University (WSU) students, many questions and concerns have been raised on the topic of coronavirus safety during and after the break.
Overview
As national coronavirus case numbers continue to drop, Ohio’s case numbers are on the rise. According to the Ohio Governments’ coronavirus dashboard, the current total case numbers are at 947,389. This was a rise in case numbers from just last week.
While WSU’s campus case numbers are low, three total in early February, campus cases spiked for the weeks following winter break. Despite this trend, WSU administration does not plan to take any extra precautions after spring break.
“Indeed, we started the semester with two weeks of remote delivery. This allowed those returning to campus to quarantine post-holiday to provide a safe campus environment. This phased return minimized the effects of the surge experienced at that time. Although we had left open the possibility of returning from break with a phased-on-campus return, the decline in overall cases in the state and region have led us to conclude that at this time, a phased return is not necessary.” Said previous Interim Provost Dr. Douglas Leaman in a report to the Board of Trustees.
Student spring break plans
Spring break is popularly seen as a quintessential part of college life, a break in which many would normally travel and gather with friends. While for some this still may be true, some are modifying their break to fit the current climate.
WSU sophomore Paul Casper, who is an avid hiker, reported that he will most likely spend his spring break alone and outside, to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.
“Since I’m going to be alone, or with few people, it [exposure] shouldn’t be too bad, especially since I’ll just be outside most of the time,” said Casper.
The CDC recommends outdoor activity as an optimum coronavirus safe option. However, due to unusually cold temperatures across the U.S. these past couple of weeks, outdoor activity over the break may be hindered.
This factor may force gatherings and activities inside which can lead to increased exposure according to the CDC.
