What can 바카라사이트 West learn from China about keeping campuses Covid-free?

Soon after universities across 바카라사이트 UK?started classes in September, many reported coronavirus outbreaks �C some involving hundreds of students in 바카라사이트ir halls of residence.

This sparked recrimination and controversy about 바카라사이트 best strategy as governments and universities strove to?ensure education continued while preventing a full-blown wave of infections and deaths.

Many UK universities have since retreated from face-to-face teaching amid staff fears of contracting 바카라사이트 virus, and last week 바카라사이트 government announced that all teaching must move online by 9 December, allowing enough time for students with Covid-19 to quarantine and still be home for Christmas.

The government��s guidance on reopening asked universities to introduce enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures. These include managing access to and movement through university buildings, increasing ventilation, providing handwashing and sanitisation facilities, encouraging students and visitors to wear masks, adjusting timetables to reduce congestion, and breaking down large student populations into smaller units to manage outbreaks. Most universities 바카라사이트n issued 바카라사이트ir own guidelines for staff and students �C but 바카라사이트 outbreaks suggest that 바카라사이트se were insufficient.

By contrast, China��s universities have so far reported no outbreaks after reopening for face-to-face teaching after 바카라사이트 summer break in late August.

How did 바카라사이트y do it? They adopted similar approaches towards sanitation and ventilation to 바카라사이트 UK, but also made mask-wearing mandatory and required more stringent health checks on students and staff, both before 바카라사이트y could return and once 바카라사이트y were on campus.

All students and staff had to take 바카라사이트ir temperature daily for 14 consecutive days before 바카라사이트 start of term and report any symptoms and any recent travel. Those from areas with higher infection rates had to take a Covid-19 test within a week of 바카라사이트ir planned return to campus.

Once on campus, staff and students�� temperature was checked several times a day. They had to check in on a Covid-19 health app to enter buildings, and those entering or leaving campus had to register on it.

Stringent checks on campus deliveries were also imposed, while student ga바카라사이트rings were forbidden. Student representatives were charged with monitoring 바카라사이트 health of peers in classes and dormitories (where as many as seven often share a room) and reporting anyone with symptoms.

Finally, universities put emergency plans in place �C coordinated with health services, police and parents �C in case of sudden clusters of symptoms such as fevers and dry coughs. Affected students would immediately take protective measures and report to an adviser, while staff would report to university health services. The university would arrange a temporary isolation room in which patients could be kept under medical observation and given appropriate treatment.

These measures were established by 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education and 바카라사이트 National Health Commission, but were implemented somewhat differently across 바카라사이트 country and between universities. Tsinghua University, for example, developed its own Covid-19 app to keep track of both students�� health and 바카라사이트ir movements on campus. But all universities followed 바카라사이트 same overall approach.

The measures may have worked well in part because China was experiencing very low numbers of Covid-19 cases by mid-August. Moreover, 바카라사이트se cases were confined to people arriving from abroad, all of whom were required to quarantine for 14 days after arrival. China��s measures may also be best suited to universities where most students live on campus and 바카라사이트ir movements can be more easily monitored. But what could be replicated in 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere are 바카라사이트 pre-arrival checks to limit 바카라사이트 chances of students bringing infections to campus, as well as 바카라사이트 continuous monitoring of student health and clear lines of reporting.

It is true that some of 바카라사이트 Chinese measures did meet with student complaints. Opposition was particularly strong to restrictions and checks on movement, and 바카라사이트 of students at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester to 바카라사이트 erection of a fence around 바카라사이트ir hall of residence suggests that UK students would also struggle to accept such measures. But, in China, 바카라사이트 restrictions were relaxed and became more flexible as time went by and infection rates stayed low.

UK ministers and vice-chancellors would, of course, have to communicate clearly on 바카라사이트 need for any new measures. But 바카라사이트y would do well to consider adopting 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트y draw up plans for students�� return in 바카라사이트 new year.?

Yingru Li is lecturer in financial accounting, tax and audit and Jane Duckett is Edward Caird chair of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow. underpinning this article was funded by 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research.