Students returned to campus at a turning point in the pandemic. Two weeks ago, President Biden took office and vowed to take centralized, science-based action to stop the spread. Since the end of last semester, over 20 million people across the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a stunning triumph of scientific innovation in the face of a deadly virus. Cases have been steadily declining — near 30% in the past two weeks. Hopes are high, and for good reason.
However, the discovery of new, more transmissible variants has muddled the path forward. And while cases are declining at the moment, they are still at extreme highs:On Friday, Jan. 29, the seven-day average in Massachusetts was 3,686 new cases per day. For some perspective, when classes began last fall on Sept. 8, the seven-day average was 305.
The question of whether the current decline is more than a transient lull will depend on human behavior in the coming weeks.Initial findings show that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are effective against the variants first discovered in Britain and South Africa, though possibly to a lesser extent.Vaccine rollout in Massachusetts is lagging, and with additional spread comes the risk of new variants — ones that could evade vaccine-induced immunity.
As the vaccine rollout progresses, it is imperative to prevent the spread of the variants discovered in Brazil and South Africa (it istoo late to contain the spread of the variant first found in Britain) and stop more variants from arising. Now marks a critical point in combatting the pandemic: We can either leverage the potential of the vaccine in conjunction with behavioral measures to keep the curve on a downward slope, or maintain a mediocre standard of caution and fuel the catastrophic spread.
Returning to campus and having to abide by all the same restrictions as last semester is frustrating. Fatigue is understandable — the pandemic has dictated our lives for 11 months now, taking away opportunities and making every aspect of college life more difficult.
But between the extraordinarily high case numbers and the new variants, there is no room for error. In November, when cases in surrounding communitiesrose, the success of our campus was proven vulnerable due to students’ not abiding by the limit on group gatherings. Now, with even higher cases in surrounding communities, we certainly cannot afford to let down our guard.
There are many steps students can and must take to limit the spread of the virus. Following Tufts’ guidelines is of the utmost importance. These measures are put in place to protect us and the surrounding community. Remember that a negative test is just a snapshot in time and is in no way indicative of safety from spread.
Additionally, non-essential trips into the community should be limited, especially to places where virus spread is most likely, such as restaurants with indoor seating. Just because such venues are open and operating in accordance with state law does not make visiting them ethical. Members of the community with whom we interact represent more at-risk populations who are not afforded the privilege of frequent testing. Support the local economy instead by ordering delivery, takeout and curbside pickup.
Another small step that we can take is to upgrade our masks. The disposable masks provided by Tufts may be worn under a cloth mask. Cloth masks with insertable filters are another good option. When a good mask is worn, it can protect the wearer; a single-layered or loose-fitting mask,not so much.
Now is a good time for students to ask themselves if their behaviors demonstrate respect for fellow members of the Tufts and surrounding communities. It is impossible to be perfect, but taking small steps as individuals to reduce risk is well worth the effort.
