|
 Jain, who works in a government office, had her hopes dashed when
she saw U.S. COVID-19 cases rise by an average of more than 168,000
per day last week. Antonio canceled his flight on Friday, hours
before it was scheduled to depart, heeding public health warnings
that a nationwide dispersal of college students heading home for the
holidays could fuel a deadly wave of infections.
"It’s like a piece of your heart is 1,500 miles away and there’s
nothing you can do about it," said Jain, 44, whose Thanksgiving plan
without Antonio involves wearing pajamas, cooking for herself and
spending time with her pets by the fire. "You find solace in knowing
you’re doing the right thing."
As COVID-19 infections skyrocket, families with college students
have been forced to evaluate the risk of reuniting for Thanksgiving,
when extended American families traditionally gather around the
table to eat turkey dinners and show gratitude. Some have opted to
roll the dice and celebrate together on Thursday, while some have
canceled travel or tried to follow disease prevention protocols at
home.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control warn that if college students
go home for Thanksgiving, they should be considered guests and
families should wear masks, stay six feet apart and open windows to
mitigate the infection risk.
Cynthia Wimer, 54, who lives with her husband and elderly parents in
Washington, D.C., did not want to take chances when her daughter
Francesca, a sophomore at Northwestern University, came home for the
holidays.
So Francesca flew home wearing an N95 mask and a face shield and
checked into a hotel for 14 days, where her parents delivered her
meals. She tested negative on the 7th day but finished her
quarantine period to be sure she would not infect her family.
"She was returning to a vulnerable set of people," Wimer said. "We
didn’t trust that a test was enough."
For some students, last-minute COVID-19 testing before leaving
campus derailed their travel.
Luke Burke, a junior at Syracuse University, was planning to spend
Thanksgiving with his family in New Jersey until his roommate tested
positive last week. Although Burke's test came back negative, he is
isolating in a hotel for two weeks to be safe.
"I'm sorry I can't be there with my parents, but it's the right
thing to do," Burke said, speaking to Reuters by phone from his
hotel room.
'WEIRD AWAKENING'
College students that have gone home for Thanksgiving are adjusting
to a more restricted lifestyle compared to the environment on campus
where they interacted more freely, albeit wearing masks, several
told Reuters.
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Katie Sartori came home to Maplewood, New Jersey, after her first
semester at the University of Rhode Island to find the atmosphere
much more cautious than in the summer, when she felt comfortable
socializing with friends because the infection rate was lower.
At school, Sartori was tested weekly, attended in-person classes and
ate in dining halls. At home, she plans to limit social interactions
to protect her family.
"It was kind of a weird awakening," said Sartori, whose family is planning a
small Thanksgiving instead of inviting friends.
Efforts by college students to limit their interactions with friends at home
could save lives this winter, said Aaron Milstone, an epidemiologist at Johns
Hopkins University.
"Traveling is one risk. But there are many risks that go along with that like,
who's going to want to see that person when they come home?" he said. "All that
mixing is what exacerbates this."
Still, the heightened restrictions at home have caused some friction in
families.
When Craig Shannon and Shelly Hesslau's daughter Ingrid, a college freshman,
came home to Missoula, Montana, she balked at some of her parents' precautions
that she thought were too restrictive, Hesslau said. Ingrid had already
quarantined and tested negative before flying home
"She might think she's superwoman at this point, and we're all, like, triple
masking up," Hesslau said.
The family plans to eat Thanksgiving dinner around the same table, although
they're considering opening windows, keeping masks on between bites and cooking
in shifts to not crowd the kitchen.
"Even if everybody agreed on the risks involved, it's awkward," Craig Shannon
said.
(Reporting by Gabriella Borter; additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg;
Editing by Aurora Ellis)
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