Students gather to party amid a global pandemic.
(Reddit u/hdjsjskska)
As videos of parties show up on social media, it seems evident that many Indiana University students are not worried about contracting COVID-19. And why should they? The virus doesn’t often kill young people, most college age students don’t experience severe symptoms and unlike other viral infections, health professionals have yet to determine long-term consequences of contracting the disease.
Dr. Dan Handel is IU Health South Central Region Chief Medical Officer. He said while students may not fear COVID-19, older Bloomington residents have the most to lose.
“People have parents. People have grandparents. They are still just as vulnerable as three months ago,” Handel said.
In Monroe County, people ages 20-29 make up 0% of the state’s total deaths despite accounting for 36.6% of positive cases. All 36 deaths in the county have happened to people over the age of 50. Students who contract COVID-19 may experience mild symptoms or none at all, but going out into the community puts other community members at risk.
Handel advised focusing more on social distancing; when people want to gather, they should do so in an environment that allows them to stay six feet apart. He also warned against the false sense of security that comes with a negative test result.
“All that’s saying is you’re negative at that moment. It does not mean anything a day from now, two days from now, two weeks from now,” Handel said.
With people traveling more to and from campus, more cases could occur within Monroe County. That could force university classes online, like at the University of Notre Dame or Michigan State. But for Bloomington’s older population, the additional presence of the virus could be put at greater risk for health consequences.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
