College students should take a COVID-19 test before heading home for Thanksgiving, the chancellor of the Texas A&M University System said.
John Sharp, chancellor of the 11-school system, is encouraging its 153,000 students to take a COVID-19 test on campus before returning home to ensure that students' families and communities feel safe and to avoid any unnecessary exposure to the virus.
“The greatest gift a student can give his or her family — including parents and grandparents — during this holiday season is the gift of a negative COVID test,” Sharp said in a statement released Tuesday. “Let’s do all we can to stop this pandemic and get back to life as we knew it. Thanks to everyone who chooses to take a test before heading home.”
The university system and the Texas Division of Emergency Management will increase the number of testing sites on A&M campuses in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Texas A&M University and Prairie View A&M University already have free testing kiosks available to students, faculty and staff. The Texas Division of Emergency Management, which has been helping state and local governments respond to the pandemic, will help the other campuses receive testing vans and tents leading up to the holiday, according to a press release.
But getting tested before going home for the holidays is not an excuse to ignore public health protocol, said Shawn Gibbs, the dean of Texas A&M’s School of Public Health.
“Just because of the nature of this virus and the nature of how it’s transmitted, it’s entirely possible that you could get it when you’re traveling, or that you’ve recently been exposed and the virus levels aren’t high enough in your body yet to be picked up by the testing,” Gibbs said.
He added that students are also being encouraged to self-quarantine when they get home and to continue monitoring themselves for symptoms.
“The safest way to spend Thanksgiving is with the people that you’re already always around,” he said.
Those having holiday gatherings should set firm ground rules and expectations for all, such as having a plan for physical distancing, seating arrangements and serving meals. In states with moderate climates, like Texas, families should consider holding gatherings outdoors if they must have them, he said.
“Now’s not the time to hug Grandma,” Gibbs said. “Now’s not the time to give Grandma a kiss on the cheek. You want to make sure you protect those in your family who are the most vulnerable, and the best way to protect them is by making sure your behavior is in line with what we know are good public health practices associated with this virus.”
Students should also get tested before returning to campus for the spring semester, Gibbs added. That semester will be shorter than normal and will not have a spring break in order to minimize the possibility that students travel around during the semester.
“Remember that the negative test is just for that point in time,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons we’re trying to make the test as widely available as we can, and we’re distributing them and making them available for free.”
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