How to Safely Reopen Colleges and Universities During COVID-19: Experiences From Taiwan
How to Safely Reopen Colleges and Universities During COVID-19: Experiences From Taiwan
Reopening colleges and universities during the COVID-10 pandemic poses a special challenge worldwide. Taiwan is one of the few countries where schools are functioning normally. In an Annals of Internal Medicine study, Jason Wang looks at what they've done in Taiwan and whether those actions could be applied here.
The safe reopening of colleges and universities this fall may require a combination of strategies, such as:
- Active campus-based screening and access control;
- School-based TOCC screening and quarantine protocols;
- Student and faculty quarantine when warranted;
- Mobilization of administrative and health center staff;
- Regulation of dormitories and cafeterias;
- And reinforcement of personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, and indoor air ventilation practices.
These are some of the suggestions SHP's Jason Wang and colleagues report on this Annals of Internal Medicine study.
"These measures were successful in Taiwan likely because of low numbers of cases in the country as a whole. Whether these measures will be sufficient to prevent and contain viral spread on campus may depend on the incidence and prevalence of disease in a school's location."