Source: Richmond Times Dispatch
Campus is open and my home institution already has 25 COVID-19 cases reported by the local newspaper ( available here).
In my opinion, the major barrier to COVID-19 infection prevention on campus is behavior change. A seeming lack of concern for COVID-19 infection risk by university students is predicted by a mechanism known as 'passive adaptation to danger', as neatly explored in this recent Annals of Internal Medicine article.
For young adults, COVID-19 infections are best seen as a 'remote misses'- where traumatic events are seen or heard with minimal aftermath, resulting in no physical or emotional harm. This is in contrast to those who take a 'direct hit' or have a 'near miss' yet are deeply impressed by the danger and consequences.
Unless young adults are infected and hospitalized with greater frequency, which I hope is not the case, or the incidence of community infection is so widespread that these are perceived as near misses, only aggressive infection prevention messaging and disciplinary action (suspension for parties and non-compliance with safety measures) will significantly reduce high risk behavior on campus.
