You’ve pulled that number out of the air. 1800 infected students would not translate into zero infected non-students. I’m not the only one concerned about the “magical thinking” going on in some institutions of higher learning right now.
While this is great news, I was troubled to see that the administration had shifted almost all funding from CV treatment research to vaccine development. Both are needed.
This is a type of eternal question on this site. Long before anyone had even heard of Covid-19. There is something of a name that tune/degrees of Kevin Bacon process involved to determine how long any given topic here will take to devolve into back and forth (often with the same cast of characters) on that very question. And as you rightly point out, the answer is “it depends.” Not an acceptable answer for a large number of people on this site.
Is Fauci’s statement any different than what he’s always said about a vaccine? Sounds the same to me. Plus, is that vaccine going to go to college kids? I’ve read quite a few sources over the last couple of months that say, even though vaccines are already in production, we will not have enough for everyone and how to prioritize who gets them will be a big issue. I’m guessing college-aged kids not likely to fall into the category of people who need a vaccine the most. Younger kids might even get the nod before the 18-22 year old set so we can get those kids back in school in person.
My mother has been quoting the correct version almost every day since March 
And almost every day it proves its wisdom.
In truth, the “modern college model” you’re referring to caters to a small percentage of American college students. Most attend state schools, spend little or no time in student housing, work part-time (or more) just to get by, and take longer than 4 years to graduate.
The 4 year long sleep away camp experience is actually an outlier.
My D20 is attending Tufts. They are bringing all students back to campus. They are not finishing at Thanksgiving; will go with their normal schedule which ends in December. Asking students not to travel over the Thanksgiving break.
I bet many if not most of those who decide $50K for online isn’t “worth it” will still stay at their expensive schools, now online. Because of the continued prestige of the diploma, and to keep their kids with a campus and friends they’re already attached to.
You can see Tufts’ 63 page document here (not sure if posting this link will work, I’m a new poster but long time reader of this thread–since it took a long time to read all of this thread 
)
https://coronavirus.tufts.edu/sites/default/files/2020-06/Fall_2020_Campus_Guide_ASE_Students.pdf
Asking students not to travel during Thanksgiving break seems like a mistake, and will be difficult to enforce. I know that Caltech does this, but that is a very different campus.
And has a very different kind of student.
It’s my understanding that UIUC will be testing faculty and staff beginning in July. They will initially be tested twice–3 or 4 days apart. Students will be tested when they arrive on campus. There will be 20 testing stations scattered around the campus for convenience. They will then do random testing coordinated through their app. The test is a saliva test and I believe that it is UIUC’s own test.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA8jQ2laR80&feature=youtu.be&t=3358
Yes, I meant that by campus. I believe that each house hosts its own Thanksgiving dinner, and classes may be in session on the day after Thanksgiving. Less certain of that, but the pressure to remain is significant.
I would tend to agree that enforcing it will be problematic. And given that it’s a recommendation rather than a requirement, even more so. They may change it to be more of a strict requirement.
We haven’t combed through the long document yet–just wanted to alert this thread to a couple of the important points.
I believe Caltech has two-day Thanksgiving break and no classes. Along with UChicago, they’re the only two schools that I know of with a short Thanksgiving break. With a short break, some (perhaps a significant number of) non-local students choose not to go home. As a result, the college will provide food during the break. Unlike most other schools, Caltech’s dorms never close during breaks (other than for the summer).
Lots of people who go to Tufts are from the Boston area. Are these kids required to stay on campus during Thanksgiving and not spend the day with their families? That isn’t really traveling and not any different than what profs and other staff will do. If they are allowed to go spend the day with their families - how far do you have to go before it is considered “traveling”? Western MA? Other NE states?
It’s not the travel that’s at issue. It’s the contact between the student and the family, and between the student and high school friends. Transmission is much more likely in the household than on a train or an airplane, and it’s much more likely at parties (e.g. with high school friends) than it is in travel.
Perhaps many of the Tufts families would prefer that their student not come home for Thanksgiving, especially if at-risk family members will be in attendance.
I think this is fair. Barring alot of improvement on the testing and therapeutic front, there is no way we are having our elderly parents/in laws over with all the college and elementary school grandkids. Its too cold here by Thanksgiving for outdoor eating.
Correction to post #8296. MIT also has a short two-day Thanksgiving break.