For the first time since in-person classes started three weeks ago, a student has tested positive for COVID-19, Hillsdale College reported Wednesday. More than two dozen students are now in quarantine, in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading.
“To keep our campus safe and healthy, we strongly encourage our students to keep any social gathering small and outdoors,” Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said. “We hope students take great care to not have large in-door gatherings, considering the possibility of close contact, especially if there is food and beverage consumption where masks are off in those close quarters.”
Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said the college puts “hours and hours of time and effort” into contact tracing and that self-reporting by students will help prevent the spread of the virus.
After experiencing flu-like symptoms, a student tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday, Sept. 9. By the next day, the student said he was feeling better and exhibiting no symptoms. He attended a social event Thursday night, Sept. 10.
The student received his positive test result on Friday, however, and was instructed to give the deans a list of people with whom he had been in close contact.
Many students who weren’t on the student’s list called the deans themselves, expressing concern that they might have been in contact with COVID-19, and have gone into quarantine.
Péwé said this week has been a positive indication of student’s abilities to self-report.
“I think the students will continue to self report,” Péwé said in an email. “They understand the importance of protecting the vulnerable and the blessing of in-person classes and activities.”
Sophomore Cate Kelley was quarantined Sunday morning after consulting the deans about her possible exposure.
“I was informed that if I had any contact with the positive case, I should call the deans,” Kelley said. “When I called them, I described the contact, and they told me I should come to quarantine.”
Close contact is defined as “within 6 feet for over 15 minutes,” Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell explained.
According to Kelley, the deans encouraged all students who were in attendance at the Sept. 10 party to notify them — even if they weren’t exhibiting symptoms, or weren’t sure of their exposure level. Kelley fell into the latter category.
“My only exposure to the positive case was a hug that lasted maybe two seconds,” Kelley said. “I think putting me in quarantine might have been a little overboard, but it’s understandable since it’s the school’s first positive case and they’re being extra cautious.”
Once they had the list, deans called students to question their level of contact. Those with prolonged or physical contact were told to quarantine.
Petersen said many students were quarantined as a preemptive measure.
“We have about 29 students quarantined as a precautionary step, some are in their off-campus houses quarantining with their roommates, some are in the townhouses, and some are home,” Petersen said in an email. “Most all of these should be out of quarantine after the weekend, or early into next week.”
Quarantined students have the option of taking a COVID-19 test or an antibody test, but no matter the result, they must stay in quarantine for 14 days.
“The school isn’t testing us for 14 days because that’s the time span in which you can develop symptoms,” Kelley said. “So, the thought process is that if we don’t have symptoms by the end of the 14-day quarantine, then we won’t be positive for COVID-19.”
Petersen said that students like Kelley have been cooperative and helpful so far, but he stressed the importance of remaining diligent in reporting symptoms.
“We are encouraging our students to stick to the current plans and precautions, remaining diligent in using their Hillsdale GoApp, and contacting the health center with any concerns or symptoms,” Petersen said.
Health Care Liaison Stephanie Gravel is in charge of communicating with and coordinating logistics for students who need to be quarantined. With the higher volume of students in quarantine this week, Gravel said her responsibilities have increased, but that she believes the school is doing what it must to keep the virus contained.
“It’s a little bit of a learning curve,” Gravel said. “ But safety-wise, I think we’re doing what we need to do. It’s kind of like hands on learning, you’re thrown into the situation and then you just navigate and tackle everything head on and make adjustments where needed.”
Right now, there are seven students quarantined in the townhouses, and 22 students quarantined in their off-campus housing. One of the biggest challenges Gravel has seen is food delivery to students in quarantine, both on and off campus.
“We weren’t planning on delivering meals to off campus,” Gravel said. “So that was something we had to kind of figure out with patrol, but obviously if they don’t have someone that can bring them meals then the college has to do something about that. So we were able to make that happen.”
As the administration learns from and adapts to new challenges, Gravel said she hopes students will do the same.
“Hopefully the campus learns from the situation we just went through,” Gravel said. “It’s unavoidable, but this can be a huge learning tool for us, so something like this doesn’t happen again. Everyone just has to do their part, and has to be responsible and put others first.”
Since the school couldn’t trace the origin of the confirmed case, Petersen said caution is more important now than ever.
According to Director of Athletics Don Brubacher, competing student athletes are still being tested regularly.
“Men’s and women’s cross country test regularly per NCAA requirements,” Brubacher said in an email. “All other athletes at this time test according to campus guidelines.”
To comply with NCAA requirements, some athletes must test more frequently than non-athletes. Although no student athletes have tested positive, Brubacher said that athletes adhere to the same policies as the rest of campus.
“The same contact tracing guidelines used for the campus are used for student athletes,” Brubacher said. “Whether or not team members will be quarantined if there is a positive test will be determined by the type of team activity.”
Some schools in Michigan have seen a spike in coronavirus cases since classes resumed this fall. As of Wednesday, Michigan State University reported 203 cases among students, Adrian College reported 229 cases, and Grand Valley State University reported 438 cases.
Local health department data shows a total of 289 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Hillsdale County and a total of 26 confirmed deaths since March.
“We are continuing to encourage students to remain dutiful and do all these little things that can make a big difference for the health and safety of campus,” Petersen said.
