Effect of Returning University Students on COVID-19 Infections in England, 2020

Abstract

Each September in England, ≈1 million students relocate to study at universities. To determine COVID-19 cases and outbreaks among university students after their return to university during the COVID pandemic in September 2020, we identified students with COVID-19 (student case-patients) by reviewing contact tracing records identifying attendance at university and residence in student accommodations identified by matching case-patients' residential addresses with national property databases. We determined COVID-19 rates in towns/cities with and without a university campus. We identified 53,430 student case-patients during September 1-December 31, 2020, which accounted for 2.7% of all cases during this period. Student case-patients increased rapidly after the start of the term, driven initially by cases and outbreaks in student accommodations. Case rates among students 18-23 years of age doubled at the start of term in towns with universities. Our findings highlight the need for face-to-face and control measures to reduce virus transmission.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; England; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; students; universities; viruses; zoonoses.

Figure 1

Student COVID-19 case-patients, by specimen date and accommodation type, England, September 1–December 31, 2020.

Figure 2

COVID-19 student case-patients, by location and property type, England, September 1–December 31, 2020. A) Private residences; B) student accommodations, showing rates of student cases; C) other accommodation type; D) houses of multiple occupancy.

Figure 3

COVID-19 residential clusters involving >1 student, by specimen date of first case and accommodation type, England, September 1–December 31, 2020.

Figure 4

COVID-19 rates (cases/100,000 population) in selected university and nonuniversity towns, England, 2020.