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Students open to quarantine as second Covid-19 wave looms

Survey suggests international students are happy to travel, as study shows second wave dangers

More than three-quarters of prospective international students are prepared to take part in a quarantine programme on entering their chosen country of study if it means they can commence their course on campus sooner, a survey has found.

IDP Connect surveyed more than 4,300 students who hold offers to study at universities in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand. Some 77 per cent said they would be willing to be quarantined in order to commence their studies in person.

Overall, 74 per cent of respondents said they expect to commence their studies as planned, up from 69 per cent when the same question was asked in April.

The research also found that the proportion of students prepared to start their studies online and move to face-to-face teaching at a later stage has increased from 31 per cent to 40 per cent since the first survey.

Andrew Barkla, chief executive of IDP Education, which offers marketing and student recruitment services, said the students surveyed wanted “practical advice and help in arranging accommodation in quarantine, flights and logistics when they arrive”.

“While there has been a lot of government and industry discussion about policy concerns and quarantine measures, it is just as important that we consult and develop solutions in line with student expectations and their willingness to participate—and help them to get to their study destination,” he said.

Meanwhile, a survey of more than 1,000 students in UK higher education, carried out by the National Union of Students, has found that more than a third would not feel safe with face-to-face teaching in September 2020— including two-fifths of international students.

The survey found that 13 per cent of respondents would still not feel safe at all if face-to-face tuition were used from January next year, while just 22 per cent of those canvassed would feel “extremely safe to enter or return to accommodation in September”, compared with 43 per cent in January 2021.

Larissa Kennedy, president of the NUS, said that student safety “must be the priority for anyone making decisions on how campuses are planning to reopen in September”.

“The government must work with colleges and universities to provide clarity as to how they will keep students safe,” she said. “These results make it clear that many students will be nervous about their return to education and need reassurances that institutions will be acting in their best interests.”

The findings come as the Academy of Medical Sciences warns that the UK must begin preparing for a potential new Covid-19 wave this winter that could be more serious than the first.

According to Preparing for a Challenging Winter 2020-21, a report published on 14 July, “intense preparation” is now needed if the UK is to reduce the risk of the health service being overwhelmed and save lives this winter.

Among the measures proposed is a public health information campaign for all, as well as advice tailored to those deemed to be at high risk; a reorganisation of health and social care staff and facilities to ensure there is adequate protective equipment, and sufficient testing and infection-control measures in place; and the creation of a population-wide surveillance system to monitor and manage any new outbreak.

Research suggests that Covid-19 is more likely to spread in winter, with people spending more time indoors and the virus able to survive longer in colder, darker seasonal conditions. Modelling of a “reasonable worst-case scenario” by the AMS suggests there would be a peak in hospital admissions and deaths in January and February next year that could surpass the numbers seen in the first outbreak.

Stephen Holgate, the respiratory specialist from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust who chaired the report, said: “This is not a prediction, but it is a possibility. The modelling suggests that deaths could be higher with a new wave of Covid-19 this winter, but the risk of this happening could be reduced if we take action immediately.”

“With relatively low numbers of Covid-19 cases at the moment, this is a critical window of opportunity to help us prepare for the worst that winter can throw at us.”

An advisory group of 37 experts produced the report at the request of Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser.