UC San Diego tells students who traveled over Thanksgiving to get tested for COVID-19
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SAN DIEGO –
UC San Diego posted a message to its nearly 43,000 students Thursday, telling them to get tested for COVID-19 “ASAP” if they travel over Thanksgiving break, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not.
“While cases have not increased significantly in San Diego County or on our campus, they are expected to trend higher due to travel during the fall vacation,” the statement said.
The statement reflects concern about the newly discovered variant of Omicron, which scientists say could be more contagious than the Delta strain and potentially more harmful.
UCSD scientists have joined a global effort to determine whether current vaccines and existing and experimental drugs are effective against Omicron.
The new variant was first reported in South Africa on November 24th. The first case in the US was reported in San Francisco on Wednesday. The case concerns a man who recently traveled to South Africa. He was vaccinated against COVID-19 but still had to get the booster vaccination.
Thursday’s message means a clear change of tone for UCSD, the largest university south of Los Angeles.
In November 2020, the school begged students not to travel over Thanksgiving or get tested before leaving campus. This year, the school did not request either of the two measures before the holidays. Instead, officials said they would test the students when they returned. They didn’t mean to tell the students to do it ASAP.
Dr. Davey Smith, Director of Infectious Diseases at UCSD, said, “There’s a chance we’ll find (Omicron in the new tests), but I’ll bet we’ll find it in the community first.”
In a related development, Cal State San Marcos announced Thursday that it is preparing to send a message to students saying, “During the holiday season, when so many are traveling and preparing to go indoors with extended family and meet friends, please be proactive in monitoring your symptoms and taking routine tests. “
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