Dining areas will offer few menu options and limited seating as students return next month to college campuses across Oklahoma, higher education officials say.
The COVID-19 pandemic will make lunchtime less of a social occasion this fall semester as campuses try to keep students fed but also try to keep them from congregating.
At the University of Oklahoma, for example, students will get in and out of dining areas by following designated pathways, carefully mapped out to prevent customers from passing each other.
A limited number of tables and chairs will be available. And self-serve lines will disappear, with grab-and-go options taking their place, OU officials said.
“While we recognize that students will remove their masks to eat,” OU spokeswoman Kesha Keith said, “they will be required to keep their mask on at all other times in university facilities and anytime they cannot maintain physical distance from others.”
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Mandatory mask rules will apply on most campuses statewide, including the University of Tulsa, where seating capacity will be cut 70% in all dining areas.
That will likely give most students no option but to take meals to-go, and the Student Union will add several grab-and-go options to make it more convenient to eat somewhere else, TU officials said.
The student union will also introduce “contactless mobile ordering” by app to encourage students to get in and out of the dining areas quickly.
Emphasizing that “health and safety are the priority,” TU’s Student Association president recently issued a video statement encouraging her fellow students to cooperate with the new way of eating on campus.
“The university is a tight-knit community,” Faith Nichols said. “As always, we’re in this together.”
Similarly, Oral Roberts University will create a new “Simply To Go” carry-out option to help students avoid a long wait in the main cafeteria, where seating capacity will shrink from 700 chairs to only 300.
Students will have to enter on one side of the cafeteria and exit on the other to avoid crossing paths, ORU officials said. And they will be allowed to remove their masks only while seated and eating, officials said.
Cafeteria staff will undergo daily wellness checks. And in addition to wearing masks, cafeteria employees will work behind Plexiglas barriers while students use new “touchless transaction scanners” to make payments.
The changes will seem “really weird,” Augustine Mendoza, a director of spiritual life and chaplain programs, acknowledged in a recent statement to students.
But these “unprecedented times” require flexibility, Mendoza said.
“And you know what?” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re all going to eat.”
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Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum speaks on the city's COVID-19 situation during a July 23 press conference.
COVID-19 basics everyone needs to know
COVID-19 basics everyone needs to know as the pandemic continues
How it spreads, who's at risk
Studies have shown many infected people show no symptoms or have symptoms so mild they may go undetected; those people can still transmit COVID-19 to About 20% of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 require hospitalization.
The disease can be fatal, especially for vulnerable populations: those older than 65, living in a nursing home or long-term care facility, and anyone with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease or obesity.
Science of virus spread
COVID-19 is spread mainly from person to person via respiratory droplets produced by an infected person. Spread is most likely when people are in close contact, within about 6 feet. A person might also be infected with COVID-19 after touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their face. According to the CDC, evidence suggests the novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces, though that form of transmission is said to be minor.
Transmission between people more than 6 feet from one another may occur in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces, the CDC says, especially where activities cause heavier breathing, such as singing or exercising.
The infectious period for patients can begin up to 48 hours before symptom onset.
List of symptoms
The CDC recently expanded its list of possible symptoms of COVID-19. The symptoms can appear from two days to two weeks after exposure.
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms and will continue to be updated by the CDC. One symptom not included is "purple toes," which someone may experience with no other symptoms, sometimes several weeks after the acute phase of an infection is over. The coloration and pain is caused by a lack of blood flow to the toes caused by excessive blood clotting, a late-stage concern with COVID-19 infections.
Kinds of testing
Those getting tested may experience different kinds of swabs. The viral test, known as PCR, involves a deep nasal swab that can be painful.
Other tests that require less-invasive swabs may produce results faster, but with less accuracy. These should not be used diagnostically.
It is not yet known whether COVID-19 antibodies can protect someone being infected again or how long protection might last.
The 'serious seven'
The "serious seven" refer to close contact environments where residents should take extra precautions if they choose to attend. The seven are gyms, weddings, house gatherings, bars, funerals, faith-based activities and other small events, according to Tulsa Health Department Director Bruce Dart.
Treatments being investigated
The FDA has allowed for antiviral drug remdesivir, previously tested on humans with Ebola, to treat more severe cases of COVID-19 in adults and children. Safety and effectiveness aside, preliminary studies have shown it can shorten recovery time for some patients.
After previously approving an emergency use authorization, the FDA as of July 1 cautions against use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial. A review of safety issues includes reports of serious heart rhythm problems and other safety issues, including blood and lymph system disorders, kidney injuries, and liver problems and failure.
Convalescent serum therapy
Some patients are receiving convalescent serum, meaning the antibodies made by people who have recovered after a COVID-19 infection. Antibody-rich blood plasma is being given to severely or critically ill COVID-19 patients, including Ascension St. John, Saint Francis Health System, OSU Center for Health Sciences and Hillcrest HealthCare System in Tulsa.
From June to July, requests for convalescent plasma from the Oklahoma Blood Institute multiplied seven-fold.
Recovery, as defined by CDC
To be considered recovered (without a test), these three things must happen, the CDC advises:
- No fever for at least 72 hours (three full days of normal temperature without the use of medicine)
- Other symptoms improved (no more cough, etc.)
- At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared
