By Dina Usanovic
Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 numbers have risen at universities across the country. It’s extremely difficult to limit extracurricular activities on campuses when students and faculty desperately want to return to the status quo.
At Miami University, students receive fines for unapproved gatherings of more than 10 people. This; however, didn’t stop students who had tested positive for the coronavirus from throwing a party. It seems that students do not see the virus as a major threat and are ready to move on with their lives.
While this is all true, COVID-19 cases do not seem to be rising as drastically as anticipated with the return of students on campuses and in schools. Despite a few recent spikes, it seems that colleges are doing relatively well at handling the coronavirus. Could this be due to a lack of transparency?
Most universities have created a dashboard detailing positive cases, active cases, the amount of testing being done, and more. There is even a website that rates these dashboards on their effectiveness and transparency. However, Cleveland State University has not set one up. The most recent information revealed that the university has only had eighty-one positive cases since the beginning of the school year. While this number may seem small, it is important to note that the university has admitted to very limited testing, with the high-risk population being the main priority.
Another possible explanation for this relatively small number of cases is that Cleveland State has not told students to report positive cases. In fact, the University recently posted a tweet including information on “What to do if you test positive for COVID-19,” and it does not mention notifying any school official. Could this be “ignorance is bliss” on the university’s part, or “what you don’t know can’t hurt you,” for the students’ sake? Either way, the university has a responsibility to their students to inform them of any possible danger to their health. Clearly, Cleveland State is not acting on this responsibility.