COVID cases at Duke lead to new restrictions. Do experts think that’s the right move?

What happens when COVID-19 cases begin to rise among a highly vaccinated population?

That’s the challenge that Duke University is facing right now. Vaccines are required for students and employees, but a significant number of them are testing positive for the virus — leading the university to introduce additional restrictions, such as masking outdoors and limiting indoor dining.

It’s the right thing to do, but not everyone is happy about the decision. An online petition calling on the university to reverse the “unreasonable and illogical policy” has gathered more than 1,700 signatures. Many have questioned whether the measures are necessary, given that the majority of cases are asymptomatic and none have led to hospitalization thus far.

“I feel like the takeaway from this should be ‘your vaccinated college student is going to be fine even if there’s an outbreak at school,’ ” writer and Vox co-founder Matthew Yglesias wrote on Twitter.

But experts say these measures are appropriate, even among highly vaccinated populations.

“Fully vaccinated people still can get infected and still can transmit to others,” Dr. Zack Moore, North Carolina’s state epidemiologist, said. “So it is very important that they continue to take precautions, particularly masking when they’re indoors, but also if they’re going to be outdoors in places where they’re in crowds or in close proximity to others.”

College campuses don’t exist in a vacuum, and college students aren’t the only ones we should care about. Even if college students are unlikely to become seriously ill themselves, they can still pass the virus along to others — including those who may be at higher risk of severe infection. What about faculty and staff, many of whom may have at-risk family members or young children who can’t yet be vaccinated? What about the greater community? Step just outside the boundaries of Duke’s campus and you’ll find yourself in the city of Durham, where a majority of residents are not young, vaccinated college students.

“It may be fine for younger people who are vaccinated, they’re probably not going to get sick, but we are seeing for immunocompromised people who are vaccinated, or older adults who are vaccinated, that they can potentially get sick,” said Audrey Pettifor, professor of epidemiology at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. “In order to reduce transmission in our community, this is what we need to do.”

Recent CDC data has suggested that vaccinated people may be equally likely to transmit the virus, even if they’re asymptomatic, Pettifor said.

COVID cases across the state are surging. Children are getting sick. Hospitals are overwhelmed, resulting in mobile morgues and the postponement of elective procedures. And college students are still very much a part of their communities, frequenting the same grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants as the rest of us. The risk of them infecting someone else is not a risk worth taking.

“Our ICUs are full, and everything we can do to reduce transmission at this point, it’s really important that we maximize all of those opportunities,” Moore said.

College campuses across the country have struggled to find a way to balance safety with the college experience. That’s a tricky line to walk, and the constant back-and-forth of restrictions is likely frustrating for students and parents.

“Students just want the experience that they were promised on TV and in the movies. And after a year of playing ball … they are tired and ready to let loose,” Christopher R. Marsicano, assistant professor of the practice of higher education and founding director of the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College, said. “But we have to keep the course on our colleges and universities. We owe it to our communities to buy into these restrictions in the short term.”

No one wants another year of virtual learning. And as Duke has shown, there’s a point where it’s better to be safe than sorry. Until we get this virus under control, a reimagining of the “normal” college experience is required.

This story was originally published September 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM.