Does your college freshman have a COVID Go-Bag? Does your freshman know who to contact if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms? Do you know what happens if your freshman is quarantined or isolated?

These questions may seem overwhelming. There are so many unknowns attached to your freshman attending college during a pandemic. When you add additional factors to the “regular” unknowns of life during a pandemic, you might feel stressed and anxious. Are you ready to help your freshman through being isolated or quarantined?

This post below outlines these helpful details…

• Definitions for both “isolation” and “quarantine”

• Descriptions of what happens in both situations

• Tips to help you prepare before isolation/quarantine occurs

• Tips to help if isolation/quarantine occurs

Isolation vs. quarantine

What is the difference between your freshman being isolated and them being quarantined? The University of North Alabama describes the distinction in their Quarantine and Isolation Planning Guide:

• “Isolation is the separation of someone who is ill with or has tested positive for COVID-19 from people who are not sick.”

• “Quarantine is the separation of someone exposed to a COVID-positive individual from those who are not sick or exposed”

A college student who is isolating does so for a minimum of 10 days. This period is the typical duration of the infection period. A student being isolated will likely be removed from their current dorm room to another location (often another dorm on campus) to protect other resident hall students.

A college student who is quarantining to prevent possible spread of the virus. This quarantining can last 14 days and/or until they receive a negative COVID-19 test. Different colleges are handling this procedure differently. Some students are removed from their dorm to quarantine, while others stay in their dorm room with their roommate until the 14-day period is complete and/or a negative COVID-19 test is received.

Be sure to check the health policies and procedures of the college your college freshman attends to identify specific protocols.

How to Prepare Before Isolation/Quarantine

Thinking ahead is always a good mottos operandi when it comes to emergencies. There are things a parent can do to help make this process less stressful for an already stressed out college freshman. Here are a few tips:

• Set up regular communication. Arguably one of the more difficult parts of being isolated or quarantined is dealing with loneliness. Setting up regular and frequent phone and video calls can help make this experience less anxiety-filled for your freshman. Some articles even suggest copying down important phone numbers (e.g. your number, your primary physician’s number, etc.) to help with the little questions your freshman may have.

• Prepare a COVID go-bag. This bag should be prepped and ready-to-go in case of a quick change of location. These items should be set aside in a duffle bag, so your freshman can take it or a friend can drop it off without having to dig through personal items. There are other posts that provide extensive lists of helpful items, but here are some of the important highlights:

  • Photocopies of both sides of your health insurance card

  • A list of allergies and health conditions

  • An extra phone charger

  • An extra laptop/tablet charger

  • Extra toiletry items

  • Comfort items (i.e. ear plugs, blanket, etc.)

  • Easy-to-fix food (in case your freshman wants comfort foods)

How to Help During Isolation/Quarantine

If the worse were to happen and your freshman were to be isolated or contract COVID-19, there are a few simple things you can do to make this process less overwhelming:

• Be available to talk but sensitive to their need to rest. This is a delicate balance. While you may want to regularly check-in, your freshman may experience extreme fatigue and weakness (making them too tired to answer phone calls). Consider sending a text to encourage your freshman or sharing something through social media messaging to lift their spirits instead of calling multiple times a day. If also possible, be available to talk throughout the day to help with loneliness.

• Protect their privacy on social media. Your freshman may not want others to know they’ve contracted COVID-19 or that they’re being quarantined as a result of exposure. Refraining from sharing this information outside your immediate family is probably best. Allowing your freshman to control how much or how little they share about their illness and symptoms is also best.

• Encourage your freshman to rest. Many schools are still trying to keep students up-to-date in classes, having them join virtually even while isolated or quarantined. On top of this, many of your freshman’s friends may be checking in. Balancing school and communication with mostly well-meaning friends may be too much to handle considering your freshman is physically exhausted. Encourage your freshman to set boundaries and temporarily ignore extra phone calls and messages that add to the stress. Getting extra sleep is more important than replying to calls and messages that are not critical.

With high case numbers especially in college towns, it is not inconceivable that your freshman may need to isolate or quarantine sometime during the semester. Preparing yourself to know how to help can help make this scary and lonely experience less scary and lonely. 

Please share other helpful ideas that help college freshmen in the comments!