Students masking in a biology class last fall in Morse Auditorium. Masks are “strongly recommended” for use in classrooms and other crowded indoor spaces this winter, due to rising COVID and flu infections.

University News

Masking “Strongly Recommended” in Crowded Indoor Spaces as COVID, Flu, Other Viruses Surge

BU’s chief health officer has advice for the start of the new semester

COVID-19, the flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses like the common cold are peaking after the holidays, so do yourself and everyone else a favor by masking in crowded spaces and keeping yourself healthy.

Masks are now “strongly recommended” in crowded indoor spaces on campus, such as classrooms, common areas, and on the BU shuttle, says Judy Platt, chief health officer and director of Student Health Services. Masking is also recommended inside your home if you or others are not feeling well. Wearing one is the best way to keep from getting sick—or spreading an illness to others. Students, faculty, and staff are required to mask in all healthcare spaces on campus.

“Please just wear your masks, so you’re not miserable,” says Platt, who sent a memo to the University community on January 12 updating campus health protocols at the start of the semester. “We are seeing so much illness.”

And it’s by no means just COVID.

“It is the common cold, the usual winter viruses, the upper respiratory illnesses that are literally plaguing Student Health Services, and every urgent care and emergency department around the country,” she says. “You witness that when you try to go to an urgent care, and there are no appointments today, right? Or you go to the emergency department and people are lining the hallways, because, again, there are too many people coming in, and the system is just being backed up. I won’t say overwhelmed, but it’s being backed up.”

So, wear a mask when you’re around others indoors. Stay home when you’re not feeling well. Keep to date on your immunizations. Avoid contact with people who are sick and wash your hands frequently. And did we say wear a mask?

While many people have relaxed their precautions—because they’re vaccinated and boosted, or have already had the disease, or are just fatigued with it all—COVID still kills hundreds of Americans every day and sends many more to the hospital. 

Through the fall, Platt says, BU was conducting approximately 200 to 300 PCR tests a week for people who had symptoms of or were known to have been exposed to COVID. Positivity rates typically ran in the low teens. In the first week after intersession, with campus relatively deserted, only about 70 tests were performed—but the positivity rate jumped to 20 percent. The increase has been mirrored by wastewater data in Massachusetts in recent weeks. Obviously, the spread is related in part to the rituals of travel and socializing that come with the holidays, Platt says, which also explains a jump in infections after Thanksgiving.

But even as vaccines and treatments lessen the threat of severe illness from COVID, the common cold and other relatively mundane respiratory illnesses seem to be affecting people differently after the pandemic. 

“The common cold viruses used to be like, you got pretty sick for three or four days, but by the fifth or sixth day you were kind of on the mend. Now people are really down and out for at least 7 to 10 days and not feeling well, and it’s just a miserable start to the academic year,” Platt says.

Why this is happening is not entirely clear, Platt says, and scientists are still studying how isolation, other COVID protocols, and actually getting infected with COVID has affected our individual and collective immune systems. But everyone needs to do what they can to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy at this time of year, including getting enough rest, eating nutritious foods, engaging in regular physical activity, and sleeping seven to eight hours nightly. Look for ways to stay well throughout the semester by checking out resources on employee wellness and student wellness. 

“Your health, your well-being, are important, and we should prioritize that from an individual perspective,” Platt says. “When I’m not feeling well, I should take the time to rest, because it’s the best thing for me, and then, collectively, it’s the best thing for my community.”

There is some good news to report, as well. Last year’s concerning new virus, mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), was met aggressively by public health officials and an alert public, and its threat has diminished considerably, to the point where it has little or no presence on campus, Platt says.

Platt’s memo contains updates on a variety of other campus protocols for COVID and other respiratory illnesses:

• You’re encouraged to test upon returning to campus if you are experiencing any symptoms and/or have recently been exposed. Depending on your travel over intersession, you may be required to test prior to traveling to the United States. Please review the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements that went into effect on January 5 here.

• Boston University’s free PCR testing for those with symptoms or exposures resumed on January 3 at the Health Services Annex in the rear of 925 Commonwealth Ave., and is open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, students can visit the Student Health Services COVID-19 website and faculty/staff can visit the Occupational Health Center COVID-19 website. 

• For those using home tests for COVID, newer variants of the disease have led the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to advise repeat testing to avoid false negatives. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, test again 48 hours after the first negative test, for a total of at least two tests. If you do not have COVID-19 symptoms, but you have been exposed to COVID-19, test again 48 hours after the first negative test, then 48 hours after the second negative test, for a total of at least three tests.

• Student Health Services will be offering flu shots Monday, January 23, through Friday, January 27, from 9 am to 3 pm. Students seeking an appointment can schedule online via Patient Connect.

• Occupational Health Center is now offering additional flu shots for faculty and staff by appointment only. Call the Occupational Health Center at 617-353-6630 to schedule.