The return of college students to campus has caused a 9 percent surge in COVID-19 infections in US college counties, according to a study released by the University of Georgia.
The research was conducted over a three week period while students returned to campus.
The study also noted that of 2,958 colleges tracked in the US, only 191 will continue to conduct classes fully online. The remainder will bring students back to campus in some form.
The researchers highlighted the importance of college and university administrators to coordinate with local community officials, since the findings show that virus transmission persisted despite school officials’ efforts.
The study is consistent with an earlier CDC report that found that coronavirus cases spiked among individuals aged 18 to 22 between August 2 and September 5, coinciding with when universities across the country started to reopen.
Over 178,000 college students across over 1,400 universities have become infected so far, according to a New York Times tally.