The COVID pandemic has complicated college application season, as families try to guess where their students will be safe in 2021. And unless they choose a campus their students can easily commute to, they also need to decide if their students will be living on or off-campus.
Making dorms safer during the pandemic|Making dorms safer during the pandemic
COVID checklist for college dorms
In the before times, parents could count on receiving a lengthy checklist of items their students would need when they move into their dorm: extra-long twin bedding, lamps for bedside and desks, laundry baskets, and storage solutions will still be prominent on those lists for 2021. But the requirements for supplies during COVID will likely be expanded.
Cleaning supplies
Hand soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes and cleaners for bathroom surfaces will all take on added importance.
First Aid Kit
Your student’s first aid kit should have these additional items during COVID: a thermometer (preferably one with disposable probe covers, or one of those fancy infrared models), a pulse oximeter, OTC medications (for cold, fever and flu) and supplements to boost their immune system (i.e., vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc).
Cloth and disposable masks
Masks have proven to be the most cost-effective measure to prevent COVID transmission, and it’s likely that they will continue to be required on campuses and in classrooms next year. Cloth masks should be washed after wearing, so it’s a good idea to have enough to last your student between laundry days. It may also make sense to have a supply of disposable paper masks in case they run out before they do the laundry. Send along a few bandanas and hair ties, so they can make this quick no-sew mask on the fly.
Fans and air purifiers
An electric fan may already be on your student’s dorm checklist. You may wish to invest in an air purifier with a HEPA filter to clean out the air in the room. Both of these — along with keeping windows open as much as possible — will ensure good air circulation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) points to increased ventilation with outdoor air and air filtration devices as ways to potentially reduce the chances of airborne transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
