The covid-19 pandemic is still in effect even though some in this country still think it is nothing to worry about. Others are still afraid that another wave or a new mutation could send the world back into another lonely lockdown.
Texas State University is home to over 38,000 students and over 5,000 staff members. When covid-19 first hit, the student population at Texas State had fallen by nearly ten percent.
During the lockdown, students and teachers of the university were forced to do their classes virtually through zoom for the safety of themselves and the world. Before the vaccine was released, in Fall 2020 some classes did still meet in person. Over 5200 classes were moved to online formats.
Sterry hall was the only dormitory publicly named, but the other dorms used for quarantine were unnamed for the privacy of the residents.
Bobcat trace was the method of tracing these cases. Students in a class were given assigned seats, so that if that student got covid then the university could tell everyone within close proximity of that student during class to get tested because they also might have caught covid.
This would extend to anyone in close proximity to those infected by the original student that have covid, and repeat with each new covid case discovered. Bobcat trace has since been discontinued since Hays county has had a low covid threat level since August 2022.
As of the fall 2022 semester, masking is no longer required anywhere at Texas State University including classrooms, hallways, bus shuttles, the rec center, and the campus as a whole. Masking is not required , but it is still recommended when the covid community threat level is high.
The guidelines also state that anyone without up to date vaccinations should continue to wear a mask and social distance.
Booster vaccines have been developed since the first vaccines came to the public in December 2020. The most recent one recommended by the CDC is called the bivalent booster which grants added protection from covid variants like omicronBA.2.
A timeline of some important covid events at Texas State ^^
No school or college in Texas requires that a student have the vaccine to go to school there. It stands to reason that there are some people at Texas State University that are in no way vaccinated, and could be at risk for covid-19. World health organization(WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “We are not there yet, but the end is in sight”, referring to the global pandemic.
he Texas State Health Center at the San Marcos campus and Round Rock campus have the covid-19 vaccine and boosters available by appointment.
Since Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted on campus students have finally been able to go to physical classes, and go to see the bobcats play football. The administration, staff, and students had banded together through two tough years, and finally got to the other side.
Student population has recovered to the previous number of 38,000 by early 2022. The means that Texas State university used to slow the spread of the virus were effective, and are ready to go again just in case. The students and faculty can feel safe when walking the halls of Texas State University.
