WASHINGTON — With DC having the most monkeypox cases per capita in the nation, adding more people in close quarters could increase case numbers. But that's what's happening this weekend, as students move into dorms for the upcoming school year.
At George Washington University, the freshman began moving in over the weekend. Parent Stephanie Brown was on campus to move her daughter into the dorms. She said she was pleased with the university's COVID vaccination requirement. Masks are also required in school buildings.
"I think pandemics are here to stay, and we’ll stay fully cautious and vaccinated and following guidelines and keep moving on," said Brown.
As students moved suitcases and boxes into old dorm buildings like District Hall in northwest Washington, crowding hallways and small rooms, they did voice concerns about monkeypox.
"COVID, you can't really see it you just feel it," said student Alejandra Ramirez, who has seen photos of monkeypox lesions. "Now monkeypox is very visible, so it was like this sort of looks very serious and scary."
Ramirez said COVID remained the focus of most university communications she'd seen as students tested for their return to school. But she said she was becoming more aware of the monkeypox risk.
"Sadly, I think it will get bigger and worse so to prevent that we should all start taking it serious now and be more proactive," she said.
There is no database of monkeypox cases at colleges nationwide, but cases have already been reported on campuses around the country, including one at GW.
Administrators notified students in June that a positive case had been identified and that the patient was isolated off campus.
"Especially being in a city, there are so many people that come in and out of buildings that aren’t even students its kind of nice to know we’re protecting each other," said student Lindsay Thompson.
The school sent out guidance to students, telling them to avoid close contact with skin, clothing, towels, or bedding of infected people; to wear N95s and full protective gear if they’re health sciences students working with monkeypox patients, and to be vaccinated by DC Health if they meet eligibility requirements.
The vaccine isn’t available to all yet, but students and parents say they’re taking it in stride.
The university also told students that while monkeypox is painful – severe complications are rare: Administrators wrote, "While MPX can be painful, severe complications from MPX infection are rare, and to date there have been no deaths related to MPX in the United States."