He's Home!
So he made it. When we sent Kyle back to the University of Vermont in August, we had no idea what was in store for him. Would cases spike out of control? Would he be back home after just a few weeks because they had to shut down again like in the spring? Would classes and campus life with coronavirus restrictions be worth it?
The whole thing felt very much like a crap shoot which could easily go one way or the other since no one really knew what to expect. We decided to trust based on the strength of UVM’s testing plan. We were required to quarantine for two weeks (at home for those who could do so or on campus for those who needed it). He took a pre-arrival at home test they provided 5 days before returning. He was tested the day he got there as well as weekly throughout the entire semester (testing was required for all on and off campus students.) Dining halls were mostly grab-and-go. No visitors were allowed in dorm rooms. Masks were required (even for trips down the hall to shower.)
He drove up on his own the end of August so that he had a way, if needed, to bring everything home again. This also allowed him to transport his extensive plant collection he had assembled over the summer.
Turns out that UVM’s extensive testing plan, combined with Vermont’s overall handling of the pandemic which kept local numbers low, enabled them to have a successful semester. Cases throughout the semester had stayed in the low single digits, usually around 1 or 2 cases each week. Until a recent uptick of 7 cases two weeks ago, then 26 cases, then 36 cases this past Monday which mirrored a spike in Vermont’s overall cases as well.
Of course, all this led to increased uncertainty as to reintegrating Kyle back into my bubble. He was able to test on Sunday before returning home on Tuesday, but of course a negative test at one point in time does not mean that he is COVID free. It just decreases the likelihood that he isn’t. It was interesting to talk with friends who were in the same boat but with different colleges (who knew the homeschool to college Facebook group I started with local friends when Jason was applying to Mary Washington would still come in handy after the kids had successfully made it to college?)
I’ve honestly gone through a heck of an emotional roller coaster ride this month between this and the election and the pandemic in general, culminating in a panic attack a week ago where I could not stop shaking as I was trying to go to bed. It’s been awhile since I had one and it is really obvious to me that it was a way for my body to release the built up anxiety/pressure I was feeling. I felt remarkably more grounded the next day and was able to find a way to be comfortable with the uncertainty around what to do.
Where I ultimately landed was that after talking with him, given the level of exposure that he had and given the relatively low numbers in Burlington combined with his negative test, having him come home without taking additional precautions once he got here felt reasonable (though I did open the windows for the first day he was home) Of course there is no way to know for sure if that was the right call but I feel better as each day goes by.
It is wonderful to have him back home, even if the emotional lead-up to his return has been messier than I would have preferred. The fact that UVM made it through the entire semester is commendable. Kyle’s experience was a positive one, despite the limitations (especially socially). He finishes up the semester remotely, with his last week of classes and finals week.
The start date for Spring semester has been pushed back to February 1st which will hopefully give Vermont time to get back on top of the holiday surge. I’ve been really impressed with how Governor Scott and Vermont’s Public Health Commissioner, Mark Levine, have been handling the pandemic which makes me feel optimistic about next semester.
In the meantime, I plan on enjoying having my kid home.
