{"id":111198,"date":"2020-03-19T12:50:50","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T11:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=111198"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:48","slug":"are-student-houses-corona-proof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/03\/19\/are-student-houses-corona-proof\/","title":{"rendered":"Are student houses corona-proof?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forget about house parties for the time being, and watching a movie with five people on a two-seater couch isn\u2019t recommended either. In the current crisis, students need to use common sense.<\/p>\n

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Rector Carel Stolker of Leiden University tweeted<\/a>\u00a0an urgent call to all students: for the time being, don\u2019t throw house parties and stay away from bars. While his message hasn\u2019t gone viral as such, it did touch a nerve. It was retweeted 275 times.<\/p>\n

Stolker\u2019s call touches on the fear that young people are nonchalant about the virus: they seem to be less at risk. The problem is that they can transmit the virus to others. What\u2019s more, young people turn out to be less invulnerable<\/a>\u00a0than often thought.<\/p>\n

Aware<\/h2>

The National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) hasn\u2019t issued any special corona recommendations for student houses, but students should remain aware of the impact of their activities. So call off any meetings you planned to hold in your house, birthday parties, etc.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey shouldn\u2019t stay in the common area with too many people at one time,\u201d says RIVM spokesperson Coen Berends. \u201cAnd no physical contact \u2013 insofar as this can be enforced. Everyone needs to pay a lot of attention to their own personal hygiene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe give the kitchen an extra clean? \u201cThat generally doesn\u2019t hurt in student houses,\u201d says Berends, \u201cbut what\u2019s more important is consistently washing your hands and not drinking from the same cup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bar<\/h2>

Use your head, in other words. For example, a previous recommendation issued by RIVM was to cancel any gatherings of over 100 people. \u201cBut of course, standing shoulder to shoulder with 50 people in a small bar is hardly a good idea either.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bars are all closed by now, but the country hasn\u2019t gone into lockdown yet. And the shops are still open too. \u201cWe\u2019re not saying that everyone should go into quarantine,\u201d says Berends.<\/p>\n

Still, everyone knows why students aren\u2019t allowed to walk around campus for the time being. At which point it shouldn\u2019t be hard to decide what is and isn\u2019t sensible behaviour.<\/p>\n

Parents<\/h2>

So is this period of \u2018social distancing\u2019 a good opportunity to pay an extended visit to your parents? That depends \u2013 on their health and age, and the situation in your student house. Hanging out with your boyfriend or girlfriend? Preferably not. But if you really feel the need, it\u2019s best that you stay at her or his place for the next few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t