As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, college students are preparing to return home for the long weekend or the rest of the semester for virtual instruction. How to safely manage that return home depends on family circumstances, said David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

What considerations should families have with a child returning home from college?
Families should do their own risk analysis and not necessarily look at what other families are doing. A college student returning to a family with young, relatively healthy parents and siblings is a different situation than one who resides with an 80-year-old grandparent with multiple health conditions. They should also consider the risk that the college student might be infected or incubating a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Look at what their college reported in regard to current infections and how many infections have been reported in the area where the college is located, especially if the student lives off-campus. Also, have a frank and honest discussion with your student about their recent activities and potential for exposure. To read the full story.