Students’ concerns about pandemic

UTRGV students voiced their concerns with The Rider regarding the campus’ response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This week’s Ask the Expert questions are from Keven Martinez, a criminal justice junior, and Nely Montelongo, a health senior.

Martinez is a student employee for  Leadership and Mentoring. He said his biggest concern is what happens if “[UTRGV] will not let me work anymore and then that’s gonna affect me with paying my bills and, like, food for me to eat.”

Asked what questions Montelongo has for UTRGV officials, the senior replied she plans on graduating this semester and wants to know what steps are being taken toward ensuring her class graduation.

 “I don’t know what’s gonna happen with, like, graduation and any of that, so, I hope it’s all fixed,” she said.

Both students told The Rider that they feel their peers are not taking the pandemic as seriously as they should be.

“Like, let’s say Spring Break: It is something really cool to go to [South Padre] Island, but right now, not everyone’s taking it as serious as they should,” Montelongo said. 

Asked what questions Martinez has for UTRGV officials, he replied, “If they do get someone with coronavirus at the Brownsville campus, what are they gonna do?”

Montelongo told The Rider her biggest concern is the switch to online classes. Not being able to come to class and use the resources that the school offers are of great concern to her given that not all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi at home.

Martinez also is concerned about the switch.

“They put classes online, which I’m not comfortable with,” he said. “I prefer in-class, like, in-person learning. So, that affected me as well. My concerns are that I’m not gonna get the [same] learning experience as it is in person.”

Martinez also wants to know how long the switch to online classes will last.

“So, after Spring Break, are they gonna continue to make the whole semester, like, online or are they gonna resume in classes,” he asked.

UTRGV Experts

Patrick Gonzales, associate vice president for Marketing & Communications, addressed some of the concerns and questions in an interview with The Rider Wednesday.

“Our biggest goal is just to make sure that those who are still left on campus are following social distancing measures recommended by the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],” Gonzales said. “The fact that we moved online, that removed almost 30,000 students off campus because, really, we’re at a point where you want to limit the gathering of large groups.”

The transition to online classes allows UTRGV’s custodial staff to clean campus facilities twice a day and deep clean “high traffic” areas such as the library, classrooms, bathrooms and the Student Union, he said. 

UTRGV has also canceled all events, including athletic events, in response to the CDC’s recommendation to avoid large groups of people.

In response to Martinez’s question on the duration of online classes, Gonzales replied, “We have no anticipation right now. We’re just going until further notice. Really, when we stop and resume face-to-face classes is gonna be determined on the progression of this pandemic.”

He told The Rider that students who work on campus are currently still employed and should speak to their supervisors regarding any reduction of hours or preference to work remotely.

In a situation where a UTRGV student contracts the virus on campus, Gonzales said,“It’s a case-by-case scenario about how we react after that. If it was contracted here locally, we could do something as drastic as shutting down the campus.”

He said that by moving classes online, UTRGV is in a position to continue its academic programs regardless of the shutdown of the physical campus.

Jeff Graham, a chief information technology officer, answered the students’ concerns in regard to online classes.

Asked what steps UTRGV is taking to ensure that students who do not have access to reliable Wi-Fi and other resources, Graham replied, “We are planning to have the labs open so that they can use the computers and the internet access on campus.”

Computer labs will remain open. However, in keeping with social distancing protocol, capacity for these labs will be reduced and students will only be allowed to use every other computer available, Graham said.

IT support will be available to students via service desk support with extended hours until midnight to help students with any technical issues. 

“The greatest challenge will be, from a technology standpoint, people having access to the resources,” Graham said. “That’ll be new for a lot of people.”

COLTT, the Center for Online Learning and Teaching Technology, is running a series of trainings this week to teach faculty how to use the tools they need to teach courses online.

Jose Campo Maldonado, a School of Medicine assistant professor in internal medicine, shared some of his knowledge of the COVID-19 virus with students. 

“I think that everyone needs to be informed of what are the expected ways to transmit this virus,” Campo Maldonado said. “We are more concerned about droplets which is, droplets that come out from your mouth when you cough or sneeze. And those usually travel very far. So, if you are within proximity of someone who is sick, if that person is not covering the cough or the sneeze, then you are more likely to get it.”

He said some common misconceptions about COVID-19 are not understanding the way the virus is transmitted.

“You really need to be close to the other person to get it,” Campo Maldonado said. “So,  just because you drop through or you were in the same building with someone who was sick, it doesn’t mean that you’re gonna get that illness. Usually, you need a close contact. So, I would say that’s a misconception of understanding that the risk is when you get close to someone who is sick.”

Another misconception, he said, is that people think that the virus can be contracted through their skin. 

“It doesn’t go through your skin,” Campo Maldonado said. “Another thing is that some people may think that using hot water is helpful. That’s not true because it can break down your skin and if your skin breaks down, then infections can go through.”

If a student thinks he or she has contracted the virus, he said that person would need to speak with Health Services to take the next steps and be guided through the process. 

For students who feel they should be tested, Campo Maldonado suggests contacting their health care providers.

There are no cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the Rio Grande Valley as of today. A Michigan couple vacationing on South Padre Island tested positive for the virus after a trip to Idaho, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. announced Wednesday.

“I would not fall into irrational fear to guide your decisions, and there are things that you can do in terms of staying away from other people,” Campo Maldonado said.

Some tips that he suggests students take include practicing proper hand hygiene, which means washing your hands with soap and water before and after eating and using the bathroom. 

Campo Maldonado also advises students to avoid touching their face, stay at least six feet away from people and cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing. 

Asked if he had any comments for the campus community, he replied, “I think having everybody understanding that they have a responsibility and a role to help protect the public.”

Students who would like to follow UTRGV updates may visit any of the school’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and can access the school’s emergency prepardness website at https://www.utrgv.edu/emergencypreparedness/resources/covid-19/.