Omicron: 'I took two Covid tests a day at university for my grandma's sake'

Many students have been taking extra precautions before heading home for Christmas this weekend

Normally at this time of year, Jack Latawski is preparing for a night out in the pub with his school friends. But this year, Covid is on his mind.

Jack is one of thousands of students travelling back to their family homes from university for the Christmas holidays.

But with the emergence of the Omicron variant, some have told the BBC they are being extra-cautious this year - from social distancing with mates to staying away from grandparents.

"I guess my Covid concerns are the same as [those of] most people my age," Jack, 21, tells the BBC.

"We want to see our friends, go out drinking and make memories, but at the same time Christmas is a time of year you spend predominantly with family."

Jack, who is in his third year at Arts University Bournemouth, has been looking forward to catching up with friends from home after returning to Emsworth, in Hampshire, this week. They don't get to see each other much in term time.

"I'm still planning on seeing them, just being a bit more cautious about social distancing, making sure we're all testing negative, things like that," he says.

"To catch Covid around this time of year - especially the 10-day period leading up to Christmas Day - would pretty much ruin family Christmas."

The number of daily coronavirus cases has been on the rise again since early November in the UK, and the emergence of the new Omicron variant means new measures are being put in place.

Omicron is most widespread in London. More than 70% of coronavirus cases in the capital are now likely to have been caused by the new variant, according to UK Health Security Agency data.

One London student, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was weighing up his options this week before heading home to Somerset.

The student, who studies engineering at Brunel University, says he sat an in-person exam on Friday with other students who he says had tested positive.

He believes some were concerned that if they failed to take the exam, they would get only one chance to resit, in August, although that has been denied by the university.

Brunel says: "The need to self-isolate after a positive Covid test has been communicated extensively to our students, and academic support is available to those who are self-isolating."

But the student, who is travelling back this weekend, says he is still concerned.

"I'm not particularly worried about myself getting coronavirus - I'm triple-jabbed. It's my grandparents and my mum who I'm more concerned about," he says.

He says he usually spends a lot of time with his grandparents - both in their 80s - over Christmas, and that his mother - who has a heart condition - is "really worried".

"She said to be really careful, put on two or three masks if you have them... and just sanitise everything - and just for a couple of days when I get home, don't speak to my grandparents at all."

Not all students will have taken extra precautions before going home. But for some, frequent testing has become a feature of recent weeks.

Last week, Sophie Watson, 21, a journalism student at the University of Sheffield, was taking two lateral-flow tests a day to check she could get back to her family home in Leicestershire.

"I wouldn't have if it wasn't Christmas," she says. "I was worried about going home for Christmas and taking it home."

She was most concerned about her grandmother, who usually visits her house on Christmas Day, but was unable to last year because of Covid.

"I haven't actually had Christmas with her for a couple of years, so I was really excited... but also I was making sure I was negative for her sake."

One of her tests came back positive. She doesn't have any symptoms, but is isolating in her university accommodation until Christmas Eve, when she'll go back home.

She feels lucky in comparison with some students who are having to isolate on Christmas Day itself, and those international students who cannot go home at all.

Her housemates are limiting their social contact before they go home, she says, while her boyfriend is "pretty much isolating at the moment just to make sure he doesn't give it to his family".

More than two-thirds of 18-to 24-year-olds in England have had two doses of the vaccine.

The Department for Education is urging students to get a booster jab, as well as testing before they leave university, and before they return.

"It's vital everyone plays their part to stop the spread of Covid," a spokesman said.

"We are working closely with the higher-education sector to make sure students can continue to benefit from in-person teaching."

A spokeswoman for Universities UK said institutions were working with authorities to "help keep the university community safe".

"All institutions are continuing to take steps to manage the virus, including implementation of the Plan B measures, Covid safety precautions on campus, the provision of regular asymptomatic testing and having outbreak plans agreed to prepare for any spike in cases - such as support for students or staff who need to self-isolate," she said.

She added that universities had "strongly encouraged vaccinations at all times".

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