University students are already isolating and curtailing their study plans because of Omicron.
Some universities are holding lectures online-only for the first couple of months of the year, but allowing small-group teaching to go ahead in-person. (File image) Photo: Unsplash / Miguel Henriques
Lectures started at some universities this week and the Union of Students Associations said there had been cases of the virus among students at several institutions.
In Christchurch, students were forced to isolate after a Covid-19 case was discovered in their hostel last week.
Georgia, who had symptoms but later tested negative for Covid-19, said it was not the start she was hoping for.
"I was preparing myself for a university experience and staying in my room every single day is just not what I expected," she said.
"It's really easy to get bored and it's really easy to slowly lose your mind, so I'd just stick my head out the window and look at everyone else partying and not social distancing."
Another student in the hostel, Thomas, said it was disappointing to be stuck in isolation when lectures started on Monday.
"We were gutted. Firstly, we were really confused because we didn't know what to do, we didn't know if we should be isolating when we got the email, but yeah, we were gutted because it's the last thing you want to be doing," he said.
In Dunedin, where there had also been cases among students, an immuno-compromised student told RNZ Omicron would have a huge impact on his studies.
He said he had been unable to attend a lot of his department's events in the past two years because of Covid-19, but with Omicron, it would be too risky for him to even attend lectures.
"I'm very worried about Omicron myself and I won't be going to lectures. I'll be allowed to but I probably won't, just out of worry," he said.
"It's pretty awful to be honest. I'm doing a degree which requires a lot of in-person learning and it's, I guess, a physical science to study. I feel like I'm missing out on a large chunk of that, missing out on the experience and ultimately not learning as much as I would have otherwise."
Some universities, including Otago, were holding lectures online-only for the first couple of months of the year, but allowing small-group teaching to go ahead in-person.
Others, like the University of Canterbury, would provide lectures both online and in-person.
Canterbury Tumu Tuarua Akoranga/Deputy Vice-Chancellor academic Catherine Moran said attendance in lecture theatres would be limited, and the virus was unlikely to spread there.
"The spaciousness, the ventilation, the masking, students of course under the red setting all are vaccinated and all of those measures make the lecture theatres a pretty safe space," she said.
Prof Moran said it was important students started the year with direct contact with their lecturers, and the virus was more likely to spread within halls of residence than on campus.
"The halls are an interesting situation, because unlike lecture theatres or even moving around in the library where you're fully masked, when you're living there, living, eating, socialising, it can be more challenging to be always masked," she said.
Union of Students' Associations president Andrew Lessells said Covid-19 was having a huge impact on students already.
"We're seeing more and more institutions switch to online and hybrid learning, week-by-week more are having to make the decision as Omicron spreads around the country and we are seeing more and more students catching Covid-19 as well," he said.
Lessells said that was forcing institutions and accommodation providers to start contact tracing and ensure students were isolating.
He said it was creating a lot of stress.
"We have students who are really worried about how they're going to be supported when they self-isolate and we have students who are really concerned about what's that going to mean for their education, so it's causing real stresses at the moment even though we're only in the first week back, and I imagine as Covid spreads more that pressure's going to get higher and higher."
Lessells said some tertiary institutions already had dozens of Covid-19 cases and he doubted those offering in-person lectures would be able to continue for much longer.
Otago University Students' Association president Melissa Lama said students should get in touch with student support if they needed help while isolating.
"We are aware that there are multiple cases of Covid within our student community. Our focus at this point in time, is firmly on welfare of those sick and isolating," she said.