Go bags

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the tips so far. As I understand it the bag can be pretty big. He is thinking a large army duffle that was going to be a suitcase anyway. Clothes will be packed in - nothing that is a favorite item so stuff will actually stay in. A small general first aid kit with basic meds (no scrips for him). A small personal shaving kit and soap/shampoo. Towel. Sheets. Blanket.

Now, I am adding, extra charger cords for his phone and laptop. And, it is a decent place to keep ID and keys that he does not carry around with him. I guess he will have to keep his desk and books fairly well organized. As I understand the details - such as they exist - someone Suited up will come in and grab stuff (pictures taken on phone to help in the process) But they won’t be coming back if you forgot to have them pick up something.

That's you, right, OP?

I'm sorry you're getting this combination of smug replies ("glad my kid is staying home") and ignorant ones ("just overnight what they need"). (Hey, "just overnight" poster/"just drive there" poster: If a kid is in quarantine the college does not want a parent turning up with stuff for them. Great way to spread more virus around.)

OP, DC's small college also wants kids to have "go bags" for quarantine. Your plan above sounds good but be sure to include, in the general first aid kit, a laxative like Dulcolax pills that work overnight; my DC has only been on campus a few days but is already finding that the "grab and go" food service food, while wholesome and good, is currently leaning toward sandwiches etc., and the result is constipation. Pack some very high-fiber snacks your kid chooses so he'll eat them -- maybe dried fruit, nuts, shelf-stable fruit cups (Dole makes good ones), instant oatmeal packets, Fiber One brand chocolate oat bars (so good you don't care that they're "healthy"!) and so on. Today I'm really glad we put Dulcolax into DC's go bag first aid kit, because she had to dig it out to use even though she's not in quarantine.

Ask the school about towels and sheets for quarantine. DC's college will provide sealed packages of bedsheets to quarantine rooms because they don't want kids going to quarantine rooms to carry their own sheets or blankets with them for obvious reasons. Not sure about towels! I'll have to inquire about that myself....

Loads of extra masks and sanitizer since even in quarantine a kid would have to open a room door to pick up food left outside the door. Or a kid will have to interact with someone from health services who comes to check on him in person.

And yes, extra charging blocks and cords for phones and laptops. Even "extra extras" as we called them -- DC went with not just the usual chargers but at least two extras of everything, since cords can break and blocks (what you plug in) can get lost.

OP, I wish your kid the very best at college. It is an inestimably stressful time for students, parents, and college staffers as well.

Good lord you’re slow. You’re not going to transmit the virus by mailing your kid supplies if they can’t access their room and are stuck with only what’s on their body. Take off your tin hat and walk outside. It’s a beautiful day, your brain needs the oxygen.

NP: Huh? Campus mail usually takes awhile--and if they are in quarantine probably they can't go and access it. Much better to be prepared. PP is describing what actually helped in her DDs situation. Nothing tin hat about it.

I'm that PP and thank you, NP above. Those kinds of snarky, judgmental comments are what makes this incredibly stressful for everyone involved. I suspect that the PP who made the "tin hat" comment doesn't have a kid at college right now, or doesn't know what really goes on at most colleges if he or she does have a student. Otherwise the PP would be aware that campus mail is not to be relied on to reach a kid quickly, even if it's an overnight package. I notice that PP also didn't respond to the fact that DRIVING to campus to take a kid stuff is what's especially unwise right now, not merely mailing things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the tips so far. As I understand it the bag can be pretty big. He is thinking a large army duffle that was going to be a suitcase anyway. Clothes will be packed in - nothing that is a favorite item so stuff will actually stay in. A small general first aid kit with basic meds (no scrips for him). A small personal shaving kit and soap/shampoo. Towel. Sheets. Blanket.

Now, I am adding, extra charger cords for his phone and laptop. And, it is a decent place to keep ID and keys that he does not carry around with him. I guess he will have to keep his desk and books fairly well organized. As I understand the details - such as they exist - someone Suited up will come in and grab stuff (pictures taken on phone to help in the process) But they won’t be coming back if you forgot to have them pick up something.

That's you, right, OP?

I'm sorry you're getting this combination of smug replies ("glad my kid is staying home") and ignorant ones ("just overnight what they need"). (Hey, "just overnight" poster/"just drive there" poster: If a kid is in quarantine the college does not want a parent turning up with stuff for them. Great way to spread more virus around.)

OP, DC's small college also wants kids to have "go bags" for quarantine. Your plan above sounds good but be sure to include, in the general first aid kit, a laxative like Dulcolax pills that work overnight; my DC has only been on campus a few days but is already finding that the "grab and go" food service food, while wholesome and good, is currently leaning toward sandwiches etc., and the result is constipation. Pack some very high-fiber snacks your kid chooses so he'll eat them -- maybe dried fruit, nuts, shelf-stable fruit cups (Dole makes good ones), instant oatmeal packets, Fiber One brand chocolate oat bars (so good you don't care that they're "healthy"!) and so on. Today I'm really glad we put Dulcolax into DC's go bag first aid kit, because she had to dig it out to use even though she's not in quarantine.

Ask the school about towels and sheets for quarantine. DC's college will provide sealed packages of bedsheets to quarantine rooms because they don't want kids going to quarantine rooms to carry their own sheets or blankets with them for obvious reasons. Not sure about towels! I'll have to inquire about that myself....

Loads of extra masks and sanitizer since even in quarantine a kid would have to open a room door to pick up food left outside the door. Or a kid will have to interact with someone from health services who comes to check on him in person.

And yes, extra charging blocks and cords for phones and laptops. Even "extra extras" as we called them -- DC went with not just the usual chargers but at least two extras of everything, since cords can break and blocks (what you plug in) can get lost.

OP, I wish your kid the very best at college. It is an inestimably stressful time for students, parents, and college staffers as well.

Good lord you’re slow. You’re not going to transmit the virus by mailing your kid supplies if they can’t access their room and are stuck with only what’s on their body. Take off your tin hat and walk outside. It’s a beautiful day, your brain needs the oxygen.

NP: Huh? Campus mail usually takes awhile--and if they are in quarantine probably they can't go and access it. Much better to be prepared. PP is describing what actually helped in her DDs situation. Nothing tin hat about it.

I'm that PP and thank you, NP above. Those kinds of snarky, judgmental comments are what makes this incredibly stressful for everyone involved. I suspect that the PP who made the "tin hat" comment doesn't have a kid at college right now, or doesn't know what really goes on at most colleges if he or she does have a student. Otherwise the PP would be aware that campus mail is not to be relied on to reach a kid quickly, even if it's an overnight package. I notice that PP also didn't respond to the fact that DRIVING to campus to take a kid stuff is what's especially unwise right now, not merely mailing things.

Uh no. Well aware how things work but thanks again for continuing to make things up! I’m not responding to the drive comment because you seem so utterly fixated on it that it seems best for you to just get all your hyperbole out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids school said you would not be allowed back to your room if notified of exposure. I want to see how that plays out. They said university personel will not enter a dorm room or aprtment for 3 days. So I guess you just sit in your current clothes? I just told DS to have his charger at all times so he would not lose to use of his phone.

In this situation I would just be prepared to overnight my kid what they needed.

We live 8 hours away.

Ok then don’t overnight, drive it there. There are options.

Doesn't;t really matter where the kid is if he does not have aceess to any personal belonging, laptop, car keys etc.

Read what you’re responding too. The first poster was concerned about the kid only having access to the clothes they are currently wearing, hence the subsequent posts.

I understand what I replied to. Student is notified in Biology that he must quarentine directly. He has very little with him. Second poster suggested child should be picked up. Well he still has the same stuff with him if I pick him up or if he quarentines on campus. He does not have his laptop books, anything either way till the three days end. I am sure that school will not carry that plan out when the first cases are found.

[Anonymous]

I think the go bag is in case the student tests + for COVID. They’ll be moved to a isolation housing and will need emergency supplies.

[Anonymous]

None of this really makes sense. If a student tests positive they were likely already infected while in the room. Going back to the room to gather relevant crap doesn't really add to anyone's risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If student is not in their room when they are told to quarantine, how will they retrieve their GO BAG? Maybe they should have it with them at all times. This entire post has is ridiculous.

Do you really think colleges have given zero thought to that scenario?

Of course they will have a protocol for how to get a go bag to a student if the student goes directly from, say, the student health clinic to a quarantine room. Our kid's college will have a designated health services staffer who picks up the bag and gets it to the quarantine location.

What's ridiculous is your ignorance and compulsion to criticize things about which you know nothing.

Glad you have it all figured out to the point that you alone are free to criticize others.

As far as “of course they have a protocol...” goes, well, there’s this from earlier in the thread:

My kids school said you would not be allowed back to your room if notified of exposure. I want to see how that plays out. They said university personel will not enter a dorm room or aprtment for 3 days.

Most people wouldn’t call doing nothing for 3 days a “protocol,” but you alone know it all about all universities, so by all means continue to mock and condescend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the go bag is in case the student tests + for COVID. They’ll be moved to a isolation housing and will need emergency supplies.

This. In addition to the other suggestions I would include a few days worth of underwear and one comfy modest outfit they could sleep in or wear.

[Anonymous]

OP here: The “plan” at his school is for those in Quarantine to remain in their rooms. Their Suite mates who test negative will move. Most (likely all but I don’t know for sure) dorms at my kid’s school are two rooms that share a bathroom which is between them. All the rooms are singles this year.

So, if my kid tests positive, and the guy in the other room Tests negative, the guy who tests negative will move so they do not share a bathroom. My kid would then quarantine in his room for 14 days and be tested at the end of 14 days. Apparently, if still positive then testing will continue every few days (no specifics there). In summary - the healthy kids are the ones who move not the sick kids.

Apparently the idea of having sick kids quarantined in one location was not working at the schools that tried it. I understand the problem is dealing with reinfections and tracking.

[Anonymous]

At my kids' school they will be removing the Covid positive kids and already have a separate residence building for quarantine.
I created a "go bag" for each (I have two kids at the same university, one in a dorm and the other in an apartment)
that can serve for both Covid quarantine and also just general emergency (if they had to evacuate quickly due to natural disaster, civil unrest, etc.)

-I used a Red backpack because it will be seen easily, in case their roommate/RA has to get it for them
Includes:
-small bag with gloves and a couple disposable masks
-small bag with alcohol swabs, bandaids
-small bag with non perishable snacks
-an index card with important phone numbers on it (again, in case their roommate/RA needs to obtain this for them)
-petty cash in small bills
-lounge pants, t shirt, and underwear
-packable blanket
-rain poncho
-sharpie
-phone charger

[Anonymous]

Thanks to the great suggestions on this thread. Very helpful!