Some students have created pods, closed groups of people who interact with one another but not with those outside of the group, to maintain social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Terrance Hines, executive director and chief medical officer for University Health Services, said students in pods should continue to social distance from those outside of their pod, wear facial coverings, wash their hands and routinely participate in Proactive Community Testing to protect their pod. Hines said students should also get a vaccine once they are eligible. 
 
Hines said limited social interactions due to the pandemic can have negative mental health effects. 

“Pods are a way to be able to engage with other people, to alleviate that stress and to have meaningful interactions,” Hines said. 
 
Hines said it is important to keep in mind that interactions between pod members can still be risky.
 
“We've actually seen through our contact tracing that a lot … of the transmission that we’ve seen has come from household members, people who live in the same dorm or private residence (or) friends who might be hanging out,” Hines said. “And it’s because of that close contact, because of the duration of contact and then the fact that most people are probably … not wearing a mask (that these interactions carry a risk of transmitting COVID-19).”

Hines said students should consider potential members’ risk of infection before creating a pod. 

“You probably wouldn't want to form a pod with someone who you don't trust … or maybe someone who would be at greater risk of serious effects if they were to become infected,” Hines said. 

Brandon Curl, a physics and biochemistry sophomore, said being part of a pod has benefited him during the pandemic. Curl, who is a resident assistant, said he has seen the negative effects of social isolation among students. 

“I think there is a mental health crisis, especially among college people, as a result of the pandemic,” Curl said. “Having that social pod, it really helps mitigate a lot of those adverse effects that come when you don't really see people in person.”

Curl said his pod participates in Proactive Community Testing weekly, and they have an understanding to be aware of who they see outside the group. He said members of a pod have a shared responsibility for the group’s health, so being part of the pod serves as motivation to stay safe. 

Max Grimes, a Plan II and biology sophomore, said he is part of a pod with his neighbors. He said they mostly socialize at their apartments, communicate about potential risks and regularly participate in Proactive Community Testing to stay safe. 

“Having people to socialize with is so much better than just sitting in your room alone,” Grimes said. “When you're on Zoom for a super long time, you just get fatigued. It's a lot more draining than in-person interactions.”
 
Hines said if someone in a pod tests positive for COVID-19, they should cooperate with contact tracers and provide the names and contact information of those in their pod.

“It's really important to not be lulled into a false sense of security that you think you've created a safe space,” Hines said. “The pod is only as strong as its weakest link.”