The first Covid-19 lockdown during March 2020 included closure of universities for most in-person activities, with teaching delivered online for the remainder of the academic year. Over 2.3 million students study at over 160 education providers in the UK. Mass national and international movement at the beginning of academic terms is often associated with illness, commonly referred to in the UK as 'freshers flu'. When universities reopened their doors in autumn 2020, as Covid-19 cases were increasing, many universities experienced large outbreaks, which led to fears of self-isolation and an increased number of cases spilling over into local communities. As well as isolation being detrimental to the mental health of students, the sheer number of isolated students posed logistical problems to the universities, due to the need for food deliveries and other support.
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