My son got COVID-19 at college: Here's what I learned - TODAY

After just two weeks living in a dorm suite with three roommates at his small university, our freshman son tested positive for coronavirus.

Sit them down and tell them, ‘This is not a joke,’” said Crowder, who hosts a biweekly webinar answering coronavirus-related questions.

Students and parents should know the capabilities of the university medical center or health clinic and whether they are open 24 hours a day or just during business hours.

Also, know where the closest hospital emergency department is, Crowder said.

It is important to create a virtual support network for your child and help them feel connected,” Taylor said!

“One of the things about this disease is that people get short of breath and they don't know they're short of breath,” Crowder said.

“Anything less than 95 percent and they should go to the emergency room,” Crowder said, adding that this means they need to call 911 because if they're positive, they shouldn’t be in a car with someone else.

Whether your child has coronavirus, is worried about getting it or is stressed about other aspects of this year’s college experience, helping them manage the strain on their mental health is crucial.

Deborah Gilboa, a child development and parenting expert, said the key is for parents not to project their own stress onto their college kids.

“It's easy for us to look at what they are experiencing and know how we would feel.

But what we can't know is how they feel, so the first thing to do is just ask.

When our son tested positive for coronavirus, his roommate had to quarantine in the dorm room for 14 days.

“We feel guilty as parents about this because we overestimate what we can control.

So, because we think we ought to be able to control when and how our kids stay well or get sick, or when and how they're cared for, we have this inflated sense of responsibility,” Gilboa said.

“If your kid is on campus, and they went to an event and they saw that people were behaving in ways that they thought were risky, but they stayed — and then they end up having to go get tested because they have symptoms or they end up positive, feeling some regret is helpful because it will change their behavior next time,” she said

With two kids in college, she lives in a newly empty nest