[bell-cot]

I'd characterize it as "another saving throw". The roommate might be absent, or preoccupied with his own life, or "staying away from the virus", or too self-doubting to do anything in time.

Similar for Sam's girlfriend Kayla. If she'd been assertive and physically present, she might have saved his life.

Similar any close friend of Sam's.

Similar a bottom-tier resident staff member in Sam's dorm, worried about one of his residents and regularly checking.

(Yes, the U's dorm system "could" officially try to keep an eye on sick residents. But with America's legal system, don't expect any sane university official to sign off on doing that.)

[Macha]

From the story it sounds like the parents were notified by the university one day after he'd last been in touch, so someone (be it a roommate or dorm staff) was checking in at least daily.

[jacobgkau]

The story specifically says Sam's friend Charlie contacted campus security after Sam stopped responding to Charlie and Kayla (Sam's girlfriend). Campus security wouldn't have known to check in within a day if Sam's friends weren't on top of keeping in touch with him. (Put another way, I certainly would've rotted longer than that if this had happened to me in college-- lucked into having my own dorm room & had acquaintances but not any friends who would've gone out of their way like that.)

[bell-cot]

Sadly, that "checking" was exchanging occasional txt messages with student friends.

Compared to an in-person check, or a video call, or even just a voice call - txt messages convey almost nothing about a person's medical condition.