Can Alabama College Students Skip The Next Phase Of Coronavirus Testing? Maybe.
GuideSafe, an initiative that tested 75,000 Alabama college students prior to classes, will roll out its next round of testing for the novel coronavirus.
The next phase is sentinel testing, in which up to 5% of students, faculty and staff will be randomly chosen for weekly testing. GuideSafe piloted the program at a few schools like the University of Alabama at Birmingham in late July. It will now be expanded to about 50 campuses across the state.
“What the school will be able to do [with sentinel testing] is see a snapshot for every week of what’s happening on campus,” said Bob Phillips, the executive director of GuideSafe, which was developed by a team of health informatics experts at UAB.
But do students, faculty and staff have to participate? Well, it’s complicated.
GuideSafe is recommending that campuses require participation, but ultimately, Phillips said, the decision “resides with the institution and their policies and protocols.”
Currently, at UAB sentinel testing is voluntary for most of the campus community. But some students are required to participate if they’re selected. This includes students who live on campus, participate in intramural club sports or are members of registered student organizations that hold in-person meetings with 10 or more people.
Either way, Phillips said they’re “strongly encouraging” participation even if the school isn’t requiring it.
“We really need a high level of participation,” Phillips said. “When those individuals get invited to participate, we need them to test because the best way to have a robust sample is to have a high level of participation.”
Editor Note: UAB holds WBHM’s broadcast license, but our news and business departments operate independently.
Trump Administration to resume collections on student loan borrowers in default
The Education Department says millions of borrowers in default will have a chance to make a payment or sign up for a repayment plan. But on May 5, those who don't will be referred for collection.
The Justice Department and Google battle over how to fix a search engine monopoly
After a federal judge ruled that Google had a monopoly on the search market, the tech giant and the government are in court to debate penalties. One possible result: forcing Google to spin off Chrome.
Trumps welcome thousands to the White House for the annual Easter egg roll
President Trump welcomed an estimated 40,000 people to the South Lawn of the White House on Monday for its annual Easter egg roll event. The annual tradition dates back to the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes, and save for war and food shortages, has been a mainstay of Pennsylvania Avenue since 1878.
‘Andor’ and ‘You’ are back this week, along with a new Amy Sherman-Palladino show
Andor, featuring Diego Luna's charismatic performance as a rebel operative, has come at a perfect moment.
DHL will stop shipping packages over $800 to U.S. customers due to new customs rules
The shipping company's temporary new policy comes as President Trump continues to upend U.S. global trade policy.
A look back at Pope Francis’ life and legacy
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis died Monday, the day after Easter, at the age of 88. As the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, he was the first Latin American pontiff, the first non-European pope in more than a millennium, and he left behind a legacy of service, unity, and compassion.