College Entry Testing Shows Less Than 1% Of Students Have COVID-19
A statewide program to test college students returning to campus has found a COVID positivity rate of just 0.83% of the 30,000 students tested over the past 10 days.
The program, called GuideSafe, is spearheaded by UAB and partners. It eventually will test about 200,000 students at 50 state colleges and universities.
Dr. Mike Saag, director of UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases, warned that the numbers can vary 10% to 15% as student testing continues at the 13 test sites.
“Part of our mission is to watch the campuses over time to keep them safe,” Saag said. “We can target interventions based on what we learn from testing.”
Saag said campuses have to have in place ways to keep the virus under control with masking, physical distancing and not allowing the congregation of large groups.
“Those details really matter,” he added.
Preferable class size would be 10 students, with a maximum of 15, he said.
When this entry level college testing is done, the testing will move to under-served communities.
“We are still working through the details,” said GuideSafe Director Bob Phillips.
Positive virus results from the student testing are reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health, he said.
One condition linked to COVID-19 is of particular concern as colleges reopen. Saag said myocarditis is a rare complication of the coronavirus and can be detected in asymptomatic people only by MRIs. Myocarditis has caused sudden cardiac death among young athletes.
College and conference officials need to weigh the risks of myocarditis, he said.
GuideSafe, which has been implemented over the past six weeks, is funded by $30 million in federal Cares Act funds.
A call center has been established to field questions about the GuideSafe testing program. Parents and students can call 866-839-5308 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
USDA chief says agency is trying to fill key jobs after paying 15,000 to leave
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says the department will consider bringing back some employees who took the government's deferred resignation offer.
Trump picks Casey Means for surgeon general, after first nominee withdraws
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat withdrew her nomination for Surgeon General after questions about her credentials. Dr. Casey Means has a medical degree from Stanford and a best-selling book on metabolic health.
Energy Star, efficiency program that has steered consumer choice, targeted in cuts
An Environmental Protection Agency plan to eliminate its Energy Star offices would end a decades-old program that gave consumers a choice to buy environmentally friendly electronics and save money on bills, consumer and environmental groups said.
In the wake of tariffs, cargo at the Port of LA is down 35%
The immediate impact of the cargo decline affects virtually every business around the ports, but port officials say this downturn will soon be felt much more broadly.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ fame posed challenges during jury selection
Nearly 100 potential jurors were whittled down to a group of 45 on Wednesday ahead of the mogul's case for racketeering and prostitution. For many, his outsized celebrity was an issue.
How a visit from actor Jon Voight led Trump to post about movie tariffs
Since he announced his intention to impose a 100% tariff on movies made outside of the United States, President Trump has hedged, saying he's open to meeting with industry leaders.
