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.
Goliath the Galápagos tortoise celebrated his first Father’s Day and 135th birthday
Goliath had been paired with several female tortoises before, in hopes of producing a hatchling, but the process wasn't successful until earlier this month.
NAACP won’t invite Trump to its national convention, breaking a 116-year tradition
President Trump is the first U.S. president in 116 years that the NAACP hasn't invited to the annual convention. The group says Trump is attacking democracy and civil rights.
As Israel turns its focus to Iran, the death toll mounts in Gaza — and hunger deepens
Palestinians say Israeli forces killed scores of people trying to reach food aid in Khan Younis on Tuesday in the deadliest attack of recent weeks on hungry crowds attempting to get food in Gaza.
4 things to know as the war between Israel and Iran intensifies
Panic and confusion gripped Iran's capital, Tehran, as Israel warned civilians to evacuate or face more potential strikes as conflict between the two countries spilled into its fifth day.
Alex Padilla recounts his removal from DHS news conference in emotional Senate speech
The California Democrat returned to the Senate floor Tuesday to warn that the Trump administrations response to immigration protests in Los Angeles should "shock the conscience of our country."
Alfred Brendel, the cerebral pianist with a dry wit, dies at 94
Routinely called a "musician's musician," the pianist had an atypical career that even he called mysterious. He spent it returning to a handful of favorite composers, with acclaimed results.
