College Entry Testing Shows Less Than 1% Of Students Have COVID-19
A Pennsylvania microbiologist works on coronavirus testing.
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.
Tell us your story about reproductive health care in the Gulf South
When it comes to reproductive health care, at what point did you realize things have changed since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
Budgets head to the governor after early morning vote
Alabama lawmakers gave final passage to an $8.8 billion education budget and $3 billion general fund budget early Friday morning. That doesn’t count supplemental spending plans.
An Alabama program helps residents stormproof their homes. Louisiana wants to copy it
Strengthen Alabama Homes gives residents up to $10,000 to retrofit homes to the FORTIFIED standard. Other states see it as a model for their own insurance woes.
Alabama lawmaker agrees to plead guilty to federal charges and resign
Rep. Fred Plump Jr., a Democrat from Fairfield, will plead guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges related to misusing state funds and resign his position.
‘Were you scared?’: Birmingham family talks about civil rights then and now
71-year-old Birmingham native Jeff Drew took part in the movement starting as a young child. Drew sat down with his 14-year-old granddaughter Sidnee King to talk about civil rights then and now.
Why do so many Black women die in pregnancy? One reason: Doctors don’t take them seriously
Angelica Lyons knew it was dangerous for Black women to give birth in America. As a public health instructor, she taught college students about racial health disparities. Then, in 2019, it nearly happened to her.
