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BU just reported the following reassuring facts about campus re-opening:
It has already collected 5,376 samples from 3,800+ incoming students.
Number of positive tests?
8 (0.2%).
Returning students have infection rates lower than the general Massachusetts population.
It has already collected 5,376 samples from 3,800+ incoming students.
Number of positive tests?
8 (0.2%).
Returning students have infection rates lower than the general Massachusetts population.
Also from the e-mail:
"Seven of these students are in isolation and one has been confirmed as non-contagious. Our focus is on early detection and isolation of infected students and direction to appropriate medical care."
"Seven of these students are in isolation and one has been confirmed as non-contagious. Our focus is on early detection and isolation of infected students and direction to appropriate medical care."
This testing is possible because BU built its own testing labs, allowing for population-wide, high frequency testing with rapid turnaround times.
It's expensive but likely worth it, and I wish the rest of the world (particularly K-12) could follow suit.
It's expensive but likely worth it, and I wish the rest of the world (particularly K-12) could follow suit.
By contrast, UNC tested fewer than 1,000 students in the past week and thus could not tell where covid was spreading on campus.
Huge difference between that and the population-wide testing going on here. Whether that's enough to make a long-term difference remains to be seen.
Huge difference between that and the population-wide testing going on here. Whether that's enough to make a long-term difference remains to be seen.
Also, BU is making all of its (aggregated) covid testing results publicly available here:
https://www.bu.edu/healthway/community-dashboard/
https://www.bu.edu/healthway/community-dashboard/
Notre Dame tested everyone before they returned to campus but then not again unless they were showing symptoms.
ND has conducted fewer than 350 tests in the last two weeks, not nearly enough to catch outbreaks.
BU's model is much more massive.
ND has conducted fewer than 350 tests in the last two weeks, not nearly enough to catch outbreaks.
BU's model is much more massive.
With adequate federal funding, we could do this kind of testing for all K-12 students and teachers too.
My kids would like to return to school and I would like them to as well.
My kids would like to return to school and I would like them to as well.
