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Here's the latest on @Illinois_Alma and COVID-19:
30K saliva-based tests were performed this week as students began returning to the Urbana campus...
... with ~100 positive COVID-19 cases identified among students and employees. /1
@ILNewsroom
30K saliva-based tests were performed this week as students began returning to the Urbana campus...
... with ~100 positive COVID-19 cases identified among students and employees. /1
@ILNewsroom
UI researchers say they predict there will be a "bump" in (+) COVID-19 cases: about 200 in the first few weeks.
Nigel Goldenfeld: Those cases are "due to imports, not community transmission."
The (+) cases will then drop, thanks to fast test results + immediate isolation. /2
Nigel Goldenfeld: Those cases are "due to imports, not community transmission."
The (+) cases will then drop, thanks to fast test results + immediate isolation. /2
More on how modeling of COVID-19 spread on the U of I campus is done, according to @NigelGoldenfeld.
He says they take into account how the virus spreads AND make "conservative worst-case" assumptions about student behavior, re: party-going and gatherings, etc.
/3
He says they take into account how the virus spreads AND make "conservative worst-case" assumptions about student behavior, re: party-going and gatherings, etc.
/3
The @Illinois_Alma campus will launch a public database on Mon, Aug. 24, which will report:
-the total number of COVID-19 tests performed
-the number of tests performed each day
-the number of (+) cases per day
-the daily positivity rate
-the 5-day average positivity rate /4
-the total number of COVID-19 tests performed
-the number of tests performed each day
-the number of (+) cases per day
-the daily positivity rate
-the 5-day average positivity rate /4
I asked whether the specific locations on campus, where outbreaks and clusters of COVID-19 cases are being detected, will be reported.
The answer: No.
@CU_PublicHealth's Julie Pryde says clusters are reported only if it's necessary to protect public health to do so... /5
The answer: No.
@CU_PublicHealth's Julie Pryde says clusters are reported only if it's necessary to protect public health to do so... /5
More on why the location of outbreaks on the U of I Urbana campus won't be reported:
Julie Pryde: Rapid testing will allow positive cases, exposed people to be isolated/quarantined immediately, so there's no longer risk to public in that area. ... /6
Julie Pryde: Rapid testing will allow positive cases, exposed people to be isolated/quarantined immediately, so there's no longer risk to public in that area. ... /6
Also, @NigelGoldenfeld says the Smarter Illinois app will help.
It can provide exposure notifications w/o tracking users' locations.
More:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/u-of-i-officials-urge-students-employees-to-use-covid-19-safer-illinois-app/ /7
It can provide exposure notifications w/o tracking users' locations.
More:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/u-of-i-officials-urge-students-employees-to-use-covid-19-safer-illinois-app/ /7
With twice-a-week COVID-19 testing, mask-wearing and other mitigation efforts, U of I's modelers expect ~700 cases this semester...
~200 brought in by students, the rest caused primarily by spread at restaurants, bars, classrooms, as shown in this graph: /8
~200 brought in by students, the rest caused primarily by spread at restaurants, bars, classrooms, as shown in this graph: /8
As a former chemist, I find the ins and outs of saliva-based test developed at U of I really interesting.
They managed to find ways to avoid supply chain bottlenecks & simplify the overall process w/o compromising on accuracy/sensitivity.
More here:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/in-effort-to-reopen-safely-some-universities-plan-for-widespread-covid-19-testing/ /9
They managed to find ways to avoid supply chain bottlenecks & simplify the overall process w/o compromising on accuracy/sensitivity.
More here:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/in-effort-to-reopen-safely-some-universities-plan-for-widespread-covid-19-testing/ /9
...and the @Illinois_Alma saliva-based COVID-19 test developed by @PaulHergie and team got FDA emergency use authorization this week.
My story on that:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/saliva-based-covid-19-test-developed-at-u-of-i-receives-fda-emergency-authorization/ /10
My story on that:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/saliva-based-covid-19-test-developed-at-u-of-i-receives-fda-emergency-authorization/ /10
If you're curious about how @Illinois_Alma's COVID-19 testing plans compare with other campuses reopening this fall, check out this piece I co-reported for @NPR along with @sebastiansings @ReporterSteph @mmcauliff
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/08/20/904114299/swab-spit-or-stay-home-a-wide-variety-of-plans-to-keep-coronavirus-off-campus /11
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/08/20/904114299/swab-spit-or-stay-home-a-wide-variety-of-plans-to-keep-coronavirus-off-campus /11
One more tidbit from today's press call:
Anyone exposed to someone with COVID-19 must quarantine for the FULL 14 days, per @CU_PublicHealth's Julie Pryde. There's no option to "test out of quarantine."
My story about all this stuff... coming to you soon via
@ILNewsroom
/END
Anyone exposed to someone with COVID-19 must quarantine for the FULL 14 days, per @CU_PublicHealth's Julie Pryde. There's no option to "test out of quarantine."
My story about all this stuff... coming to you soon via
@ILNewsroom
/END
oh and one more thing -- UI chemist Martin Burke shared this graph that looks at the positivity rate for COVID-19 tests on the Urbana campus, going back to July.
The peak at ~1.5% dropped to 0.2% and now hovers under 0.5%.
Testing capacity is now up to 20K/day, Burke says.
The peak at ~1.5% dropped to 0.2% and now hovers under 0.5%.
Testing capacity is now up to 20K/day, Burke says.
And here's my story on all this for @ILNewsroom: https://illinoisnewsroom.org/u-of-i-officials-bump-in-covid-19-cases-expected-as-semester-kicks-off/
