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The University of Illinois reopened with frequent mass testing -- and found more COVID-19 cases than they were hoping.
@LeeVGaines got a breakdown of COVID-19 cases among students at @Illinois_Alma.
Here are the details:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/u-of-i-data-undergrads-in-greek-and-certified-housing-contracted-covid-at-higher-rates-than-others/ @willpublicmedia /1
@LeeVGaines got a breakdown of COVID-19 cases among students at @Illinois_Alma.
Here are the details:
https://illinoisnewsroom.org/u-of-i-data-undergrads-in-greek-and-certified-housing-contracted-covid-at-higher-rates-than-others/ @willpublicmedia /1
Undergrads made up the vast majority of COVID-19 cases at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during the fall semester, with the highest infection rates occurring among students living in fraternities, sororities and other private, campus-certified housing. /2
U of I data provided to @ILNewsroom show that 3,226 undergrads tested positive for the virus between Aug. 16 — the week before the start of the semester when twice-a-week testing became mandatory — and the last day of in-person classes, Nov. 20. /3
Among those cases, 1,051 — or about a third — were among undergrads living in private certified housing, which includes Greek houses and other privately owned residences, who made up about 13% of undergrads tested during the first and last weeks of the in-person semester. /4
15% of all undergrad infections — or 483 cases — were among students in university housing, who made up about 22% of undergrads tested. The remaining 52% — or 1,692 cases — occurred among undergraduate students living off campus, who comprised about 65% of undergrads tested. /5
We asked the U of I to provide the total number of students living in different housing situations during the fall semester: in university housing, private certified housing — which includes Greek houses and other privately owned residences — and off campus. ... /6
Campus officials said they couldn't provide exact numbers because they fluctuated throughout the semester. Instead, we were provided with the total number of students tested during the first and last weeks of the in-person semester — or the weeks of Aug. 24 and Nov. 16. /7
Here's the data we got -- for undergrads:
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/4592804/?utm_source=showcase&utm_campaign=visualisation/4592804 /8
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/4592804/?utm_source=showcase&utm_campaign=visualisation/4592804 /8
And here's the data we got -- for grad students:
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/4593180/?utm_source=showcase&utm_campaign=visualisation/4593180 /9
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/4593180/?utm_source=showcase&utm_campaign=visualisation/4593180 /9
Assuming the # of undergrads tested during the 1st week of the semester — 24,112 — as an approximation of the true #, a total of 3,226 COVID-19 cases from Aug. 16 - Nov. 20 means about 13% of all undergrads tested positive for the coronavirus during the in-person semester. /10
Calculations for the % of the undergrad population testing positive in each living situation — based on the # of students tested at the start of the in-person semester — break down as follows: /11
37% of all students in fraternities and sororities tested positive for the virus...
29% in other private certified housing...
9% in university housing...
and 11% in other off campus housing. /12
29% in other private certified housing...
9% in university housing...
and 11% in other off campus housing. /12
For graduate students, 233 positive cases among 8,645 students tested during the first week suggest a much lower rate of infection compared to undergrads: about 3%. /13
Another caveat: Student test results were sorted based on age, assuming those born prior to 1997 are graduate students and those born after are undergraduates. A U of I spokesperson says they're “confident the actual breakdown would not be very far off these numbers.” /14
Going forward, U of I officials say they're working w/ social scientists to “better understand decision making and risk taking among our various student populations, so we can continue to refine our testing, educational efforts and other aspects of our COVID-19 response.” /15
