218 students, 13 faculty/staff test positive for COVID, March 8-14

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing and contact tracing program administered 19,131 tests to 9,675 students and 2,590 tests to 1,363 faculty/staff for the period March 8-14, with a total of 231 positive results, 211 of which were undergraduate students. The total positivity rate was 1.1 percent.

This was the highest number of positive cases reported in a single week and nearly equals the total number of positive cases reported for the entire first semester (241). In order to curtail further spread of the virus, a “Stay in Place” order was issued for all undergraduate students effective Saturday, March 13, at midnight and extending through Sunday, March 21. 

Summary of results from this period:

• 18,709 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic undergraduate and graduate students who are living on and off campus with 101 positive results
• 422 tests were administered to students who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with 117 positive results.
• 2,476 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic faculty/staff who are working on campus this semester and are voluntarily participating in the testing program with four positive results
• 114 tests were administered to faculty/staff who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with nine positive results
• All individuals who test positive are required to observe an isolation period until they are cleared to return to normal activities; contact tracing is underway to identify those who may have been exposed and ask them to quarantine
• 29 students who had been in isolation and 127 who had been in precautionary quarantine were cleared to return to normal activities

Notes:

• Positive cases were identified through surveillance testing for asymptomatic students as well as tests for those exhibiting symptoms. The individuals who tested positive have been placed in isolation, while those identified as potential contacts have been placed in precautionary quarantine.
• All students who are placed in precautionary quarantine or isolation are monitored by Duke Student Health and have the ability to continue their coursework remotely
• Duke has more than 300 individual beds for students who live in Duke-provided housing and are identified for isolation or quarantine
• Students who live in Duke-provided housing will be isolated or quarantined in campus facilities; students who live off campus must isolate or quarantine in their residence.
• Tests administered to student-athletes are included in these results

Types of tests administered in this period:

1. Surveillance testing for asymptomatic students (on and off campus) and faculty/staff
2. Clinical testing for individuals who report symptoms or who are identified through contact tracing

More information on Duke’s COVID-19 testing program can be found at https://coronavirus.duke.edu/covid-testing/. Results are updated every Tuesday morning.