Seventeen Test Postive for COVID, Oct. 24-30

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program received results from 15,578 tests administered to students and faculty/staff from October 24 – 30, 2020. In total, there were 17 positive results – six undergraduate students, three graduate/professional students, and eight faculty/staff. The positivity rate was 0.11* percent.

Summary:

In this period:

• 13,798 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic students with 5 positive results
• 99 tests were administered to students who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with 4 positive results
• All students who tested positive are now in isolation
• 19 students who had previously tested positive were cleared to return to campus
• 1,513 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic faculty/staff with no positive results
• 168 tests were administered to faculty/staff who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with eight positive results
• All faculty/staff who tested positive are isolating at home
• Four faculty/staff who had been in isolation were cleared to return to normal activities

Overall:

• Duke has administered 133,756 tests to students and faculty/staff since August 2 and has recorded 165 positive results; 143 of those individuals have been cleared to return to normal activity
• This week, a total of 15,311 tests were administered through the surveillance program

Student testing results from this period:

• 13,897 tests were administered to students
• 13,798 surveillance tests were administered to students living on and off campus
• 99 tests were administered to students who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing
• Nine students tested positive, five of whom were asymptomatic; the rest were identified because they reported symptoms or through contact tracing
• Seven of the nine students who tested positive reside in multiple off-campus locations
• Six of the students who tested positive are undergraduates; four of them live off campus (and of those four, two are no longer in Durham) the other two live on campus in different locations; the three graduate students are in two different programs and live at different locations
• All students who tested positive are in isolation and being monitored by Duke Student Health and continuing their coursework remotely
• Tests administered to student-athletes are included in the surveillance category
• Duke has more than 300 individual beds for residential students who need to be moved to a secure and supportive isolation or quarantine facility; currently about five percent of that capacity is utilized

Students cleared to return to activities during this period:

• 19 students who previously tested positive were cleared to return to campus after being in isolation
• 140 students who had been in precautionary quarantine due to contact tracing were released

Contact tracing and precautionary quarantine for students during this period:

• 99 students were placed in precautionary quarantine because they were found to have been potentially exposed to an individual who tested positive
• Students who live in Duke-provided housing will be quarantined in campus facilities;  students who live off campus must quarantine in their residence.
• The majority of students in quarantine and isolation reside off campus.
• All students in precautionary quarantine and isolation are being monitored by Duke Student Health and continuing their coursework remotely.

Faculty/staff testing results from this period:

• 1,681 tests were administered to faculty/staff, including 1,513 through the surveillance program and 168 to individuals who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing
• Eight faculty/staff members received positive test results and are in isolation at home; five of those individuals have been working remotely since March, the other three have had limited contact with others on campus
• Four faculty/staff members who had previously tested positive have recovered and were cleared to return to normal activities
• Thirteen faculty/staff members were asked to quarantine as a result of contact tracing and 22 employees were released from precautionary quarantine and cleared to return to work

Tests administered in this period:

1. Surveillance testing for asymptomatic students 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 Monday.

* The positivity rate has been corrected. It initially stated the rate was 0.14 percent.