Thirty Test Positive for COVID-19, Nov. 7-13

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program received results from 16,146 tests administered to students and faculty/staff from November 7 - 13, 2020. In total, there were 30 positive results – eight undergraduate students, three graduate/professional students, and nineteen faculty/staff, seven of whom have been working remotely and have not been on campus. The positivity rate was 0.19 percent.

Summary:

In this period: 

• 14,023 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic students with five positive results 
• 94 tests were administered to students who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with six positive results 
• All students who tested positive are now in isolation
• Eight students who had previously tested positive were cleared to return to campus
• 1,817 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic faculty/staff with one positive result
• 212 tests were administered to faculty/staff who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with eighteen positive results
• All faculty/staff who tested positive are isolating at home
• Twelve faculty/staff who had been in isolation were cleared to return to normal activities

Overall:

• Duke has administered 162,552 tests to students and faculty/staff since August 2 and has recorded 217 positive results; 180 of those individuals have been cleared to return to normal activity
• This week, a total of 15,840 tests were administered through the surveillance program

Student testing results from this period: 

• 14,117 tests were administered to students
• 14,023 surveillance tests were administered to students living on and off campus
• 94 tests were administered to students who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing
• Eleven students tested positive, five of whom were asymptomatic; the rest were identified because they reported symptoms or through contact tracing
• Ten of the eleven students who tested positive reside in multiple off-campus locations
• Eight of the students who tested positive are undergraduates; seven of them live off campus in different locations and the other one lives on campus; the three graduate/professional students who tested positive are in 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:

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

Contact tracing and precautionary quarantine for students during this period: 

• 94 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:

• 2,029 tests were administered to faculty/staff, including 1,817 through the surveillance program and 212 to individuals who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing
• Nineteen faculty/staff members received positive test results and are in isolation at home; seven of those individuals have been working remotely since March, the other twelve have had limited contact with others on campus
• Twelve faculty/staff members who had previously tested positive have recovered and were cleared to return to normal activities
• 31 faculty/staff members were asked to quarantine as a result of contact tracing and fourteen 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.