COVID testing update Aug. 15-21

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program received results from 5,028 tests administered to students, faculty and staff from Aug. 15-21.

Since the start of the program on Aug. 2, Duke has completed 11,398 tests.

A total of 4,497 students were tested during the most recent period, including 2,218 “gateway” tests for incoming graduate and professional students who are starting their classes later this month.  Another 2,279 who had already completed their gateway tests were selected for the university’s pooled survey testing program that began last week. 

Of those, 10 positive results were identified from the new students and two positive results were found through the pooled survey program.  All 12 students are now in isolation and are being monitored by Duke Student Health.  An additional 67 students were placed in precautionary quarantine because they were found to have been potentially exposed to an individual who tested positive through Duke’s contact tracing program. Those students are also being monitored by Student Health and continuing their coursework.

Also last week, 10 students who previously tested positive were cleared to return to campus after being in isolation, and 39 students who had been in quarantine due to contact tracing were released.

During the same period, 531 tests were administered to faculty and staff, including 401 through the survey program and 130 to individuals who reported symptoms. Ten individuals tested positive, including five who have been working remotely since March and have not been to campus since then, and all were directed to isolate at their homes.  Seven individuals who had previously tested positive were cleared to return to work, five more were asked to quarantine as a result of contact tracing and eight employees were released from quarantine and cleared to return to work.

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