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Twenty-One Test Positive for COVID-19, Oct. 17-23

Testing site for COVID-19

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing program received results from 15,378 tests administered to students and faculty/staff from October 17 – October 23, 2020. In total, there were 21 positive results – 10 undergraduate students, seven graduate/professional students, and four faculty/staff. The positivity rate was 0.14 percent.

Summary:

In this period:

  • 13,431 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic students with 8 positive results
  • 131 tests were administered to students who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with 9 positive results
  • All students who tested positive are now in isolation
  • Twelve students who had previously tested positive were cleared to return to campus
  • 1,622 surveillance tests were administered to asymptomatic faculty/staff with no positive results
  • 194 tests were administered to faculty/staff who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing with four positive results
  • All faculty/staff who tested positive are isolating at home
  • Two faculty/staff who had been in isolation were cleared to return to normal activities

 

Overall:

  • Duke has administered 118,178 tests to students and faculty/staff since August 2 and has recorded 148 positive results; 120 of those individuals have been cleared to return to normal activity
  • This week, a total of 15,053 tests were administered through the surveillance program

Student testing results from this period:

  • 13,562 tests were administered to students
  • 13,431 surveillance tests were administered to students living on- and off-campus
  • 131 tests were administered to students who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing
  • Seventeen students tested positive, eight of whom were asymptomatic; the rest were identified because they reported symptoms or through contact tracing, and several of them were already in precautionary quarantine due to potential exposure to an individual who had previously tested positive
  • Twelve of the seventeen students who tested positive reside in multiple off campus locations.
  • Ten of the students who tested positive are undergraduates; five of them live off campus and five live on campus, all in different locations; the seven graduate students are in three 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 5 percent of that capacity is utilized

 

Students cleared to return to activities during this period:

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

 

Contact tracing and precautionary quarantine for students during this period:

  • 131 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:

  • 1,816 tests were administered to faculty/staff, including 1,622 through the surveillance program and 194 to individuals who reported symptoms or were identified through contact tracing
  • Four faculty/staff members received positive test results and are in isolation at home; one of those individuals has been working remotely since March, the other three have had minimal contact with campus
  • Two faculty/staff members who had previously tested positive have recovered and were cleared to return to normal activities
  • 26 faculty/staff members were asked to quarantine as a result of contact tracing and 9 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.