Logan Ramsey
News Editor
Despite social distancing measures, Idaho State University has seen a steady increase in COVID-19 cases since the Fall 2020 reopening. Each new case count has topped the previous week’s reported numbers.
In September, the university created a distinction between confirmed and probable cases. According to Rex Force, Vice President for Health Sciences, a probable case is defined as, “those who have been exposed to individuals with COVID-19 and then develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, but do not have test results back yet (or may not have been tested).”
The most recent reporting period of Sept. 16-22 saw 26 new cases, 10 listed as probable and 16 confirmed. The reporting period of Sept 9-15 had 15 new cases, five probable and 10 confirmed. Before that from Sept. 2-8 saw 12 new cases, 7 probable and five confirmed.
In total, the university has reported 106 cases since July 8, but this doesn’t represent cases that are still active. ISU considers a COVID-19 case active from the point when the patient becomes ill until 10 days afterwards. The university isn’t able to keep track of exactly how many cases are active.
“It’s a very tricky thing to count,” Force said.
When there are delays in test results being returned from the lab and people who put off getting tested after they develop symptoms, it complicates their ability to keep an active case count. Force said that the ballpark estimate for the active case number is about the same as the positive case count within the last week.
According to Force, the university has been effective in responding to the threat posed by COVID-19 so far.
“There’s a lot of pieces that have to come into synchronization for all of this to work.” Two pieces they’ve put in place that Force said have worked well have been contacting tracing and the university messaging surrounding public health measures.
Force also said that students, faculty and staff have also done a good job at responding to the virus. Despite this, there have been situations where they’ve brought the virus on campus because of their off campus activities.
Up until now, students have caught the virus almost entirely from off campus activities. Recently, the university has seen more on campus spread, primarily through student housing.
“What we do on campus, what we do off campus, what we do in our spare time, who we interact with and how we interact with them. All those things are important,” Force said.
So far, the university has identified five clusters of COVID-19 cases on campus and one cluster in an off campus student apartment.
There’s been two clusters identified in campus housing. In addition to the clusters, three other cases were confirmed in campus housing but they weren’t defined as clusters as there was no known connection between them.
Besides student housing, a cluster was identified among campus staff. One cluster was identified in the College of Arts & Letters and another in the College of Technology.
Force said that the university could see more cases develop if the campus community doesn’t maintain social distancing measures and mask wearing.
“We all have to work together as a campus community for the University to truly be as effective as possible. So it requires everyone doing their part at the maximum level for us to be as effective as we can be,” Force said.
