With the emergence of the Delta variant and students’ return to campus, four additional residences were added, resulting in 32 wastewater testing locations on campus.
Preceding the start of classes, UF reported 185 new cases from Aug. 11 to Aug. 17. The campus maintained a 6% seven-day positivity average rate as seen over the past month — an increase from its 1% weekly positivity rates reported early July.
The report from UF biostatisticians predicted the peak would take place over the first three weeks of Fall classes at UF — projecting to reach 33,000 reported cases per day and 220,000 per week in Florida.
Fall classes will take place in person for the start of the semester despite a university-wide email announcing potential online classes for the first three weeks.
The number of COVID-19 patients soared from 14 to 70 patients, and over 10% of the patients are on ventilators. Despite the common belief that the virus is more impactful among the elderly population, the recent COVID-19 patients coming into Shands are younger.
Even as COVID-19 cases surged across Florida, UF’s low case numbers held unwaveringly. Although Florida accounts for about 7% of the U.S. population, it contributed almost 20% of COVID-19 cases nationally over the last seven days, according to the Miami Herald. Meanwhile, UF maintained low positivity rates with three reported positive cases out of 262 tests from July 5 to July 11.
A UF Health Screen, Test and Protect email sent Thursday morning warned students of COVID-19 found in the wastewater around a residence hall or Greek house. The email was sent along with a text alert to students living near Mallory Hall, informing them of traces of COVID-19 detected in the area’s wastewater. The hall is near Sorority Row next to Yulee, Reid and Cypress Hall.
UF reported seven positive cases out of 532 tests from June 28 to July 4, compared to four positive cases out of 309 tests from June 21 to June 27.
Breaking over a week-long streak of all negative cases, UF reported four positive cases out of 309 tests from June 21 to June 27.
Thirty-seven students and 17 employees are quarantined or in isolation as of Tuesday. The numbers decreased by eight students and two employees since June 15.
After achieving a 0% positivity rate during the last week of May, UF maintained between a 0% and 1% seven-day positivity rate average from June 1 to 7.
UF saw a 0% positivity rate Friday with only two positive COVID-19 cases out of 691 tests conducted within seven days.
The number of daily tests performed at UF also decreased. Testing rates dropped 30% from a daily average of 174 tests during the second week of May to 121 tests during the third.
UF announced May 17 that face coverings are no longer required on UF property, as all operations prepare to transition to pre-pandemic norms. The updated policies were announced through an university-wide email, which also announced that classroom, recreational and athletic activity will return to full capacity.
As of Tuesday, 107 UF students and 33 UF employees are currently quarantined or in isolation.
Experts at UF Health estimate between 70% and 80% of UF students have been vaccinated. At least 70% of the population needs to be immune to reach herd immunity, but other factors, such as variants and how people interact, can affect this level.
As of Tuesday, 116 UF students and 39 UF employees are currently in isolation or quarantined.
From April 12 to Tuesday, nine UF employees and 70 students have tested positive for the virus — about half the number of employees and the same number of students who tested positive last week.
The Alligator spent two months analyzing and comparing state, county and university data. It found that the number of cases and tests reported by UF don’t match the cases in state reports. After talking to representatives and officials across the state, some pointed to different reporting methods and all directed to different agencies for explanations of how they report their numbers. Meanwhile, epidemiologists provided possible explanations for patterns and vagueness in university and state data.
A week after UF began vaccinating students, faculty and staff ages 16 and older, the university’s COVID-19 isolation numbers steadily decreased. Daily COVID-19 tests have also remained at a seven-day average positivity rate of 1% since March 12.
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