Two University of Pittsburgh students tested positive for covid-19 in the school’s first round of surveillance testing, according to data released by the university.
The university had announced it would choose students at random to participate in the self-administered testing.
In the first round of testing conducted Aug. 12-13 as students began returning to campus, 450 students participated. Only asymptomatic students are tested.
Students who test positive can either isolate in a designated area on campus or in their off-campus home, according to the university. As of Monday, four students were in on-campus isolation.
Since June 26, 42 students and 23 employees have tested positive for covid-19, according to university data. Those numbers only include students or staff who had been on campus within 14 days of testing positive.
In an email to students, the university’s Covid-19 Medical Response Office noted that the low prevalence found among surveillance tests – about 0.44% positivity – was expected.
“This indicates that students followed our shelter-in-place and daily symptom check guidelines,” officials wrote in the email.
More testing was done on the Pittsburgh campus Sunday and Monday with more scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Dates for further surveillance testing are Aug. 24-25 and Aug. 28-29. Surveillance testing at regional campuses — Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown and Titusville — will take place Tuesday and Wednesday.
Pitt also has implemented its own version of Pennsylvania’s red-yellow-green phase: Guarded risk, elevated risk and high risk. As of Tuesday, the main campus and Pitt-Greensburg remained in the elevated-risk level, though officials noted online that Pitt-Greensburg would move to guarded risk Monday.
