Auburn University on Thursday released the results of its COVID-19 student entry testing, which began weeks ago and ended August 21.
The tests were mandatory as part of the state’s GuideSafe platform and worked in tandem with Auburn’s “A Healthier U” return-to-campus plan. The tests were free and offered at 13 GuideSafe locations across the state, as well as Auburn’s Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
The final entry testing data shows that there was a 4.03% positivity rate among students as they attempted to begin the fall semester on The Plains.
Auburn had 859 positives out of a total of 21,315 administered entry tests.
A release from the university said, “Of those who tested positive the vast majority were either asymptomatic or exhibited extremely mild conditions. Many of the positive cases were identified in students who were not on campus, and in accordance with its A Healthier U reentry plan Auburn took immediate action to quarantine and isolate those cases that were found on campus.”
The entry numbers from Auburn come days after the University of Alabama System launched an online dashboard featuring COVID-19 data from the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).
Through Sunday, entry testing System-wide showed a 0.867% positivity rate among students. This ranged from UA’s rate of 1.04% to UAH’s at only 0.30%.
Fred Kam, Auburn’s Medical Clinic director, commented in a statement on Auburn’s entry numbers.
“These numbers show we had a low positivity rate among our students as they returned to campus,” said Kam. “Through continued mitigation efforts and everyone’s help in being proactive we aim to keep these numbers low.”
It should be underscored that Auburn’s entry testing data reflects only student tests in the weeks leading up to the return for the fall semester and ending August 21, six days ago. There have been students who tested negative on entry testing subsequently test positive after becoming symptomatic or exposed to someone know to have the virus.
“Those [entry] figures are a snapshot view of what was being seen in the student population in the leadup to classes and the first week of the semester, but those numbers do not reflect the most current view of conditions,” Auburn stated in its Thursday release.
“Not unlike other campuses throughout the nation, Auburn anticipated that its COVID-19 positive case numbers would likely increase as students returned for the fall semester,” Kam added. “The majority of students who tested positive had not attended any in-person classes, and the few who did were all wearing masks and had been socially distancing.”
Auburn has also launched an online testing data dashboard, which can be accessed here. It is updated weekly.
The release of entry data by the university came within minutes of the Auburn City Council passing a measure that would restrict restaurants and bars to only serving alcohol indoors to seated customers, banning walk-up bar service inside.
Kam advised, “We will closely monitor the number of positive cases in a proactive way that helps guide university policy with the health and well-being of the Auburn community always the top priority.”
Bobby Woodard, senior vice president for Student Affairs, is calling on the help of students to do their part in helping keep numbers as low as possible.
“COVID is truly a situation in which every individual’s actions count,” he said. “If we are going to preserve on-campus education, we have to be all-in, both on and off campus. One night out in a crowd is not worth the potential consequences the entire campus will face if the virus continues to spread in our community. We must be vigilant in doing our part for the common good. This will not be forever.”
You can access Auburn’s online COVID-19 resource center here for more campus-specific information and updates.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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