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Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2021 Sep 17;8(11):ofab464.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab464. eCollection 2021 Nov.
SARS-CoV-2 Epidemiology on a Public University Campus in Washington State
Ana A Weil 1 , Sarah L Sohlberg 1 , Jessica A O'Hanlon 1 , Amanda M Casto 1 , Anne W Emanuels 1 , Natalie K Lo 1 , Emily P Greismer 1 , Ariana M Magedson 1 , Naomi C Wilcox 1 , Ashley E Kim 1 , Lewis Back 1 , Christian D Frazar 2 , Ben Pelle 3 , Thomas R Sibley 3 , Misja Ilcisin 3 , Jover Lee 3 , Erica L Ryke 3 , J Chris Craft 4 , Kristen M Schwabe-Fry 4 , Kairsten A Fay 3 , Shari Cho 2 4 , Peter D Han 2 , Sarah J Heidl 2 , Brian A Pfau 2 , Melissa Truong 2 , Weizhi Zhong 2 , Sanjay R Srivatsan 2 , Katia F Harb 5 , Geoffrey S Gottlieb 1 5 , James P Hughes 6 , Deborah A Nickerson 2 4 , Christina M Lockwood 2 4 , Lea M Starita 2 4 , Trevor Bedford 3 4 , Jay A Shendure 2 4 , Helen Y Chu 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 34805425
- PMCID: PMC8599730
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab464
Abstract
Background: We aimed to evaluate a testing program to facilitate control of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission at a large university and measure spread in the university community using viral genome sequencing.
Methods: Our prospective longitudinal study used remote contactless enrollment, daily mobile symptom and exposure tracking, and self-swab sample collection. Individuals were tested if the participant was exposed to a known SARS-CoV-2-infected person, developed new symptoms, or reported high-risk behavior (such as attending an indoor gathering without masking or social distancing), if a member of a group experiencing an outbreak, or at enrollment. Study participants included students, staff, and faculty at an urban public university during the Autumn quarter of 2020.
Results: We enrolled 16 476 individuals, performed 29 783 SARS-CoV-2 tests, and detected 236 infections. Seventy-five percent of positive cases reported at least 1 of the following: symptoms (60.8%), exposure (34.7%), or high-risk behaviors (21.5%). Greek community affiliation was the strongest risk factor for testing positive, and molecular epidemiology results suggest that specific large gatherings were responsible for several outbreaks.
Conclusions: A testing program focused on individuals with symptoms and unvaccinated persons who participate in large campus gatherings may be effective as part of a comprehensive university-wide mitigation strategy to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: COVID-19 testing; SARS-CoV-2; genome sequencing; outbreak; university.