By SUSAN JONES
Pitt’s Oakland campus added just 12 new COVID-19 cases since Sept. 18, and only 42 students who have tested positive remain in isolation, according to updated figures on the COVID-19 Dashboard.
The new positive tests, all from students who sought tests after experiencing symptoms, bring the total to 215 since Aug. 1, when many students began returning to the Oakland area. In addition, one Pitt employee tested positive in the past four days, bringing the total to 12, and one student tested positive on the Pitt–Johnstown campus.
In contrast, Penn State’s main campus reported 306 new cases among symptomatic students between Sept. 11 and 17. Pitt had 40 new cases in that same time period, while another neighboring school, West Virginia University, reported 86 new cases.
Pitt COVID-19 Medical Response Office, in its biweekly report, said that it’s been 10 days since there have been double-digit new cases on the Oakland campus.
The office also warned those exiting isolation that having had the disease, “does not guarantee that you’re immune to the virus. It is possible to become reinfected and spread to others, even after you have had COVID-19. No one is exempt from wearing a face covering or from practicing physical distancing.”
Surveillance testing is being conducted Mondays and Wednesdays on asymptomatic students on the Oakland campus, and updated reports on the number of cases will be released on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Comparing total COVID-19 cases
Pitt’s number of positive COVID-19 cases has stayed relatively low since tracking began on Aug. 1. Here’s how Pitt compares to some neighboring schools and ACC rivals. The date each school started tracking cases varies.
Pitt: 215 students / 12 employees since Aug. 1
Clemson: 1,927 students / 93 employees since June 5
North Carolina State: 1,051 students / 43 employees since Aug. 8
Notre Dame: 688 students / 14 employees since Aug. 3
Ohio State: 2,638 students / 37 employees since Aug. 1
Penn State: 1,371 students since Aug. 7 / no numbers were reported for symptomatic employees
University of North Carolina: 658 students since July 1 / 70 employees since February
University of Virginia: 508 students / 54 employees since Aug. 17
Virginia Tech: 842 students / 8 employees since Aug. 3
West Virginia University: 561 students / 5 employees since July 20
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 412-648-4294.
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