SARS-CoV-2 Epidemiology on a Public University Campus in Washington State

Abstract

Background We aimed to evaluate a testing program to facilitate control of 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), a member of a group experiencing an outbreak, or at enrollment. Study participants included students, staff, and faculty at an urban, public university during Autumn quarter of 2020. Results We enrolled 16,476 individuals, performed 29,783 SARS-CoV-2 tests, and detected 236 infections. 75.0% of positive cases reported at least one 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. Conclusion A testing program focused on individuals with symptoms and unvaccinated persons that participate in large campus gatherings may be effective as part of a comprehensive university-wide mitigation strategy to control the SARS-CoV-2 spread.

SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance Reveals Little Spread From a Large University Campus to the Surrounding Community

“…If this was the case, we would expect to see vastly different patterns, particularly a higher frequency of B.1.1.304 and B.1.593 in nonstudents during November. Although there are differences in context, setting, and mitigation measures here compared with other IHE, this study suggests that previous findings with limited community surveillance may generalize more broadly [ 4 , 6 , 18 ].…”

“…A seroprevalence study in Pennsylvania indicated that the community incidence of COVID-19 remained low throughout a period of high incidence in students [ 18 ]. Few or no viral descendants of student clusters in Dane County, Wisconsin, and Washington State have been detected in genomic surveillance of their respective communities with sampling density of 1%–3% [ 4 , 6 ]. One notable study from a university in the United Kingdom used genomic surveillance (8% of the community) and contact tracing to demonstrate separate viral lineages in university vs community cases [ 19 ].…”

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants on a university campus

“…Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, university campuses have been sites of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks 23 – 26 . Many universities provide free, convenient testing to facilitate SARS-CoV-2 surveillance within campus communities 23 , 25 , 27 .…”

“…Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, university campuses have been sites of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks 23 – 26 . Many universities provide free, convenient testing to facilitate SARS-CoV-2 surveillance within campus communities 23 , 25 , 27 . Using data collected from September 2021 to February 2022 through a campus testing program, we describe the rapid emergence of Omicron in a highly vaccinated university community and the clinical characteristics and transmission dynamics of the Omicron variant compared to the Delta variant.…”

Containment of a multi-index B.1.1.7 outbreak on a university campus through a genomically-informed public health response

“…Here we report the early identification of three initial introductions of an emerging lineage into a college campus, a high-risk population for SARS-CoV-2 spread (5,15,16) and emergence of travel-associated variants(4). The investigation benefited from available infrastructure for widescale asymptomatic testing and for genomic surveillance.…”