The University of Tennessee Knoxville says cases of COVID-19 are down, but leaders worry that might be because students aren’t getting tested often enough. They’ve been providing updates twice a week.
Active case on the campus have dropped from close to 700 a little over a week ago to fewer than 200 as of Tuesday. But the disease is still spreading, mainly through social gatherings and in dorms.
Health center director Spencer Gregg says many people are waiting several days before getting tests.
“Those delays in reporting to us are really closing the doors of opportunity for us to prevent spread on campus,” he says. “We would really like to see that dynamic change.”
UT has begun monitoring wastewater for signs of the coronavirus, following universities around the country. If the virus is identified, health officials know to test students who live in particular parts of campus.
The school will also soon start administering regular spit tests in two dorms, a practice leaders expect to extend to all residence halls by the end of the semester.
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