The University at Buffalo has confirmed 22 more Covid-19 cases among students living off campus, President Satish Tripathi reported in a message to the university community Tuesday. Tripathi added that next week UB will begin random surveillance testing for Covid-19 among students, faculty and staff who have personal interactions on campus.
The 22 students are in isolation after testing positive for the virus, Tripathi wrote. He added that the total number of confirmed cases at UB is 27, including employees.
He stated that UB has contacted all students to offer support and monitor their recovery. They may return to campus only after approval by the Erie County Department of Health, he noted.
He said that data about known cases of coronavirus are posted on UB’s Covid-19 Planning and Response website. The university is working with the Health Department on contact tracing.
Tripathi urged everyone on campus to wear masks indoors and outdoors, as well as in the community, and to avoid large gatherings.
Random testing will be done weekly, biweekly or monthly on the North, South and Downtown campuses and will include 837 people in each round, Michael E. Cain, dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and chair of the committee overseeing UB’s health and safety guidelines, reported Tuesday.
Using a procedure approved for SUNY campuses by the state Department of Health, Cain said, people will collect their own saliva samples, which will be pooled in batches of 12 for testing.
If the pool tests negative, all 12 will be considered virus-free at the time, Cain noted. A positive test for the pool will lead to additional individual testing.
