These North Carolina colleges and universities reported COVID-19 cases on campus
There have been more than 250 coronavirus cases reported at colleges and universities in North Carolina, according to a survey by The New York Times.
Each of the 14 schools plans to bring students and faculty back to campus for in-person instruction this fall.
The Times surveyed every public, four-year university in the country and every private college that competes in Division I sports or is an elite research university. At least 6,300 coronavirus cases are tied to about 270 colleges since the pandemic started and at least 14 people have died, the Times reported.
Appalachian State University in Boone is toward the top of the list nationally with 94 confirmed cases, the highest among schools in North Carolina. At App State, 6 employees, 47 students and 41 subcontractors have tested positive, according to the university.
The subcontractors who tested positive are not employed by the university but were working on campus construction projects. The university has posted a dashboard online with current and total COVID-19 cases connected to campus.
UNC-Chapel Hill reported 37 cases, all of which were among student-athletes, coaches and staff in the athletic department. The university paused football workouts in response, but has resumed training. Four UNC-CH housekeepers tested positive for COVID-19, according to the UE 150 Workers Union at UNC, but those cases were not reported in the survey.
UNC Wilmington reported 33 cases, and East Carolina University reported 30 cases, including ECU students and employees, according to The Times.
Winston-Salem State University reported 12 cases, Western Carolina reported 11 cases, including individuals working on a science building on campus, and UNC Pembroke reported 10 cases to The Times. Elon University reported nine cases.
UNC Charlotte and N.C. State University both reported 5 coronavirus cases, and both outbreaks were within the schools’ athletic departments. The Carolinas College of Health Sciences in Charlotte reported three cases. North Carolina A&T, UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb University reported two cases each.
Duke University was not included in the survey, but the News & Observer reported at least 30 cases in the Duke community, most of which were students.
The Times noted there is no standardized reporting or tracking method for coronavirus cases and deaths at colleges across the country. Some NC schools, like App State and N.C. State, have posted or plan to create public databases tracking the cases on campus.
Local universities say they plan to track cases and identify others at risk through contact tracing. But with the current campus guidelines and privacy restrictions, the campus won’t necessarily notify the public or an individual if someone in their class or dorm has COVID-19.
Universities are relying on students and faculty to self-report their coronavirus cases to the university and help that process to help prevent further spread as they return to campus this fall.
