COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As students have returned to Texas A&M, COVID-19 cases in the area have slightly increased.
Texas A&M Provost Carol A. Fierke said in a message to students that the university understands the importance of testing on campus and sharing the data with the community. That's why a COVID-19 dashboard is now accessible to the public, giving weekly updates on the spread of the virus on campus.
The data is being monitored daily by the university's administration, along with the Brazos County Health District.
Their dashboard shows daily new cases reported since August 11, numbers from Brazos County as a whole and the positivity rate at the university.
Currently, 407 students, faculty, and staff have reported testing positive for COVID-19. The university's positivity rate is at 12.88 percent, slightly higher than Brazos County's 11.19 percent positivity rate.
To some, the university's rate might seem a bit high, but administrators say that the number has to do with the fact that students who are getting tested are doing so because they've shown symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Basically, the medical need of those getting testing just makes it more likely for them to test positive, making the positivity rate higher than others'.
For now, there is no set threshold or positivity rate that will cause the university to go completely online.
Provost Fierke says they are monitoring the current situation very seriously. "We want our Aggie community to be safe. Each one of us can easily help and effectively minimize the spread of infection by wearing face coverings, physical distancing, staying home when sick, quarantining when exposed, assisting with contact tracing, and getting tested."
Administrators said the dashboard will be updated weekly every Monday but hope to shorted that window of time soon.