ARIZONA NEWS

ASU revamps coronavirus reporting to include cumulative, cleared cases

Sep 10, 2020, 4:45 AM | Updated: 5:49 am

PHOENIX — Arizona State University announced Wednesday it will report the number of students who have contracted COVID-19 as well as how many have been cleared of the virus.

ASU President Michael Crow said that the total number of positives isn’t entirely helpful when it comes to understanding the spread of the virus.

“We’re very concerned that the message being sent out to the public is that everyone that’s ever tested positive is positive,” Crow told reporters in a webinar on Wednesday.

Crow said the number of cleared positives will paint a better picture of the viral spread on campus and help formerly infected students who have recovered return to normalcy.

“If they have been medically released to return to normal engagement with the university, and they’re no longer socially isolated, that allows us to know who has been on that list and who hasn’t been on that list,” he said.

As of Wednesday, Arizona State has had 1,305 students and 25 staff members test positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 1. The dashboard also showed 610 students and 138 staff members who previously tested positive have been cleared for release.

Crow added most students get sick off-campus. Only five have been hospitalized for COVID-19, but none this summer.

In the meantime, the school’s health app continues to measure students’ symptoms and travels on campus.

“We think the health app and the testing are here to stay. For how long? Forever,” Crow said. “We don’t see an environment where this disease is not something that we’re trying to manage.”

COVID-19 management for ASU also includes reduced populations in ASU student residences, so infected students have places to isolate.

ASU’s Biodesign Institute Executive Director Dr. Joshua LaBaer said estimates for a coronavirus vaccine within a year “extraordinarily aggressive.”

“There’s no guarantee,” LaBaer said. “We don’t have any successful vaccines for any of the other coronaviruses.

“Now, it’s certainly fair to say that no one has tried as intensively for those as they are trying for this one, but there are plenty of viruses that don’t easily induce an immune response or a lasting immune response.”

LaBaer pointed to the common cold as an example.

Crow said the community still must manage and prevent ordinary influenza, which there is a vaccine for that doesn’t always work.

“We are intensifying our efforts to enhance our management of the virus, operating completely under the assumption that managing the virus will be essential for the foreseeable future,” Crow said.

Crow also suggested ASU may already live in its new normal, including “Zooming in and Zooming out of classrooms,” as he put it, explaining that remote learning will continue past the pandemic.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Stock photo of stacks of bills. A Phoenix gas station sold a Powerball ticket that hit for $1 milli...

Kevin Stone

Powerball ticket worth $1 million purchased at Phoenix gas station

A Powerball ticket worth $1 million was purchased this week at a Phoenix gas station, the Arizona Lottery announced Thursday.

22 minutes ago

side by side of kidnapping suspects who fled to Mexico...

SuElen Rivera

Couple arrested in Mexico 6 years after kidnapping children in Arizona

A couple was arrested earlier this month in Mexico six years after they allegedly kidnapped their noncustodial children in Tucson during a supervised visit.

54 minutes ago

Split image showing the entry to the Avondale Aquatic Center on the left and an aerial view of the ...

Kevin Stone

Avondale Aquatic Center to make a splash in West Valley with pools, slides, lazy river, more

The Avondale Aquatic Center is getting ready to make a splash with pools, water slides, a lazy river and more.

2 hours ago

Seven-year-old Israel Maldonado was last seen in Phoenix on April 17, 2024, with his father. (Arizo...

KTAR.com

Police looking for boy last seen with father, who allegedly assaulted child’s mother in Phoenix

Authorities are searching for a 7-year-old boy who was last seen with his father Wednesday after the man allegedly assaulted the child's mother.

5 hours ago

Split image with a band playing in front of a Mesa mural on the left and an aerial view of the Mesa...

Kevin Stone

7th annual Mesa Music Festival gives emerging artists their turn in spotlight

Dozens of emerging musical artists will show off their chops this week during the seventh annual Mesa Music Festival.

7 hours ago

The Arizona Department of Transportation asked the public for input on Wednesday. (File photo by Da...

KTAR.com

ADOT seeking public input to update Arizona’s highway safety strategic plans

The Arizona Department of Transportation wants the public to share their thoughts on the future of the state's highways.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Condor Airlines

Condor Airlines can get you smoothly from Phoenix to Frankfurt on new A330-900neo airplane

Adventure Awaits! And there's no better way to experience the vacation of your dreams than traveling with Condor Airlines.

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Here’s 1 way to ensure your family is drinking safe water

Water is maybe one of the most important resources in our lives, and especially if you have kids, you want them to have access to safe water.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Day & Night is looking for the oldest AC in the Valley

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

ASU revamps coronavirus reporting to include cumulative, cleared cases