Mount Oread Messenger: October 7, 2020

The latest COVID-19 numbers Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Mount Oread Messenger]( Good morning! Today I again want to examine the newest data from COVID-19 testing at KU. Each Tuesday and Friday bring new numbers and a look at the latest state of the novel respiratory virus at Kansas' flagship university — and while a snapshot in time due to the unpredictable and contagious nature of COVID-19, I still think it's important to examine how they change in each biweekly update. Over the weekend, KU confirmed another nine cases of the virus (it now has 1,009 total cases) — a low number considering the number of people on and around the campus. And while that's definitely a positive sign, there are a few areas I want to highlight from yesterday's data update that give me pause based on how pandemic trends have gone in past weeks and months. First: Health officials have said for months now to be more skeptical about results from over weekends for a few reasons: there are fewer tests conducted, fewer tests processed at labs, and the labs report results slower due to having fewer staff on duty. Second: KU had a noteworthy metric increase quite a bit from last week, despite the overall low uptick in new cases: The number of students confirmed to be isolating — meaning they have COVID-19 — rose from 21 students on Friday to 29 on Tuesday, a 38.1% increase. A week ago, only 17 students were isolating, meaning that metric has seen a 70.6% increase in seven days. And finally: The university also reported Tuesday that another important metric increased over the past week. After hovering around 25 to 30% in early September, the rate of people showing COVID-19 symptoms testing positive for the virus at Watkins Health Center dropped to just 7% last week. It rose to 13% on Friday, and in yesterday's update was once again above 20% after 22 people tested positive out of 106 nasal swab test orders (some of which may not have yet confirmed results). This is not to say KU has imminent COVID-19 problems by any means — I'm not a medical doctor, and as I said earlier, each data release is but a snapshot in time. But I did want to highlight some areas within the data that indicate the slow uptick in new cases in this most recent snapshot in time may not be entirely indicative of the virus' impact on KU's campus. That's all for today — see you on Friday! [KU bus]( [KU confirms 9 additional cases of COVID-19 over the weekend; number of students in isolation jumps to 29]( The number of KU students confirmed to be isolating due to contracting COVID-19 has jumped 70% since the university's data update last Tuesday. [Read the full story here]( IN OTHER KU NEWS [Dealing with blowout defeats currently part of job for Les Miles at KU]( Three games into Miles’ second season leading the Jayhawks, he has three times been on the wrong end of a loss of 35 or more points — something that never occurred during his first 197 games as a head coach from 2001 to 2016. [KU Football]( [How an extra year of eligibility because of COVID might impact the current Kansas basketball roster]( Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA may grant an extra year of eligibility to winter sport athletes, as it did to those in fall sports. Journal-World sports editor Matt Tait breaks down how such a move would alter the KU men's basketball roster. [John Hadl]( If you enjoy the Mount Oread Messenger, you can [subscribe to receive it here.]( To reach Mount Oread Messenger author Conner Mitchell, please email cmitchell@ljworld.com or call 785-832-6388. Tips can also be submitted at [Conner's tip form]( or at his secure email address,[connermitchell@protonmail.com](mailto:connermitchell@protonmail.som). [subscribe to the lawrence journal-world here]( This message was sent by the Lawrence Journal-World. You are receiving this because at some point in the past you shared your email address with the Journal-World To opt-out of emails like this, click the link below. [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Lawrence Journal-World PO Box 888, Lawrence, KS 66044