The university monitors numerous data factors in its scrutiny of COVID-19 on its campuses. There is no one specific number, percentage or measurement that would prompt Marshall University to make a change in a particular activity or assembly policy. Instead, a collective assessment drives the process.
The virus’s effect on the university population and decisions defining additional safety precautions are predicated on a collection of indicators developed in collaboration with the Cabell-Huntington Health Department and other public health entities. The following is a representative sampling of the measurements used in the decision-making process.
- Percent-positive testing rate based on individuals on a weekly basis:
- Greater than 3% triggers consideration of increased testing
- Greater than 5% triggers increased testing and discussion of activity suspension
- Number of new COVID cases on campus reported over a 14-day period
- Quarantine/isolation capacity on campus
- Community spread of COVID in Cabell and surrounding counties
- COVID hospitalizations and COVID-like illness emergency room visits
- Testing turnaround time greater than 72 hours prompts improvement strategies for testing access
- Case investigation/contact tracing that takes longer than 96 hours for more than 40% of cases induces either increased contact tracing capacity or increases weight of restriction decisions.
The university’s Director of Environmental Health and Safety has the responsibility of monitoring the COVID-19 parameters and reports them for consideration in the COVID University Response virtual meetings, which occur each Monday and Wednesday at 11 a.m. The Director also consults on at least a weekly basis with officials at the Cabell-Huntington Health Department and takes into consideration the community infection profile.