Ohio State hasn’t reported any COVID-19 data, but that will soon change

Jack Long
Tue, 25 Aug 2020 14:05:59 +0000
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A screenshot of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill COVID-19 dashboard, which includes additional data points such as the capacity available in quarantine and isolation housing, occupancy on campus and breakdowns of instructional modes. Ohio State has not provided any details of what would be included on their dashboard. Credit: UNC at Chapel Hill

As universities welcome students back and classes begin, many have reported total COVID-19 case numbers. Ohio State is not one of them — yet.

After ramping up its testing for move-in and surveillance programs, Ohio State has tested thousands of students but has yet to report any COVID-19 case numbers despite announcing July 31 that the university would do so. Now, about two weeks since the university started its testing programs, Ohio State is set to share aggregate testing information in the coming days, university spokesperson Ben Johnson said in an email.

Johnson said the university is “working to ensure the data is accurate and comprehensive” before releasing any data.

A universitywide email sent July 31 from incoming President Kristina M. Johnson said the university would share aggregate information, such as the total number of positive cases, with the public.

Other universities, such as West Virginia University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Kentucky, Syracuse University, University of Colorado Boulder and University of Texas Austin, have already reported their number of COVID-19 cases among other data points such as positivity rate and capacity of their quarantine and isolation housing.

Nine of the 14 Big Ten schools have some method of reporting COVID-19 data, whether through a dashboard or a statement online. Indiana University is developing a COVID-19 dashboard which is planned to come out at the end of this week, according to the university’s spokesperson. The University of Illinois, University of Minnesota and Rutgers University are not currently reporting data online.