Health

West Virginia University has completed baseline COVID-19 testing as part of its Return to Campus plan launched this summer. A total of 26,726 tests were collected from students and employees across the WVU System from July 20-Aug. 22. As anticipated, the number of positive test results rose on the Morgantown campus as testing volume increased over the last week to ten days. However, the total cumulative percent positive remains low at 0.64%.

West Virginia University’s public dashboard, which tracks and compiles COVID-19 information collected during testing across the WVU system, reported 96 positive test results out of 16,046 tests resulted between July 21-Aug. 16. Those positive test results include 92 students and 4 faculty/staff.

WVU is aware of recent off-campus parties that some of our students hosted and attended and the office of Student Conduct is already reviewing the reports from this weekend. To be clear - the University will not tolerate behaviors that violate local and state public safety orders or WVU’s own health and safety guidelines putting our campus community and the greater Morgantown community at risk.

Following her education and hands-on laboratory experience at West Virginia University, graduate student Samantha Fabian is leading the West Virginia National Guard’s COVID-19 mobile testing laboratories.

A West Virginia University researcher will co-lead a study to learn more about the off-label use of rapid response fentanyl test strips as an opioid overdose prevention strategy.

Experts with the West Virginia University Center for Inhalation Toxicology found that – assuming it’s a good fit - a gaiter will, despite recent reports, provide a respiratory containment of exhaled droplets comparable to a common over-the-ear cloth mask.

Three students pursuing doctoral degrees at West Virginia University are receiving funding through the Ruby Scholars Graduate Fellows Program. Jared Beard, Evan Cramer and Kinsey Reed are this year’s Ruby Fellows.

West Virginia University released updated Return to Campus information today (Aug. 11). A Return to Campus Conversation will also be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13 where senior administrators will continue to answer questions and address concerns.

One knowledge gap to understanding the health effects of inhaling outdoor air pollution, according to Salik Hussain, assistant professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, is that the scientific community has largely focused on studying only individual toxicants, such as particles or gases.

A week after launching its public dashboard to track and compile COVID-19 information collected during testing across the West Virginia University System, a total of 67 positive results have been recorded out of 11,604 tests resulted between July 21-Aug. 9. Those positive test results include 63 students and 4 faculty/staff.