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Return to the Hilltop
Jan. 31, 2022
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Welcome to campus for spring 2022!
Please note that masks are currently required for all indoor activities in public spaces except while eating, working alone in an office, or in one’s own dorm room. Read below for current data and testing requirements for students returning to campus for spring term.
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As we return to a full campus this week, we continue to see improvements in data regarding the spread of omicron in Alabama and Jefferson County. The effective reproduction number (Rt) for the state of Alabama is.83, up slightly from .76 last week. Based on this number, we can expect the rate of transmission to continue to decline well into February.
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The positivity rate for Jefferson County has fallen from 39.3% to 33.2% over the past week. The seven-day moving average of daily cases continues to fall, from a peak of about 1,800 to 800 a day.
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The hospitalization rate in Alabama appears to have peaked at 3,000 and has started to fall. According to public health department officials, the hospitalization cases have not been as severe and have not stretched the health system as this level of cases did with the delta outbreak last summer. Nevertheless, the number of hospitalizations encourages us to remain cautious.
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There have been recent reports of another omicron strain, “stealth omicron” or BA.2. According to former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who was interviewed on "Face the Nation" over the weekend, stealth omicron is likely to be 1.5 times as contagious as omicron. Notwithstanding this risk, those who have had omicron should likely have immunity with respect to BA.2. In addition, Dr. Gottlieb believes that vaccines will work as well or better against this strain relative to the original omicron. Also, Dr. Gottlieb believes that this strain will likely be no more virulent. “Stealth omicron” is likely to receive a lot of press over the coming days. Other than perhaps slowing the current rate of decrease in daily cases, “stealth omicron” should not have a significant impact on the current outbreak.
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Our positivity rate continues to drop, from 6.5% to 6.2%, validating the previous week’s significant improvement. Our random testing produced four positives out of 153 tests. Other tests (symptomatic and exposed students) produced seven positives out of 26 tests. We had zero positive self-reported tests. Combined, 11 positives out of 179 tests gives us a positivity rate of 6.2%.
As of today, Jan. 31, we have 11 students quarantined or isolated:
• 3 positives in isolation
• 0 symptomatic students with pending PCR tests
• 8 monitors of exposed vaccinated students, pending rapid tests
• 0 quarantines of students who have not reported vaccination to us
This number is up from last week’s eight in isolation or quarantine. Seven of the 11 are likely to be cleared today, while testing this afternoon may add more.
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All students returning to campus or beginning their time at BSC this week who have not reported a completed COVID vaccination must complete testing before attending classes, entering residence halls, or going to other public spaces on campus. Testing for all returning and new students who must test will be held from noon to 3:30 p.m. today, January 31 in Battle Coliseum. If your travel plans do not allow you to return during this time to complete testing, please contact studev@bsc.edu to identify an alternative testing process before going to class or being around campus on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
If you have received your vaccination but not yet reported it to us, please do so through the Vaccination Report Form.
If you have received a booster vaccine dose but not yet reported it, please do so through the Booster Report Form.
If you have recently (within the past 90 days) had a positive COVID-19 test, please report it through the Recent Positive Status Form.
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For those returning, please note the upgraded protocols from fall term. Once everyone has settled into spring term, we will test the entire campus and see where we are in mid-February. With good results and continued improvement in Jefferson County, I am hopeful that we will be able to start to loosening protocols soon.
Forward, Ever!
Daniel Coleman
President
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