3.2 percent of students in university housing test positive during move-in weekend

Danny Fogarty
Wed, 12 Jan 2022 02:48:52 +0000
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About 340 of the nearly 10,600 on-campus students tested during move-in tested positive for COVID-19. Credit: Christian Harsa | Special Projects Director

About 3.2 percent of Ohio State students tested before residence hall move-in last weekend received a positive result and are now isolating.

A Monday update from the university stated about 10,600 students took the rapid antigen tests on the Columbus campus.

On Jan. 4, Ohio State released new guidelines requiring students living in university-sponsored housing to get a rapid COVID-19 test as part of the spring move-in process.

University spokesperson Christopher Booker said the rapid tests taken during move-in should not be compared to data on the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.

“There are differences in type of test, population and testing protocol,” Booker said.

The guidelines also require every student living in university housing, members of sororities and fraternities and those who received an exemption from the vaccine mandate to take a PCR test every week throughout the semester.

Booker said the dashboard will be updated again once weekly testing resumes, although there is no set date for the resumption of updates.