By: Cayden Hartman
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Pat Walker Health Center creates a system to process COVID-19 recoveries while some are hesitant to get tested during the fall semester.
The number of infected students rose sharply to over 900 active on-campus cases Sept. sixth leading the university to institute some preventative measures.
Starting Sept. 5 and continuing for nearly two weeks, then interim provost Charles F. Robinson cancelled all on-campus events to limit the spread of the virus.
Since then the number of active cases has been declining while the number of student recoveries rise, with over 1,600 individuals recovering from the virus since Aug. 10.
According to the U of A COVID-19 dashboard an infected student is considered recovered 10 days after a positive test result or 10 days after symptoms appear if 24 hours have passed without a fever and fever-reducing medication.
Zac Brown, assistant director of communication for Pat Walker Health Center, said that the days required to be considered recovered was initially 14 but has since been shortened down to ten to be in line with the Arkansas Department of Health’s standards.
That time period also does more than just inform the university about recovered students.
“That number helps us kind of figure out every couple of weeks or so what the number of active cases that we are seeing,” Brown said.
While the university is close to reaching 1,700 total COVID-19 cases since the start of the semester, as of Oct. 2 there are 57 active cases.
Despite the consistent uptick in healed individual’s campus officials are beginning to notice a decline in the demand for testing.
In an email sent to students last week Chancellor Steinmetz expressed concern for the abundance of coronavirus testing potential not being utilized on campus and urged those who were resistant to the idea to consider getting tested if they come into contact with a positive case.
These claims are evidenced by what health experts are noticing at Pat Walker.
“So, we saw a decrease in the number of self-reports and in the amount of people coming to get tested at the health center,” Brown said.
Brown said that health center officials are trying to work with students to get rid of the stigma surrounding getting tested.