University of Iowa phasing out COVID self-reporting tool

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – As of Aug. 1, college students on the College of Iowa will now not be requested to report a optimistic COVID-19 case on-line.

Jeneane Beck, assistant vp for exterior relations, mentioned optimistic COVID circumstances will now be dealt with like another sick day.

“We’re treating this extra as an endemic sickness,” Beck mentioned. “We’re going to return to our regular processes of reporting an sickness, whether or not that’s a pupil reporting it to their school members, or a workers member reporting it to their supervisor.”

As for why the self-reporting software goes away, Beck mentioned the variety of individuals utilizing it’s decrease than it was once. Earlier within the pandemic, individuals obtained examined at a hospital or a pharmacy. There was contact tracing, so the college had some information of who was doubtless optimistic. They may attain out and immediate college students to report their circumstances.

Now, at-home testing is extensively obtainable. Beck mentioned with at-home-testing, officers don’t have any method of realizing who’s taking a take a look at.

“If a pupil or a workers member takes a take a look at at dwelling, it could not happen to them to go surfing and self report COVID-19,” Beck mentioned.

College leaders nervous concerning the knowledge collected by the web self-reporting software.

“We simply felt just like the numbers have been now not as correct as they need to be,” Beck mentioned. “Reporting knowledge that isn’t correct may truly give individuals an image that the COVID numbers are decrease than they’re.”

Beck added the coverage change is just not a sign that the college now not takes the pandemic significantly.

“We don’t suppose this pandemic is over,” Beck mentioned. “We’re nonetheless going to have masks obtainable on the entrance of each constructing, we’re nonetheless going to have hand sanitizer obtainable, we’re nonetheless going to encourage individuals to search for their very own threat elements and take precautions which are clever for them.”

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