Monitoring and responding to emerging infectious diseases in a university setting: A case study using COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: Emerging infection diseases (EIDs) are an increasing threat to global public health, especially when the disease is newly emerging. Institutions of higher education (IHEs) are particularly vulnerable to EIDs because student populations frequently share high-density residences and strongly mix with local and distant populations. In fall 2020, IHEs responded to a novel EID, COVID-19. Here, we describe Quinnipiac University's response to SARS-CoV-2 and evaluate its effectiveness through empirical data and model results. Using an agent-based model to approximate disease dynamics in the student body, the University established a policy of dedensification, universal masking, surveillance testing via a targeted sampling design, and app-based symptom monitoring. After an extended period of low inc

SUBMITTER: Soda KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10191342 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature