GU's COVID Success Garners Media Attention

Published: April 13, 2021

KTRS 550 The Talk of St. Louis recently welcomed Greenville University President Suzanne Davis to talk about GU crushing COVID-19 on campus.

Davis explained GUs researchpartnership with the University of Illinoisthat involves GU students, faculty, and staff testing weekly for COVID-19. The saliva-based testing protocol, coupled with mask use, social distancing, and aggressive contact-tracing has enabled GU students to participate in face-to-face classes when many colleges and universities nationwide have resorted to fully online or primarily online formats.

After about six weeks of testing and 9,000 tests administered, GU has realized a 0.19 positivity rate.

We have essentially crushed the virus on our campus, said Davis, framing the achievement as a plus for the larger Greenville community.

Because young people who carry the virus are less likely to evidence symptoms, they unknowingly pose a threat particularly to others in the community considered high risk, like the elderly. Last month theNational Heraldreported a spike in COVID-19 cases for about 100 college communities with the return of students for the fall.

Were one of the biggest risk factors in Bond County, Davis explained, praising GUs students for responsibly complying with safety procedures and testing.

TheChronicle of Higher Educationreports that GU is among 27 percent of 3,000 colleges or universities using fully in person or primarily in person classroom formats this fall. Sixty-five percent use fully online, primarily online, or hybrid model formats.

Listen to the full interview.

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