Protect Purdue: 99.26% of Purdue Students Test Negative

This morning, the #ProtectPurdue initiative reported their first student body Covid-19 Test Results.

As the Tweet says, just over 99% of Purdue Students tested negative for the virus.

On the Protect Purdue Web page, it was stated:

“With students set to begin classes in one week, Purdue University reports that 99.26 percent of students who have received results of their COVID-19 tests are virus-free. Of the 25,638 results received as of Sunday (Aug. 16), 190 tested positive for COVID-19, for a 0.74 percent positive rate.

As part of the Protect Purdue Plan, all Purdue students are required to have a negative COVID-19 test before arrival on campus for the fall semester, or if recently tested positive, have documentation from the Protect Purdue Health Center that they have completed a 10-day isolation after the test (asymptomatic) or 10 days after symptom onset before arriving on campus.

First-year students began arriving Friday (Aug. 14) for Boiler Gold Rush orientation programs. Additional students will arrive throughout the coming week in order to begin classes on Aug. 24.

Purdue will update pre-arrival test results again on Wednesday (Aug. 19). A dashboard of the current campus status is being developed and soon will be posted publicly on the Protect Purdue website.

Students who test positive receive guidance from the Protect Purdue Health Center, which operates 24/7 with nurse case managers assigned to answer calls and work with students, faculty and staff. These students are instructed not to travel to West Lafayette or come to campus for any reason until they have self-isolated for 10 days and are medically cleared by PPHC.”

This is just the start though, as about 20,000 more students will be embarking to Purdue with school starting next Monday, August 24th. Many professors voiced concerns in early summer with holding students accountable on campus to wear masks and socially distance themselves.

A viral photo of the University of Alabama took over Social Media, showing only a handful of people wearing masks and piled on top of one another. To the point where the President of the university made a statement about it.

So far so good, in West Lafayette. Keep up the great work Boilers. Purdue, Tippecanoe County Residents and the surrounding area are counting on you to follow rules and directions to keep this county healthy.

#BoilerUp & #MaskUp.