As the number of cases continues to rise nationally, and more people are getting tested, we have learned about new members of our community who have tested positive for COVID-19. Below is a summary of this week’s testing results of positive cases on and near campus.
As of Monday, August 31, at 10 a.m., 4 total positive COVID-19 cases on or near campus have been reported to Georgetown University in the prior week.
| Week | Main Campus Residents (including residential students) | Georgetown Law Residents (including residential students) | Students Residing in the Neighborhoods (Burleith, Foxhall, and West Georgetown) | Faculty, Students, Staff and Contractors Approved to Work on Main or Medical Campus | Faculty, Students, Staff and Contractors Approved to Work on Georgetown Law Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive tests the week of August 24-31, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total positive cases since August 24, 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Beginning on Monday, August 31, 2020 we will update this grid on a weekly basis.
Previous messages about confirmed cases can be found on the COVID-19 Confirmed Cases page. Between March 15 and August 23, Georgetown University confirmed 94 total positive COVID-19 cases, including students, faculty and staff affiliated with Georgetown but not necessarily near campus or in DC. You can find more information about Georgetown’s testing protocols for students, faculty and staff regularly on campus on the COVID-19 Testing Protocol page.
We are working with One Medical, a leading health care provider network, to provide testing and a mobile application for daily self-attestations of symptoms. When One Medical notifies Georgetown of a red “high-risk status” badge or positive test result, our public health team connects with the individual to offer recommendations regarding medical care and isolation. The team also performs on-campus contact tracing and helps coordinate support services for students in isolation or quarantine.
In addition, Georgetown collaborates with and supports the DC contact tracing program, which is led by the DC Department of Health. DC contract tracers will contact individuals directly if such individuals were determined to have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19, which is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset.
We are respecting the privacy and medical confidentiality of our community members who have tested positive for COVID-19. Although it is understandable that individuals would want to know if they have been exposed to someone who has a confirmed case, it is important to remember the public health department in the jurisdiction where each person who tests positive lives will determine who needs to be contacted based on its investigation of each case.
The symptoms of COVID-19 can include a fever (temperature above 100.4), cough and difficulty breathing – similar to what you may feel with influenza or a bad cold. In addition, the following symptoms may be indicators of COVID-19: chills, muscle pain, headache, diarrhea, sore throat and/or new loss of taste or smell. The incubation period (how soon the symptoms appear from the time of first exposure) for these types of viruses is typically 2-14 days. It is important to remember, though, that many people with COVID-19 do not have significant symptoms, so follow all public health instructions you receive, even if you are feeling well.
Anyone who is feeling ill with symptoms that could be related to COVID-19 should call student health or their physician right away, schedule coronavirus testing and self-isolate for 14 days.
For medical advice, students should call Student Health Center (202-687-2200) or their personal doctor. Other students, staff or faculty should call their personal doctor. Any person exhibiting symptoms should call a medical professional prior to going to a health care facility.
With the ongoing community spread of COVID-19, the most important steps for all of us to take are to avoid settings with many other people, wear a mask, keep six feet apart, wash our hands regularly, and follow other guidance from federal, local, and university public health authorities.