Update (12/10/20):
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Officials with UNC Charlotte say as a result of finding SARS-CoV-2 virus in the wastewater, 68 COVID-19 tests for students and staff have been completed and three more residence halls are undergoing testing.
Based on the testing results, the positivity rate is less than three percent and no clusters were found, according to a news release.
Officials say anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus has been placed in isolation and any close contacts to these individuals will be placed in quarantine.
Residents must stay in the building until they can be tested for coronavirus, officials say.
Original Story (10/2/20):
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — UNC Charlotte announced Friday morning that students living in a campus dorm will have to stay in the building until they can get tested for COVID-19 after wastewater testing detected a virus that causes the novel coronavirus.
University officials sent out a Niner Alert saying that the test detected the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in its routine sampling in one residence hall.
Due to privacy for the students the school will not be identifying the residence hall but all residents and staff of the hall have been informed of the situation.
Per established protocols, all residents are required to remain in the building until they can be tested for COVID-19 on Friday afternoon, UNCC officials say. During this time, all residents of the building are required to remain in place except to pick up to-go meals, accept meal delivery and attend medical appointments.
Officials say currently no residents of the residence hall have reported symptoms of a COVID-19-related illness. No other residence halls have been reported to be affected at this time.
Residents will remain under this directive until their test results are returned approximately 24 hours after specimen collection. Those testing positive or identified as a close contact of anyone who tests positive will be placed in quarantine/isolation in accordance with the University’s on-campus quarantine/isolation protocols.
Officials stated that in an effort to further protect the campus community, UNC Charlotte is using wastewater testing because studies have indicated it can identify the presence of SARS-CoV-2 days before symptoms appear.
