University of Maine System COVID Data by Campus
21 — Known Case of UMS students or employees in public health agency isolation among the more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff in the University of Maine System community.
The University of Maine System has started the spring semester. These data would also include university students or employees known to have an active case of COVID-19 but not necessarily living in the campus region or state.
- 14 UMaine:
- 2 UMA:
- 3 UMF:
- 0 UMFK:
- 0 UMM:
- 0 UMPI:
- 2 USM:
- 0 Maine Law
The above Data reflects ACTIVE known cases identified through the UMS asymptomatic screening and verified self-reports of University students, faculty, and staff from independent testing. When an individual completes their isolation period, the active case number shared in the Together for Maine daily update is reduced to reflect that change.
UMS is reporting 21 known cases today, one case less than reported in the last update. Today’s data reflects 4 new cases and 5 completions of isolation since the last update. Prior updates are archived at Together.Maine.edu.
9 of the current active cases are residential students
- 96% of university-administered quarantine space currently available
- 96% of university-administered isolation spaces available
Asymptomatic Screening Update for 20-21 Academic Year
- 89,707 Test Results to Date
- 318 positive results representing new diagnoses of COVID-19
The Asymptomatic Screening Dashboard at Together.Maine.edu represents known results on all asymptomatic tests going back to July 22, 2020. About 48 hours passes from the time a test sample is collected and when the results are known.
UMS News
Science Advisory Board Completed Review of Most Recent Round of COVID-19 Asymptomatic Testing: The University of Maine System Science Advisory Board, chaired by President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, has reviewed the results of the latest data connected with COVID-19 testing. This review includes the 4th round of Phase 6 testing for individuals. Phase 6 represents the ongoing testing of the in-person population – students, staff, and faculty – for the spring semester. This follows previous phases of testing in the fall, winter, and during the return of students for spring. For wastewater testing, the results are the latest version of testing at multiple campuses.
For the just completed Round 4, the positivity rate was approximately 0.17%. Sample collection for this round of testing ended Sunday, February 28. Results reflect 15 positive tests of approximately 8,800 tests which were completed to a final result excluding rejected samples. A positivity rate for Round 5, for which sample collection ends on March 7, will be calculated and included in a future update once those results are fully returned and reviewed.
Additionally, the current 14-day positivity rate of the University System’s testing is approximately 0.17% as of March 4, representing 27 positive results among approximately 16,257 tests during that two-week period. This two-week information is posted on the University’s online testing dashboard. The national positivity rate is currently estimated at 4.2% as of March 3. Maine’s daily positivity rate is variable and stood at slightly more than 3% on Feb. 28 and at 1.6%, as of March 3, per Maine CDC.
The Board also estimates a prevalence rate. A prevalence rate is a different measure from the positivity rate. A positivity rate is the percentage of tests that are positive out of the total number of tests conducted. While the University System’s current testing protocol includes all in-person students, staff, and faculty, in practice there are always bona fide exceptions or variations and other reasons why a test result is not obtained for every single member of the group. So, the Board estimates the prevalence rate to understand the number of positive tests that would result if it were truly possible to test every single member of the population without exception. Based on the data for the just completed Round 4 of Phase 6, the data support an inference with 95% confidence that the University System’s in-person population had an estimated prevalence rate of not more than 0.24%.
The University System and SAB this spring have launched a new dashboard for reporting Wastewater Testing results. Wastewater is sampled at each participating campus and the SAB monitors the test results for increasing or decreasing trends. This surveillance testing serves as a check on the individual testing occurring on each campus and as a mechanism for obtaining a potential early warning of an increase in the disease.