Another Keene State College student has tested positive for COVID-19.
One of 3,242 Quest Diagnostic tests from last week showed a positive result for the coronavirus bringing the college’s total up to seven cases within the last month, according to the college’s public COVID-19 Surveillance Testing Dashboard.
KSC’s Director of Strategic Communications and Community Kelly Ricaurte responded to the Equinox via email and said, “The incidence rate is low, and holding steady.”
The college’s public records show there has been one positive result each week since the results from September 15 were posted. The previous week had four. So far, all infected subjects have been students of the college.
Keene State College President Melinda Treadwell said that the most recent individual, like all positive COVID-19 cases linked to the college, was asymptomatic for the virus. President Treadwell added that there has yet to be a single symptomatic case across the University System of New Hampshire.
“The strangest thing about asymptomatic cases is that they won’t even know they have the virus without being tested, but then they can still spread the virus which could result in a symptomatic case,” Treadwell said.
Ricaurte also stated that the most recent student lived on campus but she was uncertain if they “participate in sports” or had a possible reason to be in more vulnerable situations. Regardless, she said the college acts on the matter as soon as they get word of a positive result.
Ricaurte said, “Our Rapid Response Team is continuously monitoring results and responding right away.”
According to Ricaurte, 24 individuals were released from quarantine on October 1 and 2, with eight individuals remaining in quarantine.
The student has been moved off campus to quarantine and readers can find weekly updates on the college’s COVID count on the KSC website under COVID-19 Dashboards.
KSC’s Rapid Response Team Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Nursing Kirk Sanger did not respond to a request for comment.
Angelique Inchierca can be contacted at:
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Hunter Oberst can be contacted at:
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