Colleges’ virus cases are slightly up
UNLV had 32 new cases in latest week, says numbers reflect broader data
Southern Nevada colleges and universities have seen a slight uptick in weekly reports of COVID-19 cases among students, but numbers still remain low overall.
UNLV, which has more than 31,000 students, has reported 240 cases among students and employees since the pandemic began. Of those, 32 cases — 29 of which were students — were reported for the week ending Friday.
For two straight weeks, the number of student cases — 29 each week — has been the largest of any week since early June, which is the oldest information included in UNLV’S online weekly coronavirus reports.
“We have seen an increase the last couple of weeks, but the number of cases we’re seeing is in line with the rates we’re seeing in the community,” said UNLV epidemiologist Brian Labus, who serves on Gov. Steve Sisolak’s COVID-19 medical advisory team.
Southern Nevada Health District data shows the age group with the highest rate of infection is 18- to 24-year-olds, Labus said. “In our community, young people are getting infected most frequently.”
As for Nevada colleges and universities, they are reporting COVID-19 case numbers on their websites, but that doesn’t mean those who tested positive contracted the virus while on campus. And most classes are being held remotely.
Of UNLV’S 240 reported COVID-19 cases, 193 were among students, 33 among staff and 14 among faculty, according to the university’s website.
COVID-19 cases in residence halls at UNLV are driving some cases, but “we’re not seeing a lot of widespread disease,” Labus said. It may also be easier to identify cases among students living in residence halls because they are in need of accommodations such as having food delivered, he said.
In a message last week to students and employees, UNLV President Keith Whitfield thanked them for their efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19.
“The traditional flu season is upon us and the holidays are around the corner,” he wrote. “That, combined with the growing urgency to have things ‘return to normal,’ makes the likelihood of a resurgence of COVID-19 possible in Southern Nevada. We cannot and should not let our guard down and ignore the public health guidelines we’ve been following.”
The College of Southern Nevada, which has 27,000 students and three Las Vegas Valley campuses, has reported 83 cases since March 1, and of those, 69 were students. That’s according to figures from
Oct. 9 on the Nevada System of Higher Education’s website, which hadn’t been updated by Friday afternoon.
The college reported 16 cases from Oct. 5-9, all affecting students, but none since, according to its website.
Nevada State College in Henderson, which has more than 5,500 students, has reported 27 cases since March 1. Of those, 24 were among students. Figures are from Oct. 9 on NSHE’S website.
The college has reported seven student cases since Oct. 6, according to the school’s website. But one of those students who had a presumed positive case based on a rapid test ended up receiving a negative result on a different test shortly thereafter.
The University of Nevada, Reno — which has about 20,700 students — has seen significantly higher COVID-19 case numbers than its Southern Nevada counterparts, with 631 among students and 42 among faculty/staff since the pandemic began, according to NSHE’S website. Figures are from Oct. 9.
For the week ending Oct. 9, UNR saw 50 coronavirus cases — 47 of which were among students, according to the university’s website. That’s down more than half compared with the 111 cases the previous week.