Exeter Tracks Coronavirus Cases Using Dashboard
By Moksha Akil and Tina Huang
For community members both on- and off-campus, the Academy’s COVID-19 dashboard has become a go-to source to track active coronavirus cases. The dashboard tracks active cases, as well as the number of individuals in quarantine or isolation.
“The dashboard allows us to share openly with both the internal and external communities what conditions are on campus with respect to our reopening and the pandemic throughout the term,” Assistant Principal Karen Lassey, head coordinator of the dashboard, said. “It provides a space for parents, students, alumni, employees and the general public to see a visual representation of our testing protocols and the results of that testing over time.”
The community learned of its first active case through the dashboard on Tuesday. One student has tested positive thus far, with another presumed positive. A total of 16 close contacts of the first case were identified and are currently in quarantine. Prior to students’ arrival, one employee and two students tested positive.
“Both students will continue to be cared for and isolated at the health center. Dr. Katy Lilly and Dean Carol Cahalane, as the Dean on Duty, initiated our protocols for positive cases, which included identifying and testing close contacts of the two students,” Lassey said.
The dashboard gathers data from four testing sites, including the Lamont Health Center, which uses rapid on-site testing and can have results within 15 minutes. “That’s primarily used for people who report symptoms and who are in close proximity to those who report,” Lassey said. Students also participate in COVID-19 testing at the squash courts, conducted by the Cambridge-based Broad Institute and CIC Health.
“We will be testing roughly 20% of the student body every week for the rest of the term,” Lassey added. “That will happen throughout each week that we’re not doing the large scale testing.” Random student testing will also be conducted by Broad and CIC.
The dashboard additionally reports pre-tavel tests required for students and tests taken by employees prior to students’ arrival. Lassey described the testing for the employees as similar to the students. “There’s a different company that came in and did the testing before you all came back for all employees,” she said. “And then similar to the students throughout the rest of the term they will be coming in and testing 20 to 25% of the employees every week.”
Peer schools, such as Phillips Academy Andover, have instituted similar dashboards. Andover’s dashboard reports one positive student case and two positive faculty cases.
Upper William Park appreciated the dashboard’s simple interface. “The graphs are pretty easy to read and it explains what the numbers are showing,” Park said. “It makes me have some peace of mind knowing that I can actually go online and look at the stats myself, rather than having to get information by asking other people.”
Upper Indrani Basu shared her appreciation for the Academy’s handling of the students’ return. “Just thinking about all of the college campuses that are experiencing big increases in positive results, it’s really impressive,” Basu said. “Out of all the students tested [before arriving], we only had two positives. It’s kind of comforting, especially being a new [student] and having doctors as parents.”
“It’s good that [the school is] being transparent and making sure everyone is doing what they should be doing,” Basu continued. “Giving us masks, the posters with the protocols, the emails—it’s a lot for them and could be cumbersome, but I’m really grateful because it gives us the opportunity to be here and experience the campus.”
Preps, lowers, and upperclassmen who chose to study remotely for September will be allowed back to campus on October 3. Around 500 students are expected to return, more than on previous arrival days. “We’ll be testing the preps and lowers the same way we did with the seniors and uppers,” Lassey said. “Hopefully, we will keep our positive test numbers low.”