Like most American universities, VCU reopened for the fall semester with thousands of cases still flooding through Virginia. The decision behind the university’s reopening was based solely on money, and as a result, no regard for safety was given.
Student tuition should have been allocated toward accurate COVID-19 tests and mental health resources for students. VCU took the initiative to test every residential student two weeks prior to move-in using oropharyngeal swab tests, which may have led to false negatives. According to a report by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford, these swabs detected COVID-19 less frequently than nasopharyngeal swabs, which are administered through the nose. According to the report, “oropharyngeal swabs detected the COVID-19 virus less frequently than nasopharyngeal swabs and should not be used in place of nasopharyngeal swabs, particularly from day 8+ of symptom onset.” Asymptomatic students could receive prevalence testing via throat swab for free after filling out a survey, according to a university release. However, nasal swabs appear to be more accurate. If VCU prioritized its students’ safety, it would have provided better testing under professional supervision. Read the full story by The Commonwealth Times HERE.
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