This week's essential COVID-19 information from BGSU Chief Health Officer Ben Batey

Watch BGSU Chief Health Officer Ben Batey's October 28 Video Update

For a third week, we have reported a lower, stable number of COVID-19 cases in our campus community, as outlined in the dashboard in this email and on the Forward Falcons website. In addition to testing and tracking symptomatic cases with the Wood County Hospital and Wood County Health Department, we continue our surveillance and screening programs to test asymptomatic individuals and our overall positivity rate remains lower than 1%.

As we look ahead to the Halloween weekend, we encourage you to be thoughtful in your actions. We anticipate Halloween weekend could impact positive cases in November, as we have seen a spike two-to-three weeks following other holidays, including the Fourth of July and Labor Day. As you celebrate Halloween, wear a face covering, practice physical distancing, keep one, small social circle, and be mindful of the loved ones you’ll see during the holidays.

Starting this week, BGSU will host a series of flu shot clinics at the Bowen-Thompson Student Union and there are sign-up times available. In addition to BGSU’s on-campus flu shot clinics, flu vaccinations are readily available at Falcon Health Center and most major retailers with a pharmacy. Taking this action early can help you avoid getting sick with the flu and helps to protect your family and friends.

Thank you for all you are doing to keep our campuses safe and healthy.

Be well,

Ben Batey, MPH, RN
Chief Health Officer

On-Campus BGSU Flu Clinics

Flu clinics will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m), and Friday, Oct. 30 (12 p.m. - 2 p.m.), as well as Thursday, Nov. 5 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m). All clinics will be held at the Bowen-Thompson Student Union in Room 201 (Sky Bank). Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to sign up for a time slot, although walk-ins are welcome on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5. Please bring your insurance card and photo ID.

In addition to on-campus flu clinics, faculty and staff members who have Medical Mutual of Ohio as their insurance provider can search for locations that offer flu shots that are fully covered by insurance.

Stay Safe, Stay Social - Bowling Green and BGSU

You know all the things we do to stay safe when we’re on campus? We do them when we are going out around Bowling Green too! Wear a face covering. Stay six feet apart. Keep a small social circle. Watch our video featuring USG President Harrison Carter, in collaboration with the City of Bowling Green and the Wood County Health Department.

BGSU Counseling Center Resources

During the pandemic, the BGSU Counseling Center is offering their services via telehealth at 419-372-2081. The Counseling Center has put together COVID-19 counseling resources to keep you up to date on COVID-19 and various ways to cope/offer support during this time.

BGSU COVID-19 Response Hotline 419-372-3000

The BGSU COVID-19 Response Hotline is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Staff can answer questions regarding COVID-19 and related topics. Students, faculty and staff can email health@bgsu.edu or call the hotline if they have a pending COVID-19 test, or to report a positive result to begin contact tracing. To call the hotline, reach out at 419-372-3000.

BGSU COVID-19 DASHBOARD

Positive Cases of COVID-19 Reported to BGSU

Includes positive COVID-19 cases reported to BGSU from health departments, medical providers, asymptomatic and surveillance testing and self-report. Includes four (4) cumulative positive students reported at Firelands College. Not all cases are residing in Bowling Green or Wood County.

This Period:

20 Students

0 Faculty 1 Staff

10/21/20 - 10/27/20

(55% of cases for this period live off-campus)

Last Period:

22 Students

1 Faculty 2 Staff

10/14/20 - 10/20/20

(77% of cases for this period live off-campus)

Cumulative:

529

516 Students

2 Faculty 11 Staff

8/20/20 - 10/27/20

Currently Active Cases:

18 Students

0 Faculty 2 Staff

This includes BGSU faculty, staff, and students who are being monitored by their local health department according to state and federal isolation criteria.

On-Campus Isolation and Quarantine

Isolation separates individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 from others who are not sick to minimize the spread. Quarantine separates individuals who have been exposed to someone who is positive for COVID-19 from the general public. All residence hall students are offered on-campus quarantine and isolation space. Students may choose to return home to a permanent residence.

Students Currently Isolated in University Housing:

98% beds available

As of 10/27/20

Students Currently Quarantined in Residence Halls:

As of 10/27/20

Surveillance Testing (10/19/20 to 10/23/20)

Randomized surveillance testing of asymptomatic undergraduate and graduate students.

Tests:

240

Positives:

Positivity Rate:

0.0%

Screening Testing (10/19/20 to 10/23/20)

Screening tests of targeted asymptomatic individuals.

Tests:

581

Positives:

Positivity Rate:

0.0%

Cumulative Asymptomatic Testing (8/20/20 to 10/23/20)

Randomized surveillance testing of students and targeted screening testing of asymptomatic individuals.

Tests:

3042

Positives:

Positivity Rate:

0.9%

Wood County Health Department COVID-19 Case Report

Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard

BGSU A Public University for the Public Good