ISSUED: 25 August 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University has released the results of its mandatory COVID-19 testing for all students and employees, which was conducted by the Jefferson County Health Department.
Of 2,644 students and employees tested and reported, nine individuals tested positive (update below*).
The Jefferson County Health Department and Shepherd’s Health Center have contacted those individuals who tested positive, implemented quarantine plans, and completed contact tracing to determine who has been in contact with the positive individuals.
Shepherd conducted seven testing sessions on campus beginning August 14. The test administered at Shepherd was the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that detects the presence of the coronavirus virus (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19.
“We appreciate how cooperative our students, faculty, and staff were as Shepherd undertook this large testing project,” said Holly Morgan Frye, vice president for student affairs and chair of Shepherd University’s Campus Health Task Force. “An effort this large required many volunteers to help with registration and testing. We are thankful for employee volunteers who provided more than 1,000 volunteer hours and for our D.N.P. students from our School of Nursing who made the testing process run smoothly.”
*UPDATE: August 27, 2020: 10 positives, of which only 5 are currently active.
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