A study assessing Cornell University's COVID-19 surveillance and vaccination programs during the Omicron variant surge suggests that vaccination protected against severe infection, but it and other mitigation measures—including mass testing—didn't prevent rapid viral transmission.The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, describes the outcomes of the university's SARS-CoV-2 transmission-prevention programs implemented after the campus reopened for in-person instruction in fall 2021.
Steps included mandatory vaccination for students, urging of vaccination for employees, and an on-campus mask requirement. In addition, isolation and contact tracing took place within hours of all COVID-19–positive tests.Vaccination rates were high among students and staff of the Ithaca, New York, university, at 97.9%.
From Aug 26 to Dec 18, 2021, all 15,503 undergraduates, 2,873 graduate students, and 2,803 employees were required to register for and participate at least once weekly in free, on-campus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 surveillance testing.Each day, school officials reviewed COVID-19 test results to identify sentinel events and outbreaks and guide disease-containment strategies.
They also monitored test compliance rates and routinely submitted positive samples for genetic sequencing.Mostly mild infections, no hospitalizationsA total of 480 COVID-19 cases were identified for quarantine on entry testing from Aug 23 to Sep 10 (average, 22.9 per day).