Linked below are a couple of stories that might be of interest to some.
The first is about Covid 19 testing in Japan using the saliva based testing system similar to that used at the University of Illinois. What I thought was of interest was application to the Olympic Games was mentioned and the University of Illinois was referenced as a pioneer in this type of testing. The discussion indicates that Japan is considering for the Olympics an approach similar to what Illinois has in progress.
Illinois is conducting a mass scientific and behavioral experiment about operating a university in a community environment that seems at least somewhat applicable to operating an Olympic village within a community.
The University is already branching out into the community. In a previous post it was mentioned that some campus bars were using the Safer Illinois App (which verifies a recently passed Covid test) to screen people before entering. The Japanese are using the saliva test during hospital admissions to keep Covid 19 out of the hospital. It seems that such an approach could eventually be used to screen applicants to sporting events if adopted on a mass scale.
The second link is from the Daily Illini referencing the behavioral aspect of the experiment. Some students are going to be doing their future partying elsewhere.
It is going to be interesting to see what happens at Illinois as the fall and winter progress. Will the system be able to keep the infection rate in control? Still an open question.
Excerpts from the links below.
Why Japanese researchers say there's "no reason" to keep doing painful COVID nasal swab tests
www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-pcr-testing-no-reason-japan-reasearch-says-covid-saliva-tests-as-reliable/BY LUCY CRAFT
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 / 10:16 AM / CBS NEWS
Tokyo — Researchers in Japan announced "game changing" research this week that found simple saliva tests for COVID-19 are just as reliable as the widely used, but more complicated and uncomfortable, swab tests. The study involved testing almost 2,000 people who were showing no symptoms of the coronavirus using both saliva and the familiar nasal swab.
The results have already upended conventional wisdom about mass screening in Japan.
"Now it's clear by our data that sensitivity and specificity are the same" for saliva and swab tests, research team leader Takanori Teshima of Hokkaido University told CBS News. Given the importance public health experts put on mass-screening for asymptomatic carriers of the virus, Teshima said the strong evidence that simple, non-invasive saliva tests are just as effective as the far more common "PCR" tests is "game changing."
Teshima presented the results of the research on 1,924 asymptomatic individuals this week. It was one of the largest studies to date directly comparing saliva tests and the nasal swab tests for reliability. Subjects were asked to spit into a cup, and undergo the established nasal swab procedure at local health clinics and at Tokyo's Haneda airport and Kansai International airport in Osaka
Saliva screening has been studied at Yale University, which researched its effectiveness on 500 NBA players and staff, and at the University of Illinois, which has pioneered an ambitious program of testing every person on campus — twice a week.
As part of its planning for next year's Olympic Games, the Japanese government is considering setting up a system to make screening as easy as dropping off saliva samples at the local drug store.
Teshima said that large Japanese hospitals, including Hokkaido University's, where he works, already routinely screen all patients prior to admission using spit cups, which has helped prevent in-hospital transmission of the coronavirus.
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63 UI students on probation, 15 dismissed for COVID-19 violations
dailyillini.com/covid-10/2020/09/30/63-ui-students-on-probation-15-dismissed-for-covid-19-violations/BY DIANA ANGHEL, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
Since the semester began, the University has issued decisions on 297 cases of COVID-19 related student behavior. In 58 of these cases, the respondent was not found responsible or the charges were dropped.
Of those found responsible, 63 students are on probation, one has been placed on dismissal held in abeyance status and 15 have been dismissed, according to Stephen Bryan, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of student support and advocacy.
Two weeks ago, just one student had been dismissed for a COVID conduct violation.