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A student at a private college in Oahu contracted COVID-19, which sparked a Department of Health investigation and contact tracing of more than 100 people – but only one other student ultimately tested positive.
The investigation was included in the department’s weekly COVID-19 Cluster report released today, which this time focused on transmission in educational settings, from college dorms to classrooms.
“The high number of potentially exposed individuals was due to the fact that the index case, a college student, moved to different classrooms throughout the day in order to attend classes for nine different subjects,” wrote the Ministry of Health in its report.
“All those exposed have been quarantined for the full 14 days and about 90% have been tested for COVID-19,” the report says. “Only one additional case has been identified; one student seated directly in front of the index case for a full class period on the day the index case became symptomatic. “
The report also highlighted clusters of coronavirus in Hawaii among college students attending dormitory parties. A Halloween party at an Oahu dormitory drew students from several universities and ended up with five people infected, according to the report.
A third case of school transmission occurred in a primary school. Four employees, who were cafeteria workers and guards, ate lunch together regularly and all tested positive, according to the health ministry. No students or other staff were exposed.
The cluster report does not identify any of the schools.
“We won’t do this unless there is an imminent health risk,” Department of Health spokesperson Brooks Baehr said. When asked if people have fully recovered, he said the department does not release personal health information.
Deputy state epidemiologist Sarah Kemble said the report was designed to share lessons and help stop the spread of the coronavirus, not “to call a specific context.”
“The point of the report is really to describe the situation rather than the specific institution,” Kemble said. “It’s about understanding in what types of contexts we might see transmission and why … What other measures could be put in place to minimize this transmission – this is what we hope to learn by analyzing clusters.”
Most of the public schools are still remote and the Department of Education has confirmed that the college is not a public school.
The Department of Health said universal masking policies were in place campus-wide, but some classrooms lacked sufficient space for a 6-foot distance between student desks.
Kemble said the case was “reassuring in some ways” in that it did not spread further, given that the student “had been in nine different rotating classes throughout the day. that could be a scary situation. “
Schools have been advised to keep students in small cohorts to minimize the potential for spread if someone contracts the virus.
“All of the clusters described here are still under investigation,” Kemble said. “The story is not necessarily complete. These are the types of transmission factors that have been identified. This evening dormitory setting is risky. “
She said the department advised caution during the upcoming holiday season.
“It’s a really critical time for us to think about how we share this special vacation with our families,” she said. “It is so important that you and your community stay healthy when you celebrate.”
“Keep it small – five limbs or less,” she said. “Use Zoom to connect. You can all enjoy food, but not in the same space. Or take it outside.
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