Campus Response Metrics and Mitigation Strategies

The Public Health Infection Prevention and Response Advisory Committee (PHIPRAC) is responsible for monitoring the COVID-19 situation at the University of Michigan. Included in the table below is a description of the data points that the PHIPRAC members review at least weekly, and corresponding response metrics that serve as thresholds that when crossed trigger additional investigation and a leadership review. These investigations may lead to recommendations for additional public health mitigation activities for targeted groups or across an entire campus.

 

Data Points for Monitoring Corresponding Response Metric
Case Counts: Campus cases, including students and nonstudents Doubling of case counts within 7 days in student, staff, and/or faculty, determined in partnership with the Washtenaw County Health Department.
Asymptomatic Test Capacity: Number of tests/week through Community Sampling and Tracking program (CSTP) This is a monitoring metric with no specific threshold as CSTP has the capacity to add testing if needed.
Asymptomatic Percent Positivity: Percent positivity each week for tests through CSTP Percent positivity greater than or equal to 3% among asymptomatic individuals participating in regular surveillance testing through Community Sampling and Tracking program.
Symptomatic Test Capacity: Test volume at University Health Service (UHS) Test volume at UHS exceeds 250 tests per day.
Symptomatic Percent Positivity: Percent positivity at UHS Percent positivity greater than or equal to 25% among symptomatic individuals testing through UHS.
CDC Community COVID-19 Level for Washtenaw County: An index from the CDC based on county case rates and hospitalization measures. CDC recommends mitigation measures for county levels of high, medium, or low COVID-19 risk.
Isolation and quarantine housing capacity: The proportion of available spaces occupied Capacity will be categorized as <30% = low occupancy, 30-60% = medium occupancy, >60% = high occupancy.
Evidence of transmission of a new variant of public health concern: Variant identified in regional genomic surveillance that requires reconsideration of public health measures. This is a monitoring item with no specific threshold identified. Data are monitored through CDC Nowcast.
Vaccination coverage: Percent vaccination in campus community; includes monitoring of primary series and boosters This is a monitoring item with no specific threshold identified.
Wastewater monitoring: Patterns in wastewater levels of SARS-CoV2 will be monitored in the broader community (from wastewater treatment plants) and will be monitored for some campus-related buildings and neighborhood areas. Community level wastewater (treatment plant) in 4 – Substantial This level has been calibrated to correspond to heightened community levels in 2021-2022. Increased concern if 4 – Substantial level persists for >5 consecutive days. Increasing trend in community level or building level wastewater for 7 days. Monitored as a weekly trend.
UHS Clinical Severity Index: UHS patients with COVID-19 are assigned a score based on clinical presentation. More than one patient with a score of 4 or higher in a single week; 1=Asymptomatic; 2=Mild symptoms; 3=Moderate symptoms; 4=Severe symptoms; 5=Critical symptoms
Michigan Medicine ICU Bed Occupancy for Patients with COVID-19 This is a monitoring item in collaboration with Michigan Medicine with no specific threshold identified.