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. |