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The weekly report on COVID-19 at Uppsala University for the spread of infection at the University.

One of the measures the University has taken to reduce the spread of infection on campus is to employ students to work as social distancing wardens alongside their studies.

Clearly recognisable by their red vests, their job is to ensure that groups of people do not gather too closely together and that the recommended distance is maintained between individuals.

The social distancing wardens are on campus for your safety and the safety of all. The University therefore expects everyone on campus to treat them well and show them respect. The purpose is to reduce the spread of infection, which will ultimately make life easier for all of us.

The weekly report

To summarise the infection situation, as of 11 December there have been 412 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the semester.

This figure breaks down as follows:

• 354 Bachelor’s and Master’s students (including 5 on Gotland) – an increase of 10 cases during the last week.
• 10 doctoral students – an increase of 1 cases during the last week.
• 48 members of staff – an increase of 2 cases during the last week.

If you are confirmed infected, the Communicable Diseases Act requires you to inform people who have been in your proximity and whom you may have infected.
Uppsala University has created an online procedure to help you do this anonymously.

If you are confirmed infected with COVID-19, it is very important that you make sure to stay at home: do not go to campus, to exam rooms or to work – and keep up to date with the infection control unit’s rules of conduct.

Across the disciplinary domains

The 354 Bachelor’s and Master’s students confirmed infected are distributed across the disciplinary domains as follows (change from previous week in parentheses):

• Hum/Sam – 148 (+2) confirmed cases
• Med/Farm – 152 (+5) confirmed cases
• Tek/Nat – 54 (+3) confirmed cases

The 412 confirmed cases can be linked to 220 different courses and programmes (different semesters). 68 courses/programmes have more than two confirmed cases.

Managing confirmed infections in education

When an infection is confirmed, the disciplinary domain concerned deals with the question of whether teaching should continue to be conducted on campus (if that is currently being done) or whether there is reason to switch to online education. Region Uppsala carries out contact tracing and contacts the individuals deemed necessary in view of the contacts reported by the infected person. The University has no responsibility for this process.

Number of cases in Region Uppsala and in Region Gotland

Number of people confirmed infected in Region Uppsala: week 47(16-22 November) 1430, week 48 (23-29 November) 1396 and week 49 (30 Nov-6 December) 1401. This shows no major difference from last week.

Number of people confirmed infected in Region Gotland: week 47 (16-22 November) 172, week 48 (23-29 November) 232 and week 49 (30 Nov-6 December) 321. This shows a negative trend for the number of people infected during the last week in the Uppsala region.

Source: Public Health Agency of Sweden

Johan Ahlenius