New UVA COVID Tracker Adds Positivity Rate and Other Elements

With the spring semester underway, the University of Virginia has launched a new version of the UVA COVID Tracker with new and enhanced features providing additional detail on the prevalence of the virus in the University community.

The tracker was first launched last August and is updated at 4 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday, with key public health statistics, including the number of coronavirus cases reported within the University community.

The numbers represent tests taken within the University community using information from UVA Health, Student Health, Employee Health and the LetsGetChecked testing service. They do not reflect tests administered by providers outside the UVA community.

Here is what’s new with UVA’s COVID Tracker:

Positivity rate: With asymptomatic testing now being conducted at a level that makes the calculation of a positivity rate an accurate reflection of the University community, the tracker will now display a seven-day average positivity rate for all faculty, staff and students, combined, and individual rates for students and for faculty and staff combined.

The positivity rate is the percentage of people with positive results out of all people tested.

Total cases: The number of total cases will now be displayed for both the spring term, since Jan. 1, and for the fall term, Aug. 17 through Dec. 31. Those totals will be shown for faculty, students and staff combined, for students only, and for faculty and staff combined.   

New cases: New cases will now be displayed in three separate charts; one for all faculty, staff and students, one for students only, and one for faculty and staff only. All the charts will display both daily new cases and a seven-day average.

Testing: Like new cases, the number of people tested will also now be displayed in three separate charts for faculty, staff, and students combined, students only, and for faculty and staff combined. All the charts will display the number of people in each group tested each day and a seven-day average for testing.

Pre-arrival tests: As in the fall, the number of positive results from pre-arrival tests that students took as a condition of returning to Grounds and the Charlottesville area will be displayed. These are not included in the total number of positive student cases.

Definitions and notes:  A definitions and notes section has been added to the tracker to help explain many of the terms and calculations.    

History: Charts will display a history of new cases and tests since Aug. 17 for faculty, students and staff combined; students only; and for faculty and staff combined. There will also be a chart showing a history of hospitalizations.     

Mobile version: A new mobile version will now be available to more easily read and navigate the tracker from mobile devices, including smart phones and tablets.