LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky launched a coronavirus dashboard to provide daily updates on the virus's campus impact.

The dashboard's data comes from 25,373 UK students who, as of Sept. 1, were required to take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Students who don't physically go to campus aren't required to take a test.

Within the dashboard, you can find: 

• Total active cases: Number of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not been released from isolation or county health departments;
• Total recovered cases: Number of students who tested positive and have since been released from their respective health departments, or those who are 14 days out from their test date;
• Number of students currently in isolation: Students who have tested positive and have been separated from the general population;
• Percentage of students and employees who have completed the required daily screening: Students and employees on campust must complete a COVID-19 screening every day, seven days a week; and
• UK-collected test results to date: COVID-19 test results conducted through on-campus testing and retesting from the beginning of the semester.

“We are making data-driven decisions, informed by the work of scientists, clinicians and public health experts, to protect the health and safety of our community,” UK Preisdent Eli Capilouto said. “Science drives our interventions and shapes our approach to combating this virus.”  

The dashboard's data helps contact tracing efforts overseen by UK Health Corps, which works with university data analysts to detect trends, implement interventions, and provide support to the university community.

“The enormous amount of data we have collected — and continue to collect through our contact tracing protocols — allows us to quickly recognize trends and respond efficiently, comprehensively and compassionately,” said Lance Poston, co-project director of UK Health Corps. “The baseline testing was a powerful starting point as we began the semester. The daily screening continues to equip our contact tracers with the information they need to assess the landscape of our campus as it relates to COVID-19, as we all strive to combat the spread of this virus.”  

Currently, the dashboard shows that UK's positivity rate is below two percent.  

The university recently completed its second phase of testing, focused fraternities and sororities. UK said it will continue to test specific student populations as the data indicates trends in infection or exposure rates.  

“We are approaching this challenge with the same characteristics that have always distinguished the UK community — determination and compassion,” Capilouto said. “This robust, comprehensive and labor-intensive approach to data-driven intervention underscores our resolve to provide the safest residential experience possible. Against that backdrop, I know that people across our campus are asking themselves every day how they can, in new ways, continue to connect with each other and show how much they care. That is who we are. That is what we do.”

The University of Louisville has a similar coronavirus dashboard which is updated three times a week by Campus Health Services. UofL's dashboard includes the total number of tests, number of positive and negative cases, and the positivity rate.

UofL's positivity rate also remains under two percent.