SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance Reveals Little Spread Between a Large University Campus and the Surrounding Community

Abstract

COVID-19 has had high incidence at institutions of higher education (IHE) in the United States, but the transmission dynamics in these settings are not well understood. It remains unclear to what extent IHE-associated outbreaks have contributed to transmission in nearby communities. We implemented high-density prospective genomic surveillance to investigate these dynamics at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the surrounding community during the Fall 2020 semester (August 16th through November 24th). We sequenced complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes from 1659 individuals, including 468 students, representing 20% of cases in students and 25% of total confirmed cases in Washtenaw County over the study interval. Phylogenetic analysis identified over 200 introductions into the student population, most of which were not related to other student cases. There were two prolonged transmission clusters among students that spanned across multiple on-campus residences. However, there were very few genetic descendants of student clusters among non-students during a subsequent November wave of infections in the community. We conclude that outbreaks at the University of Michigan did not significantly contribute to the rise in Washtenaw County COVID-19 incidence during November 2020. These results provide valuable insights into the distinct transmission dynamics of SARS- CoV-2 among IHE populations and surrounding communities.

Lessons Learned From the Implementation of a Participant-Collected, Mail-Based SARS-CoV-2 Serological Survey in Massachusetts, USA

“…Viral transmission among university students may also affect those in close proximity to the university. Though not the case in all large universities and surrounding communities, 5 it was found that counties with large university populations offering in-person instruction experienced a 56.2% increase in COVID-19 incidence when comparing the 21 days before and after the first day of classes in fall 2020. 6 These data suggest that viral transmission networks extend beyond universities and into surrounding communities, and may impact vulnerable community members.…”