In-person classes have health consequences across Michigan, weekly tracking of education-related cases shows.
(Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services)
Bridge Michigan looks at the latest heath department rundown:
Coronavirus cases linked to outbreaks at Michigan colleges surged 72 percent in one week, surpassing 3,800 cases in a report state officials say is likely an undercount of the total cases linked to campuses.
Meanwhile, the number of Michigan K-12 schools with confirmed Covid-19 outbreaks jumped 64 percent in one week, from 28 schools in last week’s report, to 46 this week.
The report ... includes data collected by local health departments though Sept. 24.
Among campuses, Michigan State University (1,295 caes) overtakes Grand Valley State University (811) for the largest number of virus diagnoses. A week earlier, GVSU near Grand Rapids in had 694 positive cases, while MSU had 533.
MSU reports nearly 1,300 cases among students in Ingham County. (Photo: Instagram/MSU)
Though most local school outbreaks involve just a handful of students or staff, Ron French writes that "Monday’s numbers are sobering:"
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23 separate college campuses with outbreaks totaling 3,826 cases, up from 2,220 cases at 20 colleges a week earlier.
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There were 199 coronavirus cases involving K-12 students and staff in 46 Michigan school buildings, a sharp increase from 121 cases in 28 buildings a week earlier.
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There were 1,379 college cases two weeks ago. The total rose by more than 800 the following week, and another 1,600 this week.
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Cases in K-12 schools have gone up six-fold in two weeks — from 33 cases two weeks ago, to 199 in Monday’s report.
The state's list has only schools with at least two lab-confirmed cases linked to likely transmission in a school setting. So cases transmitted between siblings or friends who hang together outside school don't count, nor do multiple cases among people who attended a non-school gathering.
