In week 3 (18-24 January), only five confirmed cases were reported among students and seven among members of staff, which are some of the lowest figures reported for confirmed cases linked to Uppsala University. 

Next week the government will announce its decision on the direction for the weeks ahead.  The current decision for the University’s activities is in effect until 7 February and the new university management has made it clear that the University will continue to follow the government recommendations. 

“Unfortunately, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of reported cases of suspected cheating, which is clearly linked to the fact that the great majority of all assessments are being carried out remotely,” says coronavirus coordinator Fredrik Blomqvist.
Corresponding, there is a strong desire in the disciplinary domains to revert to conducting a considerably higher proportion of assessments in an exam room as soon as the situation allows.

 

To summarise the infection situation, as of 29 January there have been 527 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the autumn semester 2020.

This figure breaks down as follows:

  • 434  Bachelor’s and Master’s students (including 9 cases at Campus Gotland) – an increase of 5 cases.
  • 11 doctoral students – no increase.
  • 82 members of staff – an increase of 7 cases, including 1 case at Campus Gotland.

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

  • Hum/Sam – 171 (+2) confirmed cases
  • Med/Farm – 205 (+2) confirmed cases
  • Tek/Nat – 58 (+1) confirmed cases

The confirmed cases can be linked to 235 different courses and programmes (different semesters). 90 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 01 (4-10 January) 1120, week 02 (11-17 January) 689 and week 03 (18-24 January) 697.
Number of people confirmed infected in Region Gotland: week 01 (4-10 January) 155, week 02 (11-17 January) 83 and week 03 (18-24 January) 57.
Source: Public Health Agency of Sweden

 

Number of people vaccinated in Uppsala County


As of 28 January, 9531 (+2528) county residents had received their first dose of the vaccine and 563 (+508) of these had also received a second dose.

 

The Communicable Diseases Act requires:
 

If you are confirmed infected, the Communicable Diseases Act requires you to inform people whom you suspect you may have infected. As part of Uppsala University’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection, the University has created an online procedure to help you do this anonymously.


To test or not to test
 

The infection control doctor in Uppsala County requests those who have been confirmed infected not to get tested again after recovering from COVID-19. Doing so has no medical benefits and is an unnecessary drain on testing resources. Resources for PCR testing in Region Uppsala are under great strain.

The previously announced guidelines, decision and supplementary decisions for reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection remain in effect.