Wellness at Penn advises caution amid Philadelphia-wide COVID-19 case surge

Wellness at Penn is advising caution among Penn community members amid a surge of COVID-19 cases throughout the country this summer, including in the Philadelphia community.

According to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s wastewater testing data, the presence of COVID-19 in wastewater has been increasing since the spring at all three treatment plants. The CDC says that viral activity levels are currently “high” in Pennsylvania and infections are “likely growing” according to wastewater data.

Because the majority of COVID-19 cases are no longer reported to health agencies, wastewater monitoring is the most accurate tracking method of cases in the community. 

Ashlee Halbritter, the executive director of public health and wellbeing at Wellness at Penn, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that “the summer COVID spike has been well referenced in national and local health data," adding that "our campus is no different.”

“We are entering the time of year where we start to see illnesses in students," Halbritter said. "Please take care of yourselves, and each other, by staying home when symptomatic and masking around others.”

In March, the CDC and Wellness at Penn updated their COVID-19 guidelines to align with the guidelines for other respiratory infections, in lieu of a five-day isolation period.

The University’s current upper respiratory illness guidance, which includes COVID-19, says that — while there is no isolation requirement for the general population — anyone with symptoms or who tests positive should stay home to rest. People can rejoin activities and work while masked when they have been fever free for 24 hours and their symptoms have improved.

Rebecca Huxta, director of public health at Wellness at Penn, reiterated the importance of students staying in their College House or apartment and masking in common spaces if they test positive. She said that students who are sick “should avoid group dining settings and utilize the sick meal policy through Penn Dining.”

In the previous two summers, COVID-19 cases decreased. Thersa Sweet, an associate teaching professor of epidemiology at Drexel University, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the spike in cases this summer could potentially be attributed to new and more infectious variants of COVID-19.

Philadelphians have also had low vaccination rates of the most recent COVID-19 vaccines, which are designed to protect against new variants. CDC data shows that only 25% of Philadelphians above the age of 18 have received new vaccinations as of May.

Earlier in August, the CDC described COVID-19 as endemic in an interview with NPR. An endemic disease is a disease that has “a constant and predictable pressure.” However, given the summer surge in cases, many epidemiologists around the world still believe the virus is unpredictable, according to the Inquirer.

Neil Fishman, the chief medical officer of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania told the Inquirer that it may take five or more years before COVID-19 settles into a truly predictable pattern of seasonal illness. In 2023, COVID-19 killed 76,000 people in the United States — the 10th-leading cause of death.

In light of the surge of infections across the country this summer, President Joe Biden's administration announced in a briefing that they will be restarting their free COVID test program this September. This allows Americans to order up to four free COVID-19 tests through the mail.

Huxta said that at-home COVID-19 tests are available for free to students at the Student Health and Counseling medical care office, which is located at 3535 Market Street. Students do not need an appointment to access these tests.

For symptom management, students can reach out to Wellness’s Medical Care Team at 215-746-3535 or the Penn Public Health team at 215-898-0300. Wellness at Penn will also be hosting their annual flu clinic from October 16-18 at Pottruck Health and Fitness Center and anticipate having updated COVID-19 boosters available soon.