UK Athletics gives encouraging update on COVID-19 testing

The University of Kentucky has released an update on COVID-19 testing for student-athletes and staff.

According to the school, proactive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic testing has been implemented for all student-athletes who have returned to campus. UK also continues to test for COVID-19 antibodies.

All 108 members of the football team currently participating in workouts and 58 staff members essential for workouts participated in PCR diagnostic testing last week. Zero tested positive for current COVID-19 infection.

42 student-athletes from the men’s basketball, volleyball and women’s soccer teams have gone through the initial screening process, with three testing positive for past COVID-19 infection through antibody testing. The school did not reveal specific players or staff that tested positive.

In addition, 41 student-athletes and 21 staff members with those teams participated in PCR diagnostic testing. Three tested positive and were required to quarantine in accordance with CDC and local health department guidelines. One student-athlete provided documentation of at-home diagnostic testing.

Overall, that’s 229 people who were tested with only three positive tests for the virus. That’s very good for such a large number of people to have so few cases, so it’s clear UK is doing a good job so far at preventing an outbreak on campus. Several programs across the nation have had outbreaks that have forced summer workouts to be suspended.

If UK keeps up this pace, they won’t have any such suspensions leading into the fall sports season, if there is one.