Eleven new positive Covid-19 cases linked to St Andrews University have been identified since November 5 – taking the total tally of students and staff who have contracted the virus since the start of September to 96.
NHS Fife and St Andrews University have provided the update as part of their aim to produce an accurate weekly snapshot of confirmed cases currently associated with the university community since September 1.
While there is evidence of a potential link between some cases, the 96 figure also includes some sporadic cases which have resulted from prolonged close contact with positive cases out with the Fife health board area.
A total of 86 of the cases involve students, nine of which have come to light since November 5, while 10 of the 96 involve members of the staff.
The vast majority of the positive cases, 85, have been discharged from treatment, leaving just 11 active cases associated with the community.
Ninety-two further individuals are self-isolating after been identified as a contact of a confirmed case, while 53 people – 50 students and three staff – are self-isolating on a precautionary basis while a suspected Covid case awaits test results.
The St Andrews cases in the past seven days are relatively small in comparison to Fife as a whole, with six of Fife’s 415 new cases identified in the St Andrews South West area. Fewer than four have been identified in each of the St Andrews North and St Andrews Central areas over the past week.
A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: “NHS Fife’s Health Protection Team is working closely with colleagues at the University of St Andrews to prevent further infection and mitigate the effect of any positive cases which do occur.
“Contact tracers from the Test and Protect Team continue to identify and trace the known contacts of the any positive cases so they can be instructed to self-isolate to prevent onward spread of the virus.
“It is important that anyone experiencing the well-established symptoms of COVID-19, such as a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, should immediately self-isolate and arrange a test using the NHS inform website www.nhsinform.scot or by calling 0800 028 2816.”
