Four cases of COVID-19 have been reported at Dallas College Brookhaven Campus – two on Sept. 28, one on Sept. 8 and another on May 26 as of this story. Cases were disclosed to the public through the Clery Notices on the Dallas College website. Brookhaven Campus has the least number of reported cases.
While most classes are held online and campuses opened at a limited capacity, facilities remain a place where contagion is possible.
A total of 21 cases had been reported across Dallas College in the previous 30 days prior to Aug. 1, according to the college website.
In an email to The Courier, Alex Lyda, senior managing director of communications at Dallas College, said an individual tested positive for COVID-19 at Brookhaven. In this case, the last place where the unidentified individual was on campus was not published. However, according to the notice, all impacted areas were closed and disinfected.
Lyda said, “Dallas College’s Critical Response Office (CRO) immediately notified any potentially exposed individuals who might have been in the same area as the positive individual … Impacted areas were immediately closed for cleaning and disinfection, according to CDC guidelines.”
The first case where an individual from Brookhaven tested positive for COVID-19 was reported June 6. According to the college website, the last time this person was on campus was May 26 in the S and R buildings.
Peggy Mason, professor of microbiology at Brookhaven, currently not attending the installations, said, “I don’t know that I trust the data because while employees are asked to report their status, there could have been some cases early on.”
Mason said all campuses have handled COVID-19 the same way. She said the procedures at Dallas College have certainly been strict and mentioned the Appian app, which is used to ensure all attendees self-report possible symptoms before going to any college facility.
The Appian app plays an important role in helping track people with symptoms that may have not been allowed on campus. “If an exposed individual begins to experience symptoms, he or she should seek advice from a medical professional,” Lyda said.
Mason said she is not sure about trusting the data provided by Dallas College. “I am sure that every campus has already had far more than two cases, especially if you count students,” she said.
Dallas College will continue to notify incidents reported at campuses and locations through the Clery Notices. Lyda said no personal information of individuals or the circumstances of the incidents are provided for privacy protection.
“We all play a role in keeping Dallas College a safe place by adhering to sound public health practices,” Lyda said.