ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to analyze the life habits and personal factors associated with an increased SARS-CoV-2 risk in a university environment with in-person lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no previous longitudinal studies that have analyzed behavioral and personal factors with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection on an entire university population. A cohort study was conducted in the three campuses of the University of Navarra between August 24th 2020 and May 30th 2021, including 14,496 students and employees. 10,959 participants were finally included. Descriptive and multivariate adjusted models were performed using Cox regression. A total of 1,032 (9.4%) participants were diagnosed with COVID-19 (879 students, 153 employees), almost 50% living with their family. COVID-19 was associated with living in college or residence (HR:1.96 CI 95% 1.45 to 2.63), motor transportation (HR:1.36 CI 95% 1.14 to 1.62), South American origin (HR:1.41 CI 95% 1.17 to 1.69) and belonging to Madrid's campus (HR:3.15 CI 95% 2.50 to 3.97). In conclusion, international students, especially from Latin America, mostly lived in university apartments or shared flats and cohabited with 4-11 people. Living in a big city (Madrid), was a significant risk factor.
ABSTRACT
The "Safe Campus Program," implemented in 2020 through 2021 at the University of Navarra (Spain), aimed to guarantee a safe return to university campus and prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks, avoiding university-wide lockdown. It included COVID-19 education, campus adaptation, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. We describe the main characteristics of the program and analyze the SARS-CoV-2 cumulative incidence among 14 496 university members. The 14-day cumulative incidence in the university was 415.2 versus 447.7 in the region. The program, sustainable in the long term, achieved low SARS-CoV-2 in-campus rates. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(4):570-573. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306682.