Introduction to COVID-19 Dashboard
Updated 4:51 p.m. Saturday, September 19.
The following Dashboard is updated daily with information collected from IU Health, third party on-campus testing sources, and through self reports by both students and employees at Ball State University. The total positive cases provided in portions of this dashboard are a cumulative total, dating back to Aug. 17. Now included in this Dashboard, however, is an "Active Cases and Recoveries" data set that most accurately illustrates the current positive case volume.
Collectively, the following data has been made possible with expanded testing capacity on campus and increased contact tracing. Overall, trends show efforts on campus to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have been effective.
This following data is reviewed and discussed daily with a four-member health advisory committee that guides the University on best course of action.
Reports of Testing Through IU Health
The following data includes testing totals for Ball State employees and students who have been tested for COVID-19 through our partnership with IU Health. IU Health only conducts testing for people who have COVID-19 symptoms. Therefore, the percentage testing positive is much higher.
These numbers are updated daily based on information provided by IU Health. The numbers are cumulative starting from August 17, and new cases are indicated above the total number. New cases are included in the total number.
Please note that included within the total number of students who have tested positive are some students who are only registered for online courses.
Testing & Positive Cases through IU Health
Reports |
Students |
Employees |
Tested in Past 24 Hours | 9 | 2 |
Total Tested | 626 | 50 |
Positive Cases in Past 24 Hours | 0 | 0 |
Total Positive Cases | 306 | 5 |
Positive Cases from Other Sources
The following data includes positive test results for students and employees who tested positive at other locations on campus, including Scheumann Stadium and Worthen Arena, as well as self-reported positive test results for students and employees who were tested at off-campus locations. We do not have access to total tests administered at all of these locations. Please note that included within the total number of students who have tested positive are (a) several students who tested positive during our re-entry testing protocol, so they were not permitted to come to campus until a healthcare professional cleared them to do so, and (b) some students who are only registered for online courses. The numbers are cumulative starting from August 19, 2020.
Positive Cases from Other Sources
Reports |
Students |
Employees |
Positive Cases in Past 24 Hours | 1 | 0 |
Total Positive Cases | 651 | 14 |
Estimated Recovered and Active Cases
The following calculations are determined as follows:
- Estimated Recovered Cases – Guidance from the CDC provides that persons with COVID-19 who experienced mild to moderate symptoms may end their isolation 10 days after the onset of symptoms and no sooner than 24 hours after symptoms ceased. The CDC guidance also provides that persons who tested positive, yet never experienced symptoms, may end their isolation 10 after their first positive PCR test. The Indiana State Department of Health has provided similar guidance. We conservatively estimate that a person has recovered 10 days after the university first received notice of the person’s positive test result.
- Estimated Active Cases – The number of estimated active cases is the difference between the total number of reported positive cases and the number of estimated recovered cases, as calculated based on CDC and ISDH guidance.
Active Cases and Recoveries
Positive Cases |
Estimated Recovered |
Estimated Active |
Total
976 | Total
923 | Total
53 |
| Students
905 | Students
52 |
| Employees
18 | Employees
1 |
Reported Cases and Recoveries by Week
The following chart represents two sets of data over time:
- The total number of positive COVID-19 cases among Ball State University students and employees for each week since the University began reporting data.
- This chart also now displays estimated recoveries by week.
NOTE: Ball State University substantially increased testing capacity the last week of August, which is represented in the increase in total numbers for the Reports of Positive Cases from Other Sources.
Quarantine and Isolation Capacity
The University has reserved isolation space for residential students who test positive, and the University has reserved and procured quarantine space for residential students who have been identified as “close contacts.” The following data indicates the percentage of available space for both Isolation and Quarantine.
Present Isolation Capacity
98.6%
Present Quarantine Capacity
97.1%
Frequently Asked Questions
The dashboards are updated daily once the University receives information from IU Health. The second dashboard now includes cases from other sources, primarily self-reports.
There are multiple indicators that have a significant impact on the COVID-19 environment. For purposes of institutional decision-making, the University is monitoring trends on a daily basis in the following areas: the number of new and existing cases, availability of testing, availability of health care for those who need it, contract tracing capacity, availability of quarantine and isolation space, personal protective equipment inventory, and state and federal mandates.
If your health care provider has determined that you are symptomatic for COVID-19, you may be tested through the IU Health partnership. Testing appointments are available 7 days a week.
However, if you have been advised to be tested and you currently do not have symptoms, there are other testing options available:
On-campus Testing Options
Open Door Health Services COVID-19 Testing
September 14-November 23
9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Mondays, Wednesday, Thursdays
Worthen Arena Concourse
- COVID-19 testing is free
- testing is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), not rapid response
- results will be available in two to five days
Please bring your:
- Ball State ID
- mobile phone
- insurance card (if you have one)
When you arrive, please go to Worthen Arena Gate 1 next to the Athletic Ticket Office. Then walk around the outside of the building to reach the location. No cutting through the Jo Ann Gora Student Wellness and Recreation Center.
If You Have Symptoms
Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should use IU Health Services for screening and testing.
Use the symptom checker at iuhealth.org/covid19 to check for COVID-19 symptoms. If your symptoms indicate COVID-19, you will be referred to the coronavirus screening service with an RN through the IU Health Virtual Visit app. IU Health will order a COVID-19 test and provide instructions to the appropriate specimen collection site at the Student Health Center, IU Ball Memorial Hospital, or the North Tillotson Avenue site.
More Testing Options
The state of Indiana provides a list of testing options. Be sure to contact the testing site before you go to make sure you meet the criteria for testing.
Find a testing site.
We have initiated the contact tracing protocols under the authority of the Delaware County Health Department. Contact tracers will interview students and employees by phone to help identify all individuals with whom the students and employees had close contact.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Indiana State Department of Health define close contact as being within six feet of an infected individual for at least 15 minutes.
Please make sure the University has your up-to-date contact information.
If you are symptomatic for COVID-19, you may be tested through the IU Health partnership. If you do not have symptoms, you should speak with your health care provider about whether you should be tested.
For additional up-to-date information about COVID-19 in Delaware County and other counties in Indiana, please visit the Indiana State Department of Health's online dashboard. Visit the website.