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NAU Student Says She May Have Been Exposed To COVID-19 On First Day Back On Campus

Michelle John
Michelle John
Michelle John, a senior at Northern Arizona University, says she may have been exposed to COVID-19 during her first in-person class. She finds it concerns that she was not notified of the possible exposure by NAU staff.

A student at Northern Arizona University said she may have been exposed to a classmate with COVID-19 on her first week back on campus.

Michelle John, a senior studying elementary education, had two Monday classes with a classmate who told her later in the week they had tested positive for COVID-19. John said neither her professors nor NAU staff have reached out to her about the possible exposure. 

John said she and her classmate also have the COVID Watch app, which allows students anonymously share with others who they have been in contact with when they have tested positive. That app also failed to notify John of the possible exposure, she said. 

“I think it’s reckless because not everyone who tests positive is going to do the due diligence and let the people that they were in class with know," John said. 

Exposure notifications can depend on when the infected person tested positive, NAU said in a statement. If the person and John were physically distanced, wearing masks before and after class, then a contact investigator may have determined there was no exposure.

"CDC and Arizona state guidelines to determine exposure include being physically within 6 feet of a person who tested positive, with that contact lasting longer than 15 minutes; living with someone who tests positive; or having been near a sick person while either person was not wearing protective gear," the university said. 

As for the app, the university said the app is able to calculate a person's level of exposure risk by assessing duration of exposure to an infected person, distance from an infected person and the point in the infection arc at which a user was exposed. 

John thinks students should be notified, regardless, of any potential exposure.

"I can see why they may do it — not worrying students, stopping panic, ensuring testing centers aren’t overwhelmed, but I don’t agree with it," she said. "For me personally, I’d like to know of any potential risk, no matter what the chances are of contracting COVID are."

John has gone to get tested and is expecting to get the results soon.

NAU started its semester on Aug. 12 but kept most classes remote. It began in-person classes on Aug. 31. 

Rocio Hernandez was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2020 to 2022.