Some NUS UTown residents tested for Covid-19, self-isolating after virus traces detected in wastewater

• Low levels of Covid-19 viral ribonucleic acid were detected from a sample of wastewater
  This was linked to a number of bathrooms at a block in UTown Residence in the National University of Singapore
• Residents of the affected apartments had to be tested for Covid-19 on March 23
• They have also been told to isolate themselves till swab test results are out in two to three days
• Students told TODAY they were not too worried due to the stringent measures in place

SINGAPORE — Students living in a 25-storey hostel block of UTown Residence at the National University of Singapore (NUS) were tested for Covid-19 on Tuesday (March 23). This was after traces of the coronavirus were detected in a wastewater sample collected from the site.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) told TODAY that 437 people, excluding a person who had recovered from the disease, have been swabbed during the testing operations and all the results are pending. 

Low levels of Covid-19 viral ribonucleic acid, or RNA, were detected on March 21 from the National Environment Agency’s testing of wastewater sample collected the day before from the North Tower of UTown Residence, it said.

“There is evidence to suggest that this may be due to viral shedding from a recovered past infection among the residents, but as a precautionary measure, MOH carried out a special testing operations (on March 23) to test residents of the affected apartments.” 

In a circular sent out on Monday night, NUS said that MOH required residents of the affected units in UTown’s North Tower to undergo the urgent swab test.

NUS said that low levels of Covid-19 viral RNA had been detected in a sample linked to some of their bathrooms.

The wastewater sample was collected between 11am and 5pm last Saturday as part of checks that have been conducted at all NUS hostels since Dec 7 last year to non-intrusively detect Covid-19 positive cases.

The circular, which was seen by TODAY, stated that the polymerase chain reaction swab test, scheduled between 12pm and 4pm on Tuesday, was compulsory for residents living in 13 units of the tower. The sample was traced to these units. 

It was not clear exactly how many students would be tested.

The tests had to be performed “swiftly” to ascertain if anyone was infected with Covid-19, NUS noted.

The university also called on some people to return to campus immediately via a private vehicle, pre-booked taxi or private hire car to begin isolating themselves. These would be those who were in the hostel between 12.01am last Saturday and 6pm this Monday but had returned home since.

Those already on campus were told to avoid physical contact with others and leave their rooms only briefly should they need to use the bathroom or pantry, do laundry, or receive delivery orders, until their swab test results are out in two to three days.

They were also told to consider using food delivery services for their meals, and buying essential items such as masks, thermometers and personal hygiene items online.

The detection of Covid-19 traces was first reported by The Straits Times on Monday night, based on another circular that was addressed to the wider university population, advising students and staff members not to visit the affected hostel block and avoid venturing into the swabbing stations.

UTown was barricaded by Tuesday morning when TODAY visited and “Danger-Keep Out” signs had been erected.

One security guard told TODAY that they were preparing to receive a VIP, or very important person, so no one other than residents would be allowed entry. Another security guard simply refused to take questions as he turned away visitors.

The circular addressing the affected residents stated that the swab tests would be administered in the foyer on the ground floor. From a distance, TODAY could see students queuing up to get swabbed.

However, residents of the affected block were not barred from exiting the block.

When interviewing students, TODAY chanced upon a North Tower resident — who was supposed to take the swab test at 3pm — having lunch with a friend at a food court near the affected building.

The 19-year-old undergraduate from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences declined to be named but said: “They didn’t ban going out... they said try only to go out to buy food and your essentials, then just go back to your room.”

NUS declined to elaborate further on the information contained in the circulars.

The circular addressing affected residents, which was signed off by Associate Professor Adeline Seow, the deputy dean of students at the Office of Student Affairs, mentioned that the rules of self-isolation were put in place for the safety and health of the campus community.

“The university takes a serious view of non-compliance with these rules. Any breach of these rules will result in disciplinary action, including termination of campus housing, and in severe cases, expulsion from the university,” she said.

She added that if a resident turned out to be Covid-19-positive, residents will be given further advice on the disinfection schedule and room arrangements.

Students living in the affected North Tower or in the vicinity said that they were not too worried due to the stringent measures in place, including existing measures to declare their body temperatures through the university’s mobile application twice a day.

Saying that she was more annoyed than worried, the abovementioned 19-year-old said: “My friends and I are pretty sure that we don’t have Covid, but we are just going to stay in our rooms.”

She added: “I don’t think we’re worried about getting Covid. It is more, like, ‘Can we quickly get the test results back and carry on with our lives’.”

Another North Tower resident, a 23-year-old who wanted to be known only as John, said that some of his schoolmates were “celebrating” that they would not have to physically attend classes the next day, while some started complaining about having to put up with inconveniences.

These were the reactions he gathered from his campus-related Telegram chat groups.

Asked if he was worried that someone living near him could be a Covid-19 vector, the mechanical engineering student said: “I am more anxious about my studies.”

Business student Chen Hong, 23, who stays at the North Tower, said that he was shocked to hear of the news on Monday night, but he carried on his routine as usual on Tuesday because he was not from one of the affected units and did not need to be swabbed.

“I believe in the university’s precautions. If there is any problem, the school will inform us, so I am not too worried,” he said.

And if there is indeed a case of infection, he said that online lessons are already in place to replace face-to-face ones, so the transition should be smooth if more individuals need to quarantine themselves.