OSU Officials Say 23 Sorority Members Test Positive For COVID-19

Oklahoma State University officials said multiple students from the Pi Beta Phi sorority tested positive for COVID-19. Now, the entire chapter house is under a quarantine.

School officials said the students aren’t allowed to leave their chapter home. Some on campus said it’s a potentially harmful situation for the student body.

“You have girls that live in-house and some that don’t live in house,” OSU student Julia Aguirre said. “I mean, they’re coming in and out, in and out all day.”

OSU officials said they learned 23 positive COVID-19 cases came from the sorority house on Friday night. A campus-wide email was sent out alerting students and faculty on Saturday afternoon.

“I don’t feel at ease,” OSU student Garrett Pools said. “I didn’t feel at ease when I got the email. I understand they have to be honest, but I didn’t feel at ease at all.”

COVID-19 testing was performed at a nearby health facility.  It’s uncertain why so many members were tested at once.

 “I’ve been out walking my dogs and they’re in and out of the house, walking through the neighborhood every night and, I mean, I passed them on the street,” Aguirre said. “That worries me a lot.”

Of the 23 who tested positive, only one is symptomatic. Another member who tested positive lives elsewhere but will also remain in isolation.  All students who are involved are currently being monitored by OSU and the Payne County Health Department. Contact tracing is also being conducted.

“It’s going to spread like wildfire worse than Stillwater’s already seen in the past couple months,” Aguirre said.

Officials said they will work to keep the campus community updated as the situation continues.