University Of Washington Faces Growing COVID-19 Outbreak

As of Monday, there were at least 137 cases associated with the Greek row outbreak. KING's Eric Wilkinson reports.

(NBC News) — A COVID-19 outbreak on the University of Washington’s Greek Row came two weeks after about 1,100 Greek students returned for summer.

The incubation time for the disease is two weeks, meaning the students started spreading it immediately.

“This has been a wake up call to the community,” says Erik Johnson, president of the university’s Interfraternity Council.

As of Monday, there were at least 137 cases associated with the Greek row outbreak, according to UW.

Fraternity and sorority houses are privately owned, so the university can only “encourage” members to socially distance. That message isn’t getting through to everybody, even with the virus spreading.

“We haven’t seen severe symptoms if at all,” said Johnson. “Many are asymptomatic. No one has had to go to the hospital, and that can cause some complacency.”

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