This week, with the largest sample size of the Covid Tracker yet, 10.5% of students and staff said they have tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, an increase from 8.9% on Feb. 24.

This week’s poll was linked on gradewide group chats and provided Color War teams with points, which nearly doubled participation from two weeks ago. Of about 300 students and staff at school, 181 responded. The highest previously was 145 Dec. 15-16.

The latest survey was taken March 9 and 10. Previous trackers’ sample sizes were 101 (Feb. 24) and 118 (Feb. 10).

Compared to those, the percentage of students and staff who said they had been exposed to Covid actually decreased, from 25.7% of people Feb. 24 to 14.36% as of March. 10, undoubtedly owing to the increase in sample size.

Also decreasing was the percentage of community members who reported personally knowing someone who has contracted Covid-19; this decreased from 92.1% of those surveyed on Feb. 24 to 85.64% now, again reflecting the increase in sample size.

The percentage of people who said someone in their household had tested positive stayed almost exactly the same, at 17.13% March 9-10 compared to 17.8% people on Feb. 23-24.

Rising slightly was the percentage who said they knew personally someone who had died from the illness, from 23.8% to 25.41% in the same period.

Now that vaccine distribution is underway, the Covid Tracker has added a question asking whether the respondent or anyone in their household has received it.

In the Feb. 23-24 tracker, the total percentage was 14.9% of respondents who answered that they or someone in their household had received one dose, and 41.6% said two doses.

This week, 32.6% of respondents answered that they or someone in their household had received one dose, and 44.75% of people responded saying two doses — together, suggesting that 77.35% of the Shalhevet community has at least one household member who is at least partially immunized.

Fewer than a quarter — 22.65% — said either that no one in their household had yet had the vaccine or that they were unsure.

The Boiling Point is conducting a Covid-19 tracking project to watch how Covid cases are progressing not only at school but among friends, family and personal acquaintances of Shalhevet community members.

The survey is not scientific. Originally it was posted whenever there was a Town Hall, but it is now published every other Tuesday morning. Community members including students, faculty and staff have until midnight the following night to respond.

Click on the gallery below to see answers to all March 9-10 Covid Tracker questions.

Type “Covid Tracker” in the search box for information on previous time periods.

Gallery • 6 Photos

BP Graph by Eli Weiss