Notre Dame president tests positive for COVID-19 before inauguration

2024 marks a new era for Notre Dame in the form of a new president, the Rev. Robert Dowd. It’s way too early to tell exactly what impact he’ll have on the university, but hopefully, it mostly will be for the better, both for athletics and otherwise.

However, Dowd is human, and we’re not far removed from COVID-19 upending everyone’s way of life. Even with the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, the disease very much remains out there, and it can affect anyone at any time. Notre Dame’s previous president, the Rev. John Jenkins, tested positive for it during the pandemic.

Unfortunately for Dowd, he has tested positive for the disease, and the timing for it couldn’t have been worse:

The good news is that earlier this year, CDC guidelines relaxed the isolation period to 24 hours from the previous five days. So it’s not like Dowd will have to miss his inauguration bonanza altogether. Still, it’s a reminder that the real world can and will inject itself into pageantry whenever it feels like it.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89