This communication was sent campuswide Oct. 13, 2020.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

As we approach the midway point of the fall semester, I want to thank all of you for your ongoing efforts and vigilance to keep all of us safe and our campuses open for in-person instruction.

I am also pleased to announce we will be able to offer COVID-19 testing on campus for symptomatic patients. Beginning Oct. 13, testing will be available from 2–4 p.m. on weekdays. 

These tests will be available only to students, faculty and staff who are symptomatic and have already filled out the self-reporting form, which will give directions on how to proceed.

Testing will be conducted at Marriott Allied Health Building on the Ogden campus. Once instructed to do so, symptomatic patients should approach the ground floor entrance on the west side of the building and head south along the sidewalk until you see stairs leading to an entrance in the middle of the building. (Signs will direct you to the testing site.) 

Please wait outside for a nursing faculty member to hand you a swab and give you instructions to self-collect a nasal sample.

I can not overstate how important it is that all members of our campus community self report as soon as they begin to exhibit signs of COVID-19 symptoms. That is key to our protocols for keeping campuses safe and open this fall.

In addition to filling out the self-report form, in order to qualify for an on-campus test, you must also present as symptomatic. COVID-19 symptoms may include any of the following:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

The tests are self-administered, and results should be available within 15–20 minutes.

I want to remind all of you that it is imperative you take your temperature and self monitor prior to coming to campus for classes or work. If you have a fever or other COVID-19 symptoms, stay home. Do not come to campus (unless you have been instructed to take a COVID-19 test on campus).

Finally, I’d like to extend my thanks to Matthew Nicholau in the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Sally Cantwell and the faculty, staff and students in the Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing for providing expertise and facilities to conduct these tests on campus.

As we have seen with the number of cases reported statewide, COVID-19 continues to present a risk to our community. Your vigilance and ongoing commitment to the safety protocols we have implemented remain essential to help protect the safety and well-being of our entire campus population.

Sincerely,
Dane LeBlanc

 

Quick Reference:

What: COVID-19 testing available on campus

Who: Symptomatic students, faculty or staff who have completed the self-reporting form

When: Weekdays, 2–4 p.m.

Where: Marriott Allied Health Building, Ogden campus (access from outside stairs on west side of building)