Spring 2021 COVID-19 Testing

All members of the Puget Sound community living, working, or taking classes on campus this spring will participate in pooled saliva testing at least once a week to help keep our community safe.

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What is pooled testing?

Puget Sound has partnered with Mirimus Laboratories to provide COVID-19 surveillance testing for asymptomatic students, faculty members, and staff members using a saliva-based PCR pooled testing system. This system enables frequent, high-quality, high-volume testing to help us monitor the campus population, identify potential infection within our community, and quickly take action to reduce and contain potential outbreaks.

Asymptomatic Testing
Regular testing of asymptomatic individuals leads to viral detection in those who may not be experiencing any symptoms. Research has shown that people without symptoms who have the virus are able to spread the infection to others. In fact, a person may be at the highest risk for transmitting the virus one to two days before they develop symptoms. When a student tests positive for COVID-19, our contact tracing and isolation procedure will be activated.

 

 

Testing Protocols and Instructions

Daily Self-Screening

Students, faculty members, and staff members are required to complete a daily online COVID-19 health self-screening before coming to campus, or for those living on campus, before leaving their campus residence. Those who identify as having symptoms of COVID-19 will not be cleared to be on campus (or if already on campus, to engage in campus activities), and will be referred for medical evaluation.

Who should participate in pooled testing?

  • Students will test twice weekly, on nonconsecutive days, at the testing pavilion located on the Event Lawn. To help reduce congestion in the testing pavilion, students should schedule their testing in one-hour time blocks by visiting pugetsound.edu/scheduletest (available Jan. 16).
  • Faculty and staff members will test once or twice weekly, as determined by their COVID-19 leads and/or department supervisors, on nonconsecutive days. To reduce the density of people at the testing pavilion, faculty and staff members will collect their samples at home or elsewhere and drop them off at the testing pavilion.
  • Faculty and staff members who are working entirely remotely, and those who come to campus fewer than three days per week and who are not providing in-person services or otherwise interacting with the campus community are not required to test.
  • DO NOT participate in pooled testing if you have experienced any of the following symptoms:
    • 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
    • close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks
  • DO NOT participated in pooled testing if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days.

 

If you are experiencing symptoms:

 

Collecting your sample:

  • DO NOT eat, drink, smoke, chew gum, or brush your teeth at least 30 minutes prior to testing.
  • DO NOT use mouthwash for at least two hours prior to testing.
  • DO fill your test tube at least halfway for accurate processing.
  • DO NOT forcefully blow when collecting your sample to avoid creating bubbles.
  • To help reduce congestion in the testing pavilion, students should schedule their testing in one-hour time blocks by visiting pugetsound.edu/scheduletest (available Jan. 16).

 

Testing Instructions

To help reduce congestion in the testing pavilion, students should schedule their testing in one-hour time blocks by visiting pugetsound.edu/scheduletest (available Jan. 16).

Step 1

DO NOT eat, drink, smoke, chew gum, or brush your teeth at least 30 minutes prior to testing. DO NOT use mouthwash for at least two hours prior to testing.

Step 2

Open the straw pouch and remove the straw.

Step 3

Unscrew the tube cap and insert the narrow end of the saliva straw into the tube.

Step 4

Pool saliva in your mouth, and let it fall through the straw into the tube. Do not blow forcefully to avoid bubbles.

Step 5

Remove and discard the straw and securely cap the tube.

Step 6

STUDENTS: Wipe the tube with the alcohol wipe provided, and place your tube in the collection tray for your testing pool.

 

FACULTY/STAFF: Wipe the tube with the alcohol wipe provided. Place the tube into the bag and seal it. Legibly write your name on the label in your kit and apply it securely to the bag.

Step 7

FACULTY/STAFF: Drop your sealed and labeled tube at the Faculty/Staff Drop-off in the testing pavilion, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

 

COVID-19 Testing Pavilion

Location
The testing pavilion is located on the Event Lawn between Thomas Hall and Warner Gym.

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

 

Accessing Your Results

Each day’s testing pools will be shipped to the Mirimus lab at the end of the day, and should arrive by 10 a.m. the following morning. Your results should be posted within 24–48 hours after samples arrive at the lab. Samples collected or dropped off after 3 p.m. will be shipped to the lab the following business day. 

Get Your Results:

  • Go to pugetsound.edu/testresults.
  • Log in using your campus ID number, located on your LoggerCard. You must enter the full 10-digit number, including preceding zeros.

What Your Results Mean

  • Pending: Testing of your pool is not yet complete.
  • Not Detected: Your pool has cleared, and you may continue your campus activities.

If your pool is not cleared, that may mean that you are part of a pool in which someone has tested positive for COVID-19. If that is the case, you will be contacted by text and email, and you must stay home and limit your contact with others (social distance, wear a mask, etc.) until you receive further instructions from a member of Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services (CHWS).

If you are a staff member and your pool has not been cleared, please notify your supervisor. 

If 72 hours has passed since your pool should have arrived at the lab, and your results still show as “Pending,” that does not necessarily mean that you are part of a pool in which someone has tested positive for COVID-19. Please contact CHWS at chws@pugetsound.edu to resolve the issue.