An email with the word “URGENT” in the subject will appear in a couple hundred Elon University students, faculty and staff inbox each week this fall. Those receiving this email from Jeff Stein, the chair of the ready and resilient committee, have been randomly selected for COVID-19 testing.
Currently, the random COVID-19 testing for students is being conducted every Wednesday in Alumni Gym while testing for faculty and staff is being done through mail-in tests. Students receive instructions on how to sign-up for a time and more information about what to expect in the email from Stein.
Each week, the results are posted on the Ready & Resilient COVID-19 dashboard. Through the first two weeks, over 500 people have been tested, with only one person testing positive.
Elon freshman Anna Carmondy said she changed her behavior to protect herself further from the virus after realizing she would be tested.
“I was definitely trying to be even extra safer than I already was,” Carmondy said. “Even with my common area or my hallmates and stuff, I was just trying to only be around them if they had masks on and everything.”
Students at the gym wait in line, fill out paperwork and then meet with a LabCorp employee who helps them administer the nasal swab PCR test on themselves ― the same type of test used in pre-semester testing.
Stein said students seemed to be at ease with the process since most of them have already done the test.
“I'm surprised how comfortable students have been with the process and just kind of very relaxed and willing to jump in and stand in line for a minute to work with the LabCorp folks,” Stein said.
If students, faculty and staff test negative, they are notified through LabCorp’s testing portal, which they can access through the link in the email they received from Stein. Otherwise, if students test positive, they should expect a call from either a medical provider or a member of the LabCorp medical team to notify them.