Regular COVID-19 testing for college students

As colleges and universities are being tasked with safely beginning classes, researchers at one school are ramping up testing.

AT ONE SCHOOL ARE RAMPING UPTESTING.BUT THEY'RE PUTTING AWAY THENASAL SWAB IN EXCHANGE FOR ATEST THEY SAY CAN BE SCALED TOPERFORM THOUSANDS OF TESTS ADAY WITH TURNAROUND IN JUSTHOURS.SCRIPPS REPORTER ASH-HARQURAISHI HAS MORE.COLLEGE JUNIOR ALLIYAH RUMBOLT-LEMOND IS ALREADY BACK ONCAMPUS AND REGULARLY TESTINGFOR COVID19."I KNOW IF YOU HAVE IN-PERSONCLASSES YOU'RE GOING TO BE ONCAMPUS YOU HAVE TO GET TESTEDTWICE A WEEK." THE COLLEGEJUNIOR IS ONE OF THE MORE THAN51,000 STUDENTS AT THEUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISRETURNING TO SCHOOL DURING THEPANDEMIC - POSING A LOGISTICALCHALLENGE FOR ADMINISTRATORS."IT WAS VERY DAUNTING."PROFESSOR MARTIN BURKE WAS PARTOF THE TEAM OF UNIVERSITYRESEARCHERS WHO DEVELOPED ATWO-STEP SALIVA-BASED COVID-19TEST TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM."WE CALLED THIS OUR TARGET TESTAND TELL INITIATIVE OVERALLCOLLECTIVELY DESCRIBED AS ASHIELD." THE SHIELD INITIATIVENEEDED TO BE SCALABLE, ANDUNLIKE THE FOUR-STEPNASOPHARYNGEAL SWAB TESTS - NOTVULNERABLE TO SUPPLY CHAINBOTTLENECKS."IT'S A VERY POWERFUL CONCEPTTHAT IF WE CAN GET TO THATFAST, FREQUENT TESTING, WEREALLY COULD GET CONTROL OF THESITUATION." A QUICK STOP ENROUTE TO CLASS OR WORK.INTEGRATED WITH LOCALHEALTHCARE AGENCIES - STUDENTSRECEIVE RESULTS ON AN APPWITHIN HOURS - NOT DAYS."IT TAKES ABOUT FIVE TO 10MINUTES TO SUBMIT YOUR SALIVASAMPLE AND THEN THE RESULTS ARETYPICALLY BACK ON YOUR PHONEWITHIN THREE TO SIX HOURS." THEUNIVERSITY'S VETERINARY SCHOOLDIAGNOSTIC LAB HAS BEEN10 TO 20 THOUSAND SALIVA TESTSPER DAY.COMFORTABLE SAYING HEY WHEN'STHE LAST TIME YOU GOT TESTED."20 TESTING SITES WITH 40STATIONS ARE SET UP ACROSSCAMPUS.USERS CAN EVEN GET EXPOSURENOTIFICATIONS IF THEY'VE BEENIN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHOTESTS POSITIVE."IF SOMEONE TESTS POSITIVE THENSAME DAY THAT PERSON ISISOLATED WHICH WE THINK ISCRITICAL FOR ULTIMATELY THEEFFICACY OF THE TESTINGPROGRAM." THEY'VE PUBLISHED APRE-PRINT PAPER ON THEIRCOVID19 SALIVA TEST WHICH ISUNDERGOING PEER REVIEW AND ARESEEKING FDA APPROVAL.FOR STUDENTS LIKE ALLIYAH, IT'SONE- STOP PIECE OF MIND."IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE I'MSAFER ON CAMPUS BECAUSE EVENTHOUGH WE ONLY HAVE TO GETTESTED TWICE A WEEK YOU CAN GETTESTED EVERY DAY THE TESTINGSITE IS OPEN IF YOU WANTED TO."I'M ASH-HAR QURAISHI REPORTING.WE HAVE SPECIFIC ADVICE ON