COVID-19 Campus Testing FAQ
Throughout the first part of the semester, Ripon College’s Health Services has provided free COVID-19 testing only for students with symptoms. More tests are now available, and the College has partnered with CoVigilance Labs to provide PCR testing kits that will be self-administered. Results will be available approximately 48 hours after the test. Please choose a question or scroll down to view them all.
- Will I have to quarantine until I receive the test results?
- When and where will the testing event take place?
- What type of test is being administered? How accurate is it?
- Do I need to take a test if I’ve already tested positive or negative during the fall semester?
- Do I need to take a test if I’m currently in quarantine or isolation (at home or on campus)?
- What if I refuse to take the test?
- What will happen after the test?
- What if I test positive?
- What if I test negative?
- My friend tested positive. I tested negative. What’s next?
- Will we have another round of testing this semester?
- If it’s only for students, what measures are being taken for faculty and staff?
Will I have to quarantine until I receive the test results?
Asymptomatic students will not have to quarantine. However, students are asked to keep track of their close contacts during this time and to maintain all safety measures to reduce the spread of the virus.
When and where will the testing event take place?
The testing will take place on two separate days — Monday, November 2 and Monday, November 9. Students will report to Bartlett 304, anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., where they will receive instructions on how to proceed.
What type of test is being administered? How accurate is it?
Coordinated by CoVigilance, trained and certified test observers will oversee the self-administration of an anterior swab procedure (front of the nose). A self-administered nasal swab is similar to a nasopharyngeal swab in detecting coronavirus. For more information about the test, refer to this fact sheet.
Test samples collected by individuals who swabbed their own nasal passages yielded results for the COVID-19 virus that were as accurate as samples collected by a health care worker, according to a small study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. (https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/06/self-swabbing-tests-for-covid-19-accurate-and-safe.html)
Do I need to take a test if I’ve already tested positive or negative during the fall semester?
If tested negative, yes, you will need to retest. If you had a positive test since the beginning of this academic year, please contact Health Services to see if you need to be tested again.
Do I need to take a test if I’m currently in quarantine or isolation (at home or on campus)?
If you are in isolation for testing positive for covid, no. If you are in quarantine on campus, Health Services will bring the test kit to you. If quarantined off campus, a negative test result will be needed at the time you return to campus.
What if I refuse to take the test?
Students who live in the residence halls or campus apartments are required to take the test. Failure to do so may result in being required to move out of on-campus housing.
What will happen after the test?
Test results will be available approximately 48 hours after testing. You will be able to see the result on the laboratory website. Information about how to access this site will be given at the testing event.
If you test positive, Health Services will be contacting you with further instructions. If you test negative, you will not receive any additional notification from the College.
What if I test positive?
You will be notified by Health Services on the next steps that need to be taken. If you are asymptomatic and test positive, you will be isolated for 10 days from the date of testing. If you are symptomatic and test positive, you will be isolated for 10 days from the start of symptoms.
What if I test negative?
You can continue with your normal routine, unless you are notified that you are a close contact of someone with a positive test. However, a negative test is just a snapshot of time. You will need to continue with safe practices and monitoring of symptoms.
My friend tested positive. I tested negative. What’s next?
If you are listed as a close contact to someone who tested positive, you will be asked to quarantine for 14 days from the time of last contact even if you received a negative test result. Please review this PDF for more information about what it means to be a “close contact.”
Will we have another round of testing this semester?
We will perform surveillance testing on approximately 10% of the on-campus student population throughout the remainder of the fall semester. Students will be randomly selected to participate in these tests. Selected students will be notified via their ripon.edu email address.
If it’s only for students, what measures are being taken for faculty and staff?
We have put into place many safety measures to ensure the health and well-being of our community. However, due to the nature of residential living, there may be additional opportunities for exposure to the virus. Staff and faculty should continue to follow our safety protocols while on campus and are encouraged to use the resources available in Fond du Lac county or their county of residence.