Prior to the start of the fall semester, U-M implemented a robust public health strategy to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission on campus, part of which included monitoring and testing. Should a member of the U-M community experience symptoms or be identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive, testing is available on campus at University Health Service (UHS).
Those who are tested through UHS benefit from the partnership with the Michigan Medicine laboratory staff that have a quick turnaround time for results compared to other local sites. The UHS test is reliable, and results are instantaneously integrated into information shared with campus partners, which allows for the necessary organizations to quickly work together to get people safely into isolation or quarantine, and create necessary situational awareness across the campus community.
Getting tested at UHS also ensures an updated medical record for each patient, so the medical staff can ensure they have all necessary health information on hand for first-rate continuous care.
If a student, faculty, or staff member gets tested at an outside location, U-M will be notified, but it can cause delays in beginning the care process, arranging the move to isolation or quarantine, and notifying campus partners. If a test is administered by an outside facility, UHS requests that the patient report results through the UHS website so they can begin contact tracing and case investigation as soon as possible.
Regardless of where a test is administered, all positive results are reported to the Washtenaw County Health Department and will trigger a contact tracer investigation to help identify other people in the community that might be at risk.
