SUNY Broome conducts Pre-Thanksgiving COVID-19 tests for students

Hannah Natale｜

Monday starts SUNY Broome’s COVID-19 testing at the Ice Center. Students who take in-person classes, using campus resources, as well as students working on campus were asked to take a COVID test before Thanksgiving break. Monday and Thursday are testing days for these students. Staff and faculty were also encouraged to receive testing but it is not mandatory. 

Students should have received an email not too long ago asking to sign up for a day and time. Once done with that, they should have gotten another email asking to fill out personal information before the testing day. Student Village will also be tested, testing will begin for students in the dorms on Tuesday and will end on Wednesday. The main goal of the SUNY school system is to limit the spread of COVID and protect the surrounding communities. If students are not able to get testing done at the Ice Center, they can go to an alternative testing site and send test results to the school. 

“This is a SUNY mandate put in place for the safety of students and the community. Hopefully, all students understand what that means and participate.” Nick Brey says who works in the office of public safety. Many students including myself wondered why we have to put in our health insurance information, this is because of reflex testing. This COVID testing is apart of a ‘pool’. Nick Brey described it as “12 samples are tested together allowing more tests to be done in less time. However, if a ‘pool’ comes back positive, the lab does reflex testing, meaning each individual sample vial is tested to identify the positive individual. When reflex testing happens, the insurance company is billed. However, there is no cost to the students.” 

Many students fear the nose swab tests, however this test is not a nose swab. These types of tests are mouth swabs. Medical assisting students and the Office of Public Safety will be administering the tests, all test results will be sent up to Upstate Medical in Syracuse. 

Testing will start Monday and Thursday for students who take in-person classes, use student resources, and work on campus. And Tuesday and Wednesday are days for students who live in dorms.