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VERMILLION, S.D. (KELO.com) – The University of South Dakota is launching a second “Know Before You Go” campaign to encourage the campus community to get tested for COVID-19 prior to, and upon returning from, spring break.
With tests from Vault Health Inc. and funding from the South Dakota Department of Health, USD offers free saliva specimen collection kits to students, faculty and staff. Once collected, specimens will be mailed to Vault Health for testing. Test results will be provided to USD and sent via email to each person tested.
All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take this PCR test, even if they have previously tested positive for COVID-19.
As spring break approaches, USD promotes this testing option as a way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the weeklong break. The “Know Before You Go” campaign emphasizes that the campus community can help protect the health and safety of their friends, family and community members by getting tested and isolating if their tests return positive.
“Spring break is a great time for students to relax and recharge for the second half of the semester, and we want our campus community to be as safe as possible when they leave for the break as well as when they come back,” said Kevin O’Kelley, assistant vice president of research compliance and the head of USD’s COVID-19 Case Management Team. “Getting tested prior to spring break is an important step in keeping our COVID-19 numbers low on campus and in protecting our loved ones.”
Saliva specimen testing will be available in the Muenster University Center Pit Lounge March 1-5 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., in the residence halls March 1-3 from 5-9 p.m., and in the Greek chapter homes March 1.
(USD contributed this report.)
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