Northwestern announces new rapid-testing program for students on campus
Daily file photo by Catherine Buchaniec
The Weber Arch. With COVID-19 cases on campus rising, Northwestern released an email on Monday encouraging students to “remain vigilant.”
February 18, 2021
Northwestern announced new COVID-19 rapid testing for students living on campus in a Thursday email.
Starting Feb. 22, on-campus students will be required to take a rapid test every week in addition to their existing testing regimen with Color. The new test, which yields results in 30 minutes, will be administered in partnership with Abbott, a healthcare company headquartered in Illinois.
Students will need to download Abbott’s testing app, NAVICA, in order to complete the test. After downloading the app, students can be tested at the Jacobs Center without prior appointment Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The test, conducted through a nasal swab, is capable of detecting positive cases when viral levels are higher and the individual is more infectious, according to the email.
Positive test results from this method will be considered a “presumptive positive,” the email said. Students who test positive through rapid antigen testing should self-quarantine immediately and expect a confirmatory COVID-19 test from NU Health Service.
Email: [email protected]
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