To Keep Campuses Safe, Some Colleges To Test Students For Coronavirus Twice A Week

As students return to the campus of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this month, they will be tested for COVID-19. And, then they'll be tested, again.

"We are requiring testing two times per week for access to campus facilities. This is for students, faculty, and staff," explains Rebecca Lee Smith, an associate professor of epidemiology.

The university is one of several starting ambitious testing regimes as a means to enable students to safely return to campus.

The University of Illinois is using a saliva-based test developed by a research team on campus. Students will get the results within hours. And their first test upon arrival will serve as an "entry test", to ensure they're healthy when returning to campus

"Those living in the dorms will be tested at check-in. Others are asked to come to a testing location as soon as possible," Smith says.

This testing strategy is based on the latest evidence that frequent testing can help prevent outbreaks on campuses.