Drexel students who are learning remotely (or on co-op but live near campus) can now schedule a free COVID-19 test, even if they have no symptoms of illness, according to an email sent by the University’s Enrollment Management and Student Success on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
“Testing will be offered in Myers Hall, 3301 Race Street on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (except on University holidays), by appointment only,” the message said. Appointment registration for those who do not present any symptoms should be done through the COVID-19 Registration website.
To see the results of the tests, you must download the Drexel Health Tracker App, according to the email statement. In addition to viewing the results of COVID-19 tests, this app is supposed to be used by the Drexel community on a daily basis. Students should “check in” regularly to record any symptoms they have or note that they are feeling well, certifying the user as safe to enter campus property. However, now that all undergraduate classes are remote, only a few members of the community use it.
Before this service was offered, the only option students had for testing was to contact the Student Health Center or call 215-220-2700 if they felt sick. Now, they finally have the option to be tested as a preventive measure, which is especially useful for many students who live with roommates.
“We note that those students who live off campus and have three or more roommates may be particularly at increased risk of infection and should thus consider testing,” the statement said.
This measure, taken on Week 4 of the term, comes after similar steps from other universities like Drexel’s neighbor, the University of Pennsylvania. Penn converted its Houston Hall’s Hall of Flags into a free COVID-19 testing site for their students (even though classes are remote) and advised their students not to move to Philadelphia this fall, according to a PennToday article. Beginning in their orientation week in mid-August, Penn has offered testing for their students Monday through Saturday, which is more often than Drexel’s service.
The email statement concluded with an explanation of the work being done to make the Health Tracker App an essential part of the University’s testing strategy. The email also announced that more information will soon be available on the Drexel’s Response to Coronavirus website.