As part of pandemic control on Grounds, we are doing several tests.
We have nasal swab tests; we are doing the wastewater testing, and this is one additional
tool that we have added that is specific to individuals that we can identify fairly quickly.
We will have designated places for saliva sample collection.
So, students have to go there, they’ll have to bring their ID and once their ID is scanned,
they will be given a tube and gently drool into this test tube.
And there will be a staff member with a biohazard bag, and you drop it in the bag and that’s
all the students have to do.
Spitting in the tube is straightforward, it’s easy and another thing compared with the nasal
swab is the nasal swab protocol requires extraction of this virus which causes potential safety
concerns.
This procedure we don’t even open the tube we heat inactivate it and then people will
go in there and take out samples.
So, we skipped a couple procedures, it’s safer and it’s quicker.
People that are positive, but they don’t know that they are carrying the virus, if
you identify them soon enough and ask them to isolate so they no longer are disseminating
the virus to others.
So that is the whole point of doing this and the faster you can detect the faster you can
do this isolation and quarantine.
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