University of Iowa students won’t be tested for COVID-19 before moving into residence halls

The University of Iowa will not test students in the residence halls for COVID-19 before they come onto campus, and students will be eligible for a test if they show symptoms or are asymptomatic but have had a known exposure to a positive case.

In a campus-wide email on Monday, the UI offered details on its testing plan for students, including what will qualify a student for a test and how students can obtain a test.

The email cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for higher-education institutes, which say that entry testing of all students is not recommended. The CDC recommendations point out that the practice hasn’t been studied at length.

The email says one-time testing would provide data of a snapshot in time and give students a false sense of security, and would also require significant resources, staff, and physical space.

“Poorly administered mass testing can result in damaged or inconclusive results and excessive false negatives,” the email stated.

Iowa State University will test every student living in the residence halls before they move in, according to a campus email from President Wendy Wintersteen on July 23. The University of Northern Iowa hasn’t specified whether it will test students in the residence halls, but has said testing will be available on campus for students who have shown symptoms or have been in contact with a positive case.

Students who are experiencing symptoms or believe they have been exposed to the virus can call the Student Health Nurseline to set up a test, the email said. It doesn’t indicate where tests will be administered or who will be conducting them.

The UI’s coronavirus page says Student Health will “collaborate with the Johnson County Department of Public Health to assist with testing, contact tracing, and isolation of students diagnosed with or exposed to SARS-CoV-2.”

The email also provided details for how off-campus students will be able to pick up their personal protective equipment kit for the semester. The kit includes two cloth face masks, two disposable masks, one face shield, and a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Students in the residence halls will be provided with the kit upon move in, but off-campus students will need to pick up the kit between Aug. 10 and Aug. 23.

Locations and dates for protective equipment pick-up:

Aug. 10: Drive-through pick up, Hancher Lot 55, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Aug. 11: Drive-through pick up, Hancher Lot 55, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Aug. 12: Drive-through pick up, Hancher Lot 55, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Aug. 13: Pentacrest, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 13: Latino Native American Cultural Center, 1 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 14: Pentacrest, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 14: Latino Native American Cultural Center, 1 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 17: Latino Native American Cultural Center, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 17: Pentacrest, 1 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 18: Hubbard Park, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 18: MERF east courtyard, 1 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 19: MERF east courtyard, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 19: Hubbard Park, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 20: Latino Native American Cultural Center, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 20: Pentacrest, 1 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 21: MERF east courtyard, 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 21: Hubbard Park, 1 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 22: Hubbard Park, 9 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 23: Hubbard Park, 9 to 4 p.m.
Aug. 24 to Aug. 28: Kits will be available at the IMU Welcome Center and the Office of Dean of Students.