ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University announced today that a partnership with the USC College of Pharmacy will provide free, saliva-based COVID-19 testing to the campus community through the remainder of 2021.
Since last semester when students returned for in-person classes and residential living, Winthrop officials have desired a testing option to allow for better monitoring of asymptomatic spread on campus. Such spread is a key factor in outbreaks on college campuses nationwide, and public health experts have encouraged regular, ongoing testing to mitigate its risks.
Offered by UofSC College of Pharmacy, the Saliva Assay Free Expedited (SAFE) test is free, quick, and noninvasive, and results can typically be shared within 24-48 hours after the sample is collected. The PCR saliva-based test shows 97.5 percent accuracy in the early stage of infection.
SAFE testing is only available to current Winthrop students, faculty, staff, and such campus affiliates as Sodexo and Barnes & Noble employees. It is a voluntary program that expands on current nasal swab testing available from SCDHEC at the Winthrop Coliseum. A SAFE testing webpage with details on the program is now available.
SAFE testing will begin Tuesday, Feb. 23 in McBryde Hall. Tests will be offered twice a month from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. unless otherwise noted. The full schedule can be found on the webpage.
In a message to the campus community, Interim President George W. Hynd called the tests “easy, effective and convenient’ and expressed his gratitude to the pharmacy college. “This is a fantastic development in our Covid-19 mitigation efforts, and I am thankful for the UofSC Pharmacy offering this free testing service to us,” he said.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu or by calling 803/323-2404.
