By Rebecca Munday, Editor
For students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, the university offers many testing options. This article will detail the process of getting tested as well as all of the options students have for getting tested.
Before getting tested through the university, a student must pay their health fee and must be evaluated by a student health services medical provider in the University Health Center.
The University Health Center is located in Compass Point, 7000 Building Suite 7105. They are open Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only. Call 912-961-5726 to schedule an appointment.
After a student has been evaluated, the student health services medical provider will determine which of the following tests is necessary and what the test results indicate.
The University Health Center offers four COVID-19 testing options: a rapid in-house point of care test, a test that has to be sent out to a reference lab, Department of Public Health (DPH) specimen collection by health services staff or referral to one of the Chatham County DPH testing sites.
The rapid in-house point of care tests cost $35. It allows students to receive the results by the end of the same day, often within minutes. A test that has to be sent out to a reference lab will cost $100. They provide results within seven to 10 days but sometimes, it can be sooner.
The student health services medical provider will only collect a specimen to send to DPH if the student cannot pay for options one or two and they do not have a means of transportation off campus. If a student is tested this way, they will receive their test results in seven to 10 days, at no cost to them.
The student health services medical provider may also refer the student to one of the DPH testing sites in Chatham County. Students who are tested this way will receive the result within seven to 10 days at no cost to them. However, they must have transportation to the testing site.
For all testing and other services performed by the university health center, they will not bill insurance. Payment is due at the time of service. They accept cash, check or credit card. Students with insurance can request a receipt and fill a claim with their insurance themselves but payment is not guaranteed.
If a student wants to be tested but has not been evaluated by a student health services medical provider or has not paid their health fee, the Chatham County DPH offers free walk-in testing. Please visit https://covid19.gachd.org/covid-19-testing-at-the-savannah-civic-center/ for more information.
CVS retail pharmacies, local urgent care centers or a student’s off-campus primary care doctor are also testing sites for asymptomatic individuals looking to get tested.
For more information about COVID-19 testing options, please visit https://auxiliary.georgiasouthern.edu/healthservices/2020/08/13/covid-testing-information/.
