UC Davis provides free COVID-19 test kits to students and employees on the Davis campus
Though no longer mandatory, COVID-19 testing can help you manage risks related to COVID-19 exposure, travel, crowded events or socializing with high-risk individuals. If you have symptoms, please stay home, use an at-home antigen test and contact your doctor or Student Health.
Free antigen test kits are available for students and employees to pick up on campus, for individual use through the end of the academic year at the following locations:
- Memorial Union Information Desk – check the MU calendar for hours of operation and closure dates for the break.
- Student Health and Wellness Center front desk
- ARC Front Desk
- Library Circulation Desk
- Students living in residence halls can pick up antigen test kits from their respective Area Service Desk.
For more information on FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test kits, please visit the FDA website. They provide a table that includes information on expiration dates, who can use the test, and other details that may help you decide what test is right for you.
What if I have symptoms?
If you have COVID-19 symptoms, students can make an appointment for symptomatic testing in Health-e-Messaging or contact Student Health and Counseling Services for care (or your medical provider or Occupational Health if you are a campus employee). Consider getting tested immediately with an at-home antigen test. If your antigen test result is negative, take another antigen test in 24-48 hours, as early cases can be missed.
Pick up a testing kit on campus. You can also request free at-home tests delivered through the mail to keep available for convenient testing or to use when you develop symptoms. If you are looking for more testing options, visit other testing sites in Yolo county or find more testing options in California.
Testing rollout: From student move-in to Davis community
Students living on campus with Student Housing and Dining Services were first required to get tested for COVID-19 before moving into their residences in September 2020. Student residents continued to be tested throughout the school year on at least a weekly basis.
During the initial pilot phase, the saliva screening process was backed up with a more traditional, certified testing process using nasal swabs. As part of the pilot phase, UC Davis students residing at The Green and in Sorority and Fraternity residences were also eligible to begin testing, as were student firefighters and EMTs living on campus. First responders and frontline health employees on the UC Davis campus were also invited to participate in testing during the pilot phase. After the saliva test was validated, additional groups of students and employees were invited to begin participating in the testing program (see the scope of the COVID-19 testing and screening program for more details).
COVID-19 testing is available for all UC Davis students and employees. The UC Davis COVID-19 Dashboard provides weekly updates on the number of tests and positive results.
Additional saliva-based testing kiosks were also opened as part of the Healthy Davis Together initiative to serve the needs of residents and workers in the city of Davis and other Yolo County communities. The Genome Center successfully processed more than 2.1 million saliva tests and the City of Davis and UC Davis were honored with an award from the International Town Gown Association for their partnership, before Healthy Davis Together was scheduled to close in June 2022.
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