Free antigen test kits are widely available from the Federal Government and in Yolo County.
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 are encouraged to utilize an at-home antigen test. If they are concerned or have questions, students can make a telehealth appointment in Health-e-Messaging or contact Student Health and Counseling Services for a phone visit with the triage nurse to further discuss testing and/or treatment options, including those available at SHCS. If students have a positive test and it is after hours or on the weekends, and they have questions about possible treatment, they may also engage in a free virtual visit for those in the state of California through Sesame Care.
If you are a campus employee, then you are encouraged to contact your medical provider or Occupational Health if you have questions.
You can 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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More than 1 Million COVID-19 Tests
October 2021: The UC Davis Genome Center lab processed its 1 millionth saliva test, helping to keep positivity rates low with COVID-19 testing for the Davis campus, Sacramento campus, Davis community, local schools, other communities in Yolo County and UC Merced.
Campus-City Collaboration Has Shielded the Community From COVID-19
September 2021: UC Davis and the city of Davis have been working together on an unprecedented scale to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic winds down, could this be the future of public health in America?
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January 2021: Find out about the science behind the test and how it was developed, including how saliva samples are processed in the laboratory.
All Employees and Students On Campus Are Now Subject to COVID-19 Testing
November 2020: The asymptomatic testing program is now available to all employees and students on campus, pushing the weekly test count past 20,000.
COVID-19 Testing Program Expands and Moves Indoors
November 2020: The rapid saliva-based COVID-19 test developed by UC Davis has officially been validated, which means 6,000 more students and employees are beginning to get tested. The expansion comes as the testing kiosk moves indoors as the weather cools. The testing kiosk is run by more than 50 employees, some of whom have been temporarily reassigned, along with more than 50 students — many of whom are taking a related course.
High-Throughput COVID-19 Screening Coming to Campus
August 2020: UC Davis academics and staff members have been crossing disciplinary boundaries to work together in new and innovative ways to develop a COVID-19 testing process for campus use. While the biochemistry of the saliva test is similar to tests used elsewhere, the UC Davis Genome Center is making use of an open-source, high-throughput method that provides speedy results and is otherwise used in agricultural genetics.