Happy one-year anniversary, COVID: Get tested before spring break

We’re all excited for a well-deserved week off. Time to spend away from Zoom classes, note taking and studying for dreaded exams. However, before returning home to families and friends or before traveling to a warmer destination you should take advantage of the free COVID-19 tests being offered on campus all week long. 

As we approach the one-year mark of the world shutting down to COVID-19 next week and life looking completely different the past year, it’s nice to know that with vaccines being administered quickly and continued mask wearing, we’re much closer to having life back to normal and hopefully mask-free one day. 

We’re not there yet though, and it’s important we remain vigilant in wearing masks and getting tested to ensure COVID-19 numbers on campus don’t rise. That’s why getting tested before spring break is crucial. 

Getting tested provides you with the knowledge you’re healthy and not knowingly spreading the virus, and ensures you’re protecting your family and friends from COVID-19 as well. 

Break should be spent enjoying the freedom of a week without 9 a.m.’s, but knowing you’re COVID-19 free can make you and those around you more comfortable. 

Getting tested also protects your fellow students on campus. By testing, you can ensure you’re protecting the pack by quarantining if needed, and it gives the university accurate data of how COVID-19 is being transmitted across campus. 

The university is offering free testing for COVID-19 in the Muenster University Center and residence halls all week during the day. You can receive a $10 Charlie’s gift card and other treats and prizes. All you have to do is show up and do your part by participating in the saliva test and signing up for a testing account online. 

The 10-minute process is the easiest way to “protect the pack” and your family members before you travel next week. Saliva tests are 83% accurate for COVID-19 detection according to JAMA Internal medicine.

The saliva test is less invasive than the nasal swab test and is more comfortable for those who test. Saliva tests are a molecular PCR test that detects the virus’s genetic material according to the Minnesota Department of Health. All you need to do is build up enough saliva for a proper sample and hand it over to the test supervisor. You’ll then wait to learn your results which will appear on your mobile device after making an account. 

By getting tested, you can enjoy your spring break and catch up on sleep, hang out with friends or convince your mom to do a few loads of laundry without worrying about carrying COVID-19.