In this week’s COVID-19 update, The Good Five-Cent Cigar will discuss the accuracy of the University of Rhode Island’s surveillance and mandatory testing, as well some suggested wellness tips provided by URI’s Mental Health First Aid program.
Testing responses
According to Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellness and Director of Health Services Ellen Reynolds, URI has partnered with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to conduct SARS-coV-2 virus testing, which is different from rapid testing that asymptomatic students receive, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that use a deeper swab and are administered by a professional.
The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified lab analyzes a self-collected nasal swab. The results of these tests come back approximately 24-36 hours after being processed using a RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase – Polymerase chain reaction) assay which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization.
Reynolds said no form of COVID-19 testing is ever going to be 100 percent accurate, however the testing system URI has developed has been deemed the “gold standard” and is highly specific.
Reynolds also noted that the URI COVID-19 tracker is “intended to provide transparency and to inform our community about our testing as well as our utilization of university-sponsored isolation/quarantine space.” She said that while the tracker’s main purpose is to give basic information on the positivity rates resulting from testing on campus, there will be a revamped version released soon.
Students still in need of receiving a mandatory or surveillance COVID-19 test should report to the Memorial Union Atrium from 9 a.m to 4 p.m Monday to Friday. Students experiencing COVID symptoms should not show up for testing and should call their primary physician or URI Health Services to schedule an appointment.
Rhode Island Blood Center looking for donations for COVID-19 patients
URI has also released a statement reminding the community that the Rhode Island Blood Center is accepting donations of convalescent plasma therapy to help the critically ill. According to the statement, this type of therapy “is a life-saving medical therapy for the critically ill who are fighting COVID-19 infections.”
Wellness
On Wednesday, the University released a statement on behalf of the Mental Health First Aid Program. The statement cited the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a resource available to learn more about “the symptoms of stress, ways to protect and take care of our emotional health during the pandemic, how to find mental health services and information about the mental health of those recovering from COVID-19.”
Other tips to manage your mental health from the email included being kind to yourself, limiting exposure to news outlets and shifting your focus from things out of your control.
Students are encouraged to reach out to the multiple resource centers on campus such as the Counseling Center, the Multicultural Student Services Center and the Couple and Family Therapy Consultation Center if you are experiencing any mental health issues or overall stress due to social distancing and isolation.
Resources
Health Services can be reached at 401-873-2246. Students can call the Counseling Center at 401-874-2288. The Center’s normal business hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Outside of operating hours, students will be connected to ProtoCall, which provides behavioral health services over the phone. The Psychological Consultation Center can be reached at 401-874-4264, and the Couple and Family Therapy Clinic can be reached at 401-874-5956. For more information and stories in the coming days, check our website and Twitter @rhodycigar.