Random testing and COVID-19 protocols on campus 

Everything students need to know for in-person classes 

JENNY HAN / ASST. NEWS EDITOR  / THE USD VISTA

In preparation for in-person learning for the upcoming semester, USD released an updated version of their COVID-19 protocols. On their website, they mention three new changes. 

First, residential students were required to submit a negative COVID-19 test within 96 hours of their designated move-in date. Second, all commuter students were required to schedule a drive-through COVID-19 test at the university three days prior to the expected return to in-person classes. Finally, USD is implementing a random COVID-19 testing system on campus for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, starting on Feb. 7. 

According to Ky Snyder, Vice President for University Operations, “At this point, we plan to test 27 percent of the campus community on a weekly basis.  Notices will be sent on Friday’s for the following week’s testing that will be conducted Monday through Wednesday.” 

Both Snyder and the COVID-19 Action Team emphasize the importance of checking one’s USD email. Specifically, one must look out for emails from “no-reply@mg.affinityassure.com” with the subject line “University of San Diego – Order Submission with Activation.” USD is not shying away from consequences for those that don’t follow through on these emails in a timely manner. 

“Non-participation with the testing will result in an Interim Suspension for students and disciplinary action by HR for employees” Snyder stated. 

Blake Burke, a sophomore living on campus, explained how the random testing process is made simple for students. 

“I got an email to get tested on the 31st,” Burke said. “You have to register to Infinity, get your code, and then just go in and test.”

Burke also mentioned that although he had no choice as to what date he could pick to get tested on, he was allowed to pick from a variety of time slots on that specific day. 

Burke tested positive from his random test and was given one of two options. The first option was to quarantine for ten days and be exempt from testing for 90 days afterwards. The second option only applies to those who are asymptomatic: quarantine for five days and get a follow-up negative COVID-19 PCR test. 

However, Burke found these options confusing. 

“Nobody is going to be showing a negative test (in regards to the test that one would take after the five days) because even if you have no symptoms, you’re still going to show a positive result on that PCR (due to the nature of the PCR test),” Burke said. “I think they should either have one or the other: you’re here for ten days or you’re here for five days.” 

Regardless, Burke thinks the university is doing the best they can. 

“Everyone is required to be fully vaccinated and boosted, they’re doing the testing, and for those who do have it [COVID-19], they’re getting quarantined,” Burke said. “And I think everyone around campus, if they are going out publicly or hanging out, it seems to be just within themselves. So I think, personally, I don’t know what else they could do.” 

However, not all students feel the same way. Shiara Mateo, a USD sophomore living on campus, had mixed feelings about the efficiency of the updated COVID-19 protocol. Her negative experience started with the process of moving back onto campus; she described it frustrating due to the lack of direction she was given. 

Shiara Mateo had a different experience with the new COVID-19 protocols. She described the process of moving back onto campus as being frustrating due to what she believed to be the lack of communication between the different USD departments. She was required to take numerous COVID-19 tests that the university wouldn’t take for various reasons. Specifically after her third test, she stated that housing wouldn’t let her move in even when the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Team approved for her to move in. 

“I understand that I may be an exception; not every not everybody’s moving experience was like this,” Mateo said. “But I just feel like there needs to be more communication between the COVID tracing team, the housing portal, and even like the students working front desks at Palomar.”

She also had mixed feelings about the efficiency of the updated COVID-19 protocol. 

“With the random COVID testing, if you’re just choosing random people, there’s a chance that in the testing group, you’re gonna have somebody that does have COVID or doesn’t. On the flip side of that, the group you don’t test that day might have COVID so it kind of seems not really effective in that sense. But I understand why they do it,” Mateo said. 

At the end of the day, only time can reveal the new protocols’ effectiveness. USD has quickly adapted to the possibility of in-person classes again, and they want to assure that they can involve everyone on campus to the greatest with this testing. The most that students can do is play their part in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and checking their emails every Friday. The USD Vista will continue to remain diligent in covering COVID-19 updates as new protocols arise throughout the semester.