The University of Michigan is shifting from a nasal swab COVID-19 surveillance test it gives to students, faculty, and staff to a saliva-based test.
By switching to a saliva test, the university will increase its testing capacity from 3,000 people a week to 6,000 a week. The nasal swabs will be phased out over the next few weeks but the university is already offering the saliva test at the Palmer Commons on north campus. Rick Fitzgeraldis a spokesperson for the university and says, like the nasal test, the saliva test is also approved by the FDA.
Rick Fitzgerald: It is easier on the individual. A lot of people are reluctant to have a swab sort of poked up their nose.
Fitzgerald says the plan is to add more testing sites on campus to get as many people as possible to volunteer for COVID-19 testing. He adds that the new testing is being conducted by a private company and not Michigan Medicine, which expedites the sign-up process because individuals don’t have to go through the university’s health system.
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— Jorge Avellan is a reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him javellan@emich.edu
