COVID-19 Update: Optional COVID-19 Tests for Employees

Nov. 18, 2020

Dear SLU faculty and staff,

With Thanksgiving Day fast approaching, we understand that community testing sites are fairly booked, and may not be able to accommodate testing demand for people who are experiencing no COVID-19 symptoms.

Thanks to many medical, nursing, and public health students, staff and faculty who are volunteering their time to make this testing possible, we can now offer optional COVID-19 testing for SLU employees, just as we have for our students.

We have opened 1,000 COVID-19 testing slots for SLU employees –– both full-time and part-time –– between Friday, Nov. 20 and Monday, Nov. 23.

A few logistical details:

• This is for asymptomatic employees only. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please contact Employee Health immediately at 314-257-8400.
• A test costs $40 and will appear as a payroll deduction on either your Dec. 4 payroll for those who are paid biweekly, or your Dec. 30 paycheck for those who are paid once per month. By registering, you agree to have the amount deducted from your payroll.
• The fee is about half of what the University is charged per test. This is the same fee we are charging students. Your insurance is not billed for this test.
• The test will cost $10 for employees who earn $38,505 or less.
• We’re using a PCR saliva test. It is accurate, quick, and easy.
• You must fast 30 minutes prior to testing. That means you cannot have anything to eat or drink for 30 minutes before you arrive for testing. No coffee. No water. No gum. No smoking. No teeth brushing. You will receive email reminders about this requirement.
• Our clinical nursing and medical students will oversee the collection of your saliva sample for the test.
• Registration is first-come. As time blocks fill up, they will disappear. Walk-ins are not allowed –– you must register in advance.
• You will receive your results roughly 48-72 hours after your test.

We all know that testing does not replace the need to wear a mask and maintain a safe social distance from others. But we also recognize that testing offers some peace of mind to faculty and staff prior to the holiday.

If you are unable to get tested through SLU’s testing program, the following are community-based asymptomatic testing options you may pursue:

• You can find the list of available testing sites on the City's Health Department COVID-19 testing website.
• If you live in the County, the St Louis County Department of Public Health's COVID-19 testing website has info about their testing options.

There are also direct-to-consumer or at-home test kits that you may obtain:

• Everlywell: https://www.everlywell.com/products/covid-19-test/
• LetsGetChecked: https://www.letsgetchecked.com/us/en/home-coronavirus-test/
• Picture by Fulgent Genetics: https://picturegenetics.com/covid19
• Pixel by LabCorp: https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/covid-19
• Vitagene: https://vitagene.com/products/covid-19-saliva-test-kit/
• P23 Labs: https://p23labs.com/
• Vault: https://www.vaulthealth.com/covid
• hims & hers: https://www.forhims.com/covid-test

Please email pandemic@slu.edu with any questions.

I cannot thank you all enough for the work you’ve put into this semester to keep our students, patients and each other safe.

Stay safe and healthy.

Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., RN, CIC, FAPIC
Special Assistant to the President
Director, Institute for Biosecurity
Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
College for Public Health & Social Justice