In any other year, no one would willingly pay $200 to get a long cotton swab shoved up their nose.
But this is 2020 we’re talking about, a year where large social gatherings have become a crime.
At the start of the pandemic, test kits were these magical things that only the severely ill could get.
Now, as you know, anyone can get a Covid-19 test, as long as they’re willing to shell out $200.
Some lucky students, however, are going to get it for free.
NTU Offering Free COVID-19 Tests to all Hall Residents Next Year
Hall residents at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will soon be given the opportunity to find out if the coronavirus is secretly running riot in their bodies.
In an email to students on Monday (7 Dec), the university said it would offer free Covid-19 tests to its hall residents as part of efforts to keep the campus safe.
This includes both new and returning hall residents.
The tests were offered in consultation with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, according to the NTU President’s Office.
“Hall residents are strongly encouraged to undertake the swab test.
“This is part of the Government’s efforts to expand the Covid-19 testing regime to selected community groups”.
To Detect Asymptomatic Cases
The whole point of expanding the testing regime, of course, is to detect hidden reservoirs of infections in the community.
As the university noted, the hall is a communal living environment that “may pose increased risk of community transmission”, as many students are frequently in close contact with each other.
Therefore, these free tests will “better monitor the prevalence of Covid-19 and contain any asymptomatic cases in the community quickly”.
Antigen Rapid Tests (ARTs) To Be Used
According to CNA, the tests will take place on campus from 4 to 15 Jan next year.
Hall residents can begin booking their slots online from now until 18 Dec.
However, those who are exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms or serving any quarantine, stay-home notice, or leave of absence are not eligible for the test.
For this testing exercise, antigen rapid tests (ARTs) will be used.
ARTs, according to ST, are faster, cheaper, and easier to administer than Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
The only hitch is that they aren’t as accurate as PCR tests.
It’s for this reason that all residents who test positive for the coronavirus will then have to undergo a PCR test to confirm their infection.
While waiting for their results, they will be required to self-isolate.
For this purpose, NTU’s Graduate Hall 1 will be opened as a temporary isolation facility.
Residents who are confirmed to have Covid-19 will be conveyed via ambulance to an appropriate care facility and receive medical treatment under NTU’s insurance scheme for students, the university said
Both a stay at the temporary isolation facility and a Covid-19 test will be provided at no cost to the student, as long as they have no suitable home or place of residence for isolation.
It’s certainly a good time to be a hall resident at NTU.
Featured Image: Postmodern Studio / Shutterstock.com
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