HAYS, Kan- A Fort Hays State University COVID-19 re-entry testing program that coincided with the re-opening of campus for the fall semester finished in August. Beginning next week, a new COVID-19 surveillance testing program will begin. This new testing program for asymptomatic members of the campus community will supplement the ongoing symptomatic testing available in the Student Health Center.

The primary goal of the surveillance testing program is to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 among the on-campus community. FHSU’s Critical Incident Policy Group (CIPG) led the effort to develop the new program after receiving input from University constituencies and local healthcare partners.  

The surveillance testing program will sample a small number of individuals within a campus cohort. A cohort is a group of individuals in regular contact with one another. If a member of the cohort tests positive expanded testing for the group will be available.

Groups designated as a cohort, and the dates, times and locations of testing sessions are subject to change, but at this point, they include the following groupings:

• • Residents in university housing
  • Athletic teams
  • Faculty and students in on-campus classes
  • Employees in departments who are in frequent contact members of the campus community and public
  • Employees who are in frequent contact as a group 

Individuals in these cohort groups will be notified in advance and provided with additional details including timing, location, and any specific testing protocols. Testing is voluntary and based on self-collected saliva specimen kits. Surveillance testing is scheduled to start the week of September 21 and will continue into December. 

FHSU’s COVID-19 Response website is the primary source for information on the university’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including a testing, quarantine and isolation data dashboard that is updated weekly. For more information, contact Chief Communications Officer, Scott Cason, at 785.628.4208 or sacason@fhsu.edu.