COVID-19 Testing at UTEP
UTEP offers students free, on-campus COVID-19 antigen testing in the UTEP Student Health and Wellness Center (SHWC) located in Union Building East, first floor.
Here’s what you need to know about COVID-19 testing at UTEP.
UTEP Student Health and Wellness Center On-Campus Testing
- Free on-campus antigen testing is available for all enrolled UTEP students who are currently attending classes (face to face or online).
- No appointment is necessary, although preregistration online is required at medicatconnect.com.
- Bring your Miner Gold Card OR student ID number AND a photo ID.
- When you arrive at the Student Health and Wellness Center, please wait outside and call 915-747-5624 to be allowed in through the center’s back entrance.
- Click here for more information about student on-campus testing at UTEP.
COVID-19 Reporting and Questions
UTEP is no longer asking employees and students to report positive COVID-19 test results to the University. However, if you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19, please email covidaction@utep.edu for assistance.
As of March 1, 2024, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidelines for people with COVID-19 infections and made them similar to recommendations for other respiratory viruses such as Influenza Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Respiratory Virus Guidance
What are Respiratory Virus symptoms?
People may have a respiratory virus such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV if they are experiencing fever or feeling feverish chills, cough, fatigue (tiredness), weakness, body aches, muscle or joint pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, sore throat, headaches, decrease in appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, nasal congestion, sneezing, runny or stuffy nose and loss of taste and/or smell.
When should I get tested for Respiratory Virus?
Testing for respiratory viruses can help you decide what to do next, like getting treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and taking steps to lower your chances of spreading a virus to others. There are various types of tests for respiratory virus infections. Antigen tests (“self-tests” or “rapid tests”) usually return results quickly (around 15 minutes). A healthcare provider normally conducts PCR tests. Although antigen tests are usually faster, they are not as good at detecting viruses as PCR tests. This means that you might get a negative result with an antigen test, but actually be infected with the virus.
What should I do if I test positive for Respiratory Virus?
When you have a respiratory virus infection, you can spread it to others. How long someone can spread the virus depends on different factors, including how sick he or she are (severity) and how long their illness lasts (duration). This is not the same for everyone.
When, for at least 24 hours, your symptoms are getting better overall and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication), you are typically less contagious, but it still takes more time for your body to fully get rid of the virus. During this time, you may still be able to spread the virus to others. Taking precautions for the next 5 days can help reduce this risk. After this 5-day period, you are typically much less likely to be contagious. However, some people, especially people with weakened immune systems, can continue to spread the virus for a longer period of time. For COVID-19, taking an antigen test can help you know how likely you are to spread the virus. A positive test tends to mean it is more likely that you can spread the virus to others
Learn More:
https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/respiratory-virus-guidance.html
https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html