COVID-19 Testing

Medical professional

The following COVID-19 testing (PCR nasal swab) is available on campus for CMU students, faculty and staff:

  • General testing for individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
  • Surveillance testing for healthy individuals who are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. This allows CMU to monitor and respond to virus trends.

Location:

  • 28A Foust Hall, lower level.
  • Please use the southeast entrance, stairwell 112.
  • Use only doors marked for COVID testing; do not use any other entrance and do not walk through the building.

Testing is available for CMU faculty, staff and students by appointment:

  • Beginning Jan. 4, 2021:
    • Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays: 8 a.m. - Noon
    • Wednesdays: 10 a.m. - Noon

Before visiting Foust Hall for testing:

  • Call 989-774-1317 or email covidtesting@cmich.edu to schedule an appointment.
  • Use only the southeast entrance to Foust Hall.
    • Outdoor signage will guide you to the appropriate door.
    • Do not use any other entrances when coming to Foust for testing.
  • Wear a mask covering the nose and mouth.

Self-Report a Positive COVID-19 Test

If you visit another health care provider, health department or drugstore and test positive for COVID-19, please call the COVID-19 Intake Team at 989-774-7136 or email covidtracking@cmich.edu immediately.

Your medical information is confidential. CMU Health will not share your diagnosis with others.

Self-reporting helps university health care professionals conduct contact tracing and provide resources and support you may need for working, learning and living in our campus community.

If You Test Positive for COVID-19

Please refer to the information included on the Health and Safety Protocols page. If you have other questions, please call your health care provider or CMU Health at 989-774-6599.

Frequently Asked Questions about Testing

  • CMU will prioritize testing for individuals who are symptomatic and individuals who have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
    • The CDC defines close contact as having been within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer with or without use of masks, 48 hours prior to when symptoms first started with the infected individual.
  • CMU faculty, staff and students who believe they are at risk due to close contact with a symptomatic person may also make an appointment for testing.
  • At this time, CMU is only testing current CMU students and employees. CMU is not testing family members or dependents.
  • Test results are usually available within 48 hours.
  • Individuals awaiting test results who have been directed to quarantine should not return to campus until they receive a negative test result and receive clearance to resume on-campus activities.
  • If you receive a positive result, you will receive further instruction on isolation and contact tracing.
  • Most insurance programs will cover the cost of one test. If you are required by CMU to complete additional tests, CMU will cover the cost of those tests if they are completed in the CMU Foust Hall testing site.
  • Students who do not have insurance will be covered by CMU.

For additional questions about testing, please contact covidtesting@cmich.edu or call (989) 774-1317.

Find support

Students who need health care may contact CMU Student Health Services, located in Foust Hall. Please call 989-774-6599 before visiting the clinic. CMU Health also provides psychiatry services.

Students also may contact the CMU Counseling Center for free, confidential counseling services. Call 989-774-3371 to schedule an appointment.

Faculty and staff may contact University Human Resources for information on leave options, including options available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Surveillance testing for COVID-19

Central Michigan University continues to conduct surveillance testing for SARS-CoV2 (the virus associated with COVID-19) among students, faculty and staff on our Mount Pleasant campus. To generate a representative sample of the university community, we are seeking volunteers each week to participate in testing.

Sign up for a surveillance testing appointment

Surveillance testing appointments are available by appointment Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1-5 p.m. beginning Jan. 12 through March 4. There is no charge for surveillance tests.

Understanding surveillance testing

In pooled testing, samples from several people are combined prior to being tested. If the pooled sample returns a positive result, each individual sample is then tested separately to determine which individual or individuals were infected. This process allows CMU to monitor and respond to virus trends, and to quickly screen for individuals who are asymptomatic but infected with SARS-CoV2 — the virus associated with COVID-19 — reducing the risk of virus spread. This approach is FDA and CDC approved and has been used by many large educational institutions across the country.

Who should participate:

  • Healthy individuals who are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Current CMU students, faculty and staff who regularly come to the Mount Pleasant campus.

Sign up for a surveillance testing appointment

Do not volunteer if:

  • You are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. If you have symptoms, please call CMU Health at 989-774-6599.
  • You have been in close contact (within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. If you believe you have had close contact, please call CMU Health at 989-774-6599.
  • You have tested positive for COVID-19 at any time.
  • You do not regularly come to CMU's Mount Pleasant campus.

Your surveillance-testing appointment

After you schedule an appointment for your test, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to a COVID Surveillance Survey. Please complete the survey on the day of your test; do not complete the survey more than 24 hours before your test.

When you arrive in the testing center, located on the lower level of Foust Hall in room 28A, you will complete a brief check-in process, including a consent form, before the test is administered.

CMU is using a molecular nasopharyngeal test, which involves inserting a swab into your nose to collect a sample of the fluid in the back of your nasal cavity. It may feel a bit strange or uncomfortable, but it doesn't last long — the swab should take less than one minute.

Test results

Within 48 hours, you will be contacted by staff from the testing center with your results. If your test result is positive, you will receive additional instructions which may include isolation and additional testing. Please read the "If You Test Positive for COVID-19" information on our Health and Safety Protocols webpage.

As required by law, CMU must share any positive test results with the Central Michigan District Health Department. CMU will comply with all health care privacy laws and will only share positive test results with individuals and organizations deemed necessary to protect the health and safety of the community. Anonymous aggregate data on test results may be used for additional research purposes, and results of the surveillance testing will be included in CMU's COVID-19 reporting dashboard. This data will not include any personally identifiable information.