Colleges’ virus testing strategies vary widely

For students head-

BOSTON — ing to Colby College in Maine this fall, coronavirus testing is expected to be a routine part of campus life. All stu- dents will be required to provide a nasal swab every other day for two weeks, and then twice a week after that. All told, the college says it will provide 85,000 tests, nearly as many as the entire state of Maine has since the pandemic started.

Colby, a private school of 2,000 students, joins a growingnumber of colleges announcing aggressive test- ing plans to catch and isolate COVID-19 cases before they spread. Harvard University says all students living on campus will be tested when they arrive and then three times a week. Boston University plans to test most students at least once a week.

But whether c ol l eges should be testing every stu- dent — and whether there’s capacity for it — is a subject of debate. Some colleges plan to test students only if they show symptoms or come into close contact with someone who has tested positive. But some research- ers say that approach could quickly cause outbreaks caused by students who don’t show symptoms.

As universities hurry to make plans for virus testing, federal officials are warning that they could overload labs that process tests for hospitals. In a call with governors last Monday, Health and Human Services Sec- retary Alex Azar said too many colleges are signing contracts with commer- cial labs, which threatens to “jam up the capacity” of the system.

Instead, Azar said colleges should develop testing oper- ations in their own labs, especially at big research universities.

Colleges have been trumpeting testing plans as they work to reassure families that they can reopen safely. For some, it’s partly meant to signal that officials will spend whatever it takes to keep the campus protected.

“It’s first and foremost to provide a safe environment. But truthfully it’s also to give all of us comfort, to give our local community comfort, and to give our students and families comfort,” said Doug Terp, vice president for administration and chief financial officer at Colby. The testing plan will cost the college an estimated $5 million, he said.

But at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, officials argue that testing every student could “create a false sense of security.” Instead, the school plans to test students who show symptoms or were exposed to the virus, and those in high-risk groups.

Virus testing is just one of many safety measures colleges are planning as they look to reopen. Many also plan to reduce class sizes, limit dorm capacity, require masks and ban large gatherings. By testing, colleges hope to identify sick students and place them in isolation spaces to prevent further spread of the virus.

For months, university leaders have argued that testing is crucial to a safe reopening. But with limited guidance from federal officials, colleges have created a patchwork of strategies based on advice from state agencies and on research from their o wn health experts.

The Texas A&M University system recently announced that it will divide 15,000 tests among its campuses each month, to be reserved for those who show symptoms or are exposed to known cases.