UT Proactive Community Testing Program for COVID-19

UPDATE: Testing is now guaranteed only for those with appointments.

Protect Texas Together by safeguarding our vulnerable community members.

Many people infected with COVID-19 do not have symptoms but can spread the virus to others – a roommate, faculty member, family member, partner or friend who may be susceptible to severe COVID-19 illness. Getting tested, even when you feel healthy, helps UT monitor and respond to COVID-19 and contributes significantly to slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

• The test is a Thermo Fisher Scientific TaqPath COVID-19 RT-PCR utilizing a saliva specimen.
• The collection takes about five minutes (total time at testing site may take 20-30 minutes depending on the traffic at a site)
• Participation is voluntary and results are confidential.

Testing Schedule

Testing is offered most Mondays through Thursdays, 8:30am to 6pm, with the exception of University holiday breaks.

To qualify for PCT

To qualify for testing, one must be a UT student or employee and have not:

• experienced symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days;
• been tested for COVID-19 in the past 7 days;
• had a positive COVID-19 test in the past 90 days; and
• been diagnosed with a probable COVID-19 infection that was not confirmed with a lab test in the past 6 weeks.

On the day of the test

• Use your Protect Texas Together app to complete your daily symptom survey and claim your Campus Pass. Then click on the PCT button in the app to give consent.
• DO NOT eat, drink, use mouthwash or tobacco, brush your teeth or chew gum for 30 minutes before giving a saliva specimen. Additionally, do not use any lipstick, lip balm, gloss, or other lip-applied products prior to testing.
• Be well-hydrated before the 30-minute cut-off period prior to your test time.
• Wear a mask, except when giving the saliva sample.
• Parking garage validation is available at our SSB location.

Results

• We will notify you by phone for positive and inconclusive results, and send a secure message for all invalid and negative results.
• ALL results will be available for you to independently access on the MyUHS patient portal about 1-3 days after your appointment; log in, click on Medical Records, then select the Labs tab.


• Results will not be released to your department/faculty/employer.
• If positive, your results may be shared with appropriate entities, including Austin Public Health or HealthPoint/Occupational Health Program, for contact tracing purposes.

Additional Information

PCT-collected specimens are analyzed by the UT Austin High Throughput Testing Core (HTTC), a unit of the Center for Biomedical Research Support (CBRS) core research facility (Office of the Vice-President for Research). HTTC is certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) to perform clinically diagnostic testing. View our CLIA certificate.

For questions about PCT not answered above, please email pct@austin.utexas.edu.