Health Screening and Testing | Coming Back Safe and Strong

Health Screening and Testing for Employees

All employees are required to conduct a brief self health care screening before coming to campus. This daily screening will involve a temperature check and review for COVID-related symptoms along with questions pertaining to recent infection and/or exposure. For an employee who returns or remains on campus after 12 hours, this screening must be repeated. Contact your Supervisor or Human Resources for information about the required daily screener – CampusClear App or the Daily Health Self-Screening Paper Log , available in both English and Spanish.
If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms:
Mandatory COVID-19 Pooled Testing is now available for employees and commuter students. Visit the Pooled Testing Website to view updated information.
Employees who have recovered from COVID-19 are not required to get tested for the virus. Those who have recovered from the virus, those who are vaccinated, as well as those who may have tested positive for having the COVID antibody, must still, however, wear protective equipment, such as facial coverings, and must screen daily to check that they are free of COVID-19 symptoms prior to arriving to work, since it is still unknown whether those who have had the virus are immune from a recurrence (and, therefore, from potentially spreading the virus). The presence or absence of the COVID antibody makes no difference in best practices to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.
If you have tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2, whether or not you have symptoms, you should stay home (except to get medical care), and isolate yourself from others. Call the Health Information Line (HIL) at 631-632-5000 (dial 2-5000 if on campus) and select Option 1. Provide your information and describe your symptoms in detail. Follow instructions from the HIL for testing, contact tracing and returning to work, and notify your supervisor. While in isolation:
- Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
- Stay in a separate room from other household members, if possible.
- Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
- Avoid contact with other members of the household and pets.
- Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels and utensils.
- Wear a mask when around other people, if you are able to.
For more information, please visit CDC Isolate If You Are Sick

Quarantine and Isolation

Quarantine is used to keep individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others since they may become positive. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. Isolation is used to separate people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from people who are not infected.
People who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 may need to quarantine. Healthcare professionals who staff the Health Information Line, along with professionals from the local department of health, will make the close contact determination based on the proximity, duration and other circumstances. Some examples of close contact include:
- You were within six feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 10 minutes or more.
- You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19.
- You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them).
- You shared eating or drinking utensils.
- They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.
If the Health Information Line determines that you had close contact, you may be advised to stay home and monitor your health for 10 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. You will be instructed to continue to watch for fever (100.0◦ F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19, for a total of 14 days. If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

For more information, please visit CDC When to Quarantine
People who have symptoms of COVID-19, or have no symptoms (are asymptomatic) but have tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2, must stay home (except to get medical care), and isolate from others. Call the Health Information Line (HIL) at 631-632-5000 (dial 2-5000 if on campus) and select Option 1. Provide your information and describe your symptoms in detail. Follow instructions from the HIL for testing, contact tracing and returning to work, and notify your supervisor. While in isolation:
- Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
- Stay in a separate room from other household members, if possible.
- Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
- Avoid contact with other members of the household and pets.
- Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
- Wear a mask when around other people, if you are able to.
For more information, please visit CDC Isolate If You Are Sick

Anterior Nasal Swab (ANS) Testing through the Stony Brook University Hospital COVID-19 Surveillance Laboratory

The Anterior Nasal Swab (ANS) specimen collection method is as comfortable and convenient as the saliva specimen collection method and offers several advantages. Pretesting restrictions such as the avoidance of tooth brushing, eating or drinking will no longer be necessary. The completion of a lengthy online pre-registration will no longer be necessary. Turnaround time on pooled testing and individual testing, which will now be done in at the University Hospital lab, will be significantly reduced.ight click to add more rows.
The sensitivity and specificity of the ANS test performed in the Stony Brook University Hospital COVID-19 Surveillance Laboratory is comparable to the oral swab/saliva system performed at SUNY Upstate.
The pooled ANS surveillance testing platform uses a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorized high-sensitivity and high-specificity COVID-19 assay kit developed and manufactured by Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. The surveillance testing platform uses five- sample pooled anterior nasal swab (ANS) testing strategy and robotic workflows to accurately and rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA, a marker for COVID-19 infection. The surveillance testing platform is highly sensitive, with a limit of detection of 0.625 copy/μL for individual ANS specimens. The use of five-sample pooling with the platform can achieve 100% positive percent agreement and 100% negative percent agreement as compared to the analysis of individual samples. Analytic specificity of the assay for SARS-CoV-2 was determined to meet FDA performance standards.
It is a gentle, noninvasive short swab. It is 0.75 inches in comparison to the 6-inch long (nasopharyngeal) swab. The individual gently rotates the soft polyester tip around the anterior walls of each nostril (naris) for approximately 10 seconds.
Yes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pooled surveillance testing involves “combining respiratory samples from several people and conducting one laboratory test on the combined pool of samples to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.” The CDC states the advantages of pool testing include “preserving testing reagents and resources, reducing the amount of time required to test large numbers of specimens, and lowering the overall cost of testing.”
Pools of five (5) specimens will be tested in Stony Brook University Hospital’s (SBUH) COVID-19 Surveillance Laboratory.
No. There is no quarantine or isolation required on the day you participate in pooled testing. However, you must be free of COVID-19 symptoms and feel well to participate in pooled testing. You may not participate if you have had a known community or family exposure within the past 14 days.
Employees represented by UUP, PEF, CSEA, PBA and NYSCOPBAwho report to work in person to complete some or all of their work obligation are required to submit to surveillance testing under specific Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) recently reached between SUNY and each bargaining unit. MC and Research Foundation employees are also required to submit to surveillance testing.
At his time the test sites are still the same. The Southamptom test site will still be utilizing the SUNY pooled method for testing and ANS does not apply.
Yes, if you work at an off-site location and come to the HST for COVID-19 surveillance testing, please do the following: Inform the receptionist at the testing station that you need a parking validation sticker. The receptionist will confirm via your ID badge that you work off-site and will provide you with a validation sticker. Affix the sticker to your parking ticket, taking care not to cover the bar code on the parking ticket. Present your parking ticket with the sticker on it to the attendant in the parking booth as you depart the garage.
The entire sampling process typically takes less than 2-3 minutes.
There is no preparation needed prior to testing and no pre-registration needed. Simply bring your ID badge with you to the testing center. We cannot test you without an ID badge.
Please view these instructions for proper collection of your nasal swab specimen.
No. The results of the pooled testing will not be released. In the event of a positive pool, disambiguation testing and individual diagnostic testing, will be conducted to determine which individual(s) in the pool are positive. Individuals who are diagnosed positive will be notified as required by law, and the information will be reported to the New York State Department of Health. Individuals will not receive any notification if they are negative from COVID-19 surveillance testing.
In order to eliminate registration, we are using information from your employee badge or student ID. We want to fully inform you how this information is being used in a secure environment.
Results are shared only on a “need to know basis.” Specifically, the health information line (HIL), student health services (SHS), the New York State Department of Health, designated representatives from human resources are informed of the positive result of an employee. All coordinate to ensure the employee receives all applicable COVID-related pay and/or benefits.
The hospital will not process a retest to rule out a false positive result. All individuals who test positive will be contacted by the HIL or SHS for additional guidance. If you have questions regarding your test results, please consult with your medical provider.
Individuals with a history of COVID-19 (those who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 or were given a diagnosis of COIVD-19 by a medical provider) within the past three months, should NOT participate in the testing. If it is after three months since you tested positive, you are required to resume ANS testing as long as you do not have symptoms.
Yes. Individuals who have previously tested negative for COVID-19 and/or have been vaccinated with a COVID vaccine must participate in the pooled testing program.
No. Individuals currently under a mandatory period of isolation or quarantine as determined by county health officials should continue to observe the requirements of isolation/quarantine. You should NOT come to the testing site to participate in pool testing.

Employee Saliva Pooled Testing Program

Pooled testing is a form of COVID-19 surveillance testing. During pooled testing, participants at the testing site will perform a self-swab to collect a saliva sample. Individual saliva samples are then pooled together into groups. Analysis of samples is then performed at a certified laboratory. If a pool tests positive, follow-up testing known as 'reflex testing' is conducted on the individual swabs in order to detect the specific member(s) of the pool who are positive for COVID-19.
Pooled testing is another way to test asymptomatic employees to determine if any of those are positive. It is an integral part of our plan to keep our workplace safe and healthy. A critical part of our plan is to conduct ongoing COVID-19 testing throughout the semester, and everyone’s participation is expected to help keep our campus community safe.
Yes, surveillance testing is mandatory for the following groups:

- Employees represented by CSEA, UUP, PEF, PBANYS and NYSCOPBA who report to work in person on campus to complete some or all of their work obligations. This was mandated under specific Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) recently reached between SUNY and each bargaining unit.

- Management/Confidential (M/C) and Research Foundation (RF) employees must also perform this mandatory weekly testing.
Testing is a critical tool we use to keep our campus community safe, and if you are coming to the workplace your participation is required. You may select the day and location most convenient to your schedule. Please note there is no testing on Fridays or observed holidays. Individuals who have extenuating circumstances and cannot be tested may be required to prove they are free of COVID-19 infection. These extenuating circumstances will be evaluated on a case by case basis by the Health Information Line.
There is a new weekly requirement for both employees and commuter students. Surveillance testing is an important way to stop the spread of COVID-19 by detecting the virus in individuals who may not be experiencing or exhibiting any symptoms (those who are 'asymptomatic.')
If you are not reporting to the workplace at all, you do not need to be tested.

For faculty and staff currently working from home who plan on returning to campus this spring, please note that the daily CampusClear screenings must be completed for two consecutive weeks before faculty and staff who have been remote may return to campus.

If you are telecommuting, please ensure that you have completed the Telecommuting Form if you haven't already.
There are three testing locations currently. Please refer to the Pooled Testing page of the Coming Back Safe and Strong website for testing times and locations.
Generally, you should expect to be at the testing site approximately 10-15 minutes. The actual self-swabbing is less than one minute. Registering beforehand is required and will prevent unnecessary wait times. Please review the swabbing video at https://vimeo.com/447268833/5229da41b6
You must create a COVID-19 Surveillance Account and register before your testing appointment.
- It is preferred that you register using the same mobile phone that you will have at the testing site. You will need to open your account info on your mobile phone during the testing process.
- You must have completed your health screening via the Campus Clear App. You will need to show your Campus Clear “cleared” result in order to qualify for testing at this time. Make sure you have the app open before you come in.
- To review this instructional saliva swab video, click this link: https://vimeo.com/447268833/5229da41b6
Please use a personal computer or tablet to complete the registration process in advance of the testing appointment. When you arrive for the assigned testing appointment, please inform one of the staff on site that you do not have a smart phone in your possession. We will assist you with the rest of the process at the testing site.

Employees who do not have access to a mobile device or computer can show up as a walk-in, if the test center is not fully booked that day. Just remember to bring your Campus ID and a copy of your CampusClear “Cleared” confirmation.
On the day of your scheduled testing, please:
- Do NOT eat or drink anything (including gum, mints and lozenges) within 30 minutes of reporting for testing.
- Do NOT smoke, vape, or use smokeless tobacco for 30 minutes prior to testing.
- Do NOT brush teeth or use mouthwash within three (3) hours of testing.
- Bring your S BU ID and mobile phone.
- You will need to show your Campus Clear “cleared” result in order to qualify for testing.
There is no quarantine or isolation required on the day you participate in pool testing. However, you must be free of COVID-19 symptoms and feel well to participate in pooled testing.
Participating in the pooled testing program does not require you to respond ‘yes’ to any of the questions. Please respond as you otherwise would. In fact, if any of your answers to those questions would be ‘yes’, it could impact your ability to provide a swab.
Results are typically available to the provider of record (HIL) within 2-5 days after your sample is sent to the lab. Individuals who test negative will not be notified. Individuals who test positive will be notified immediately and, as required by law, the information will be reported to the NYS Department of Health. When registering for the test, please indicate a phone number where you can be reached at any time in order to convey results. DO NOT use your work number.
Yes, results are provided to the Health Information Line. Positive COVID-19 results are reported to the NYS Department of Health. Your results are not shared with your co-workers or supervisors.
The University will not process a retest to rule out a false positive result. All individuals who test positive will be asked to seek care with their personal medical provider. If you have questions regarding your test results, please consult with your medical provider.
Individuals with a history of COVID-19 (those who have previously tested positive for the virus) should not participate in the testing for approximately 90 days after being diagnosed. If you have any questions, please contact the Health Information Line (HIL) at (631) 632- 500 (2-5000 if on campus), option 1, and inform us that you were previously positive.
Yes. If you have tested positive for antibodies and you have recovered from the COVID infection and at least 90 days have passed, you can participate in testing. If you are unaware of a prior infection, but have been notified you have positive antibodies, you can still participate in the testing surveillance program.
You should not get tested and must request an exemption from travel testing/mandatory quarantine by emailing: traveladvisoryexemption@health.ny.gov

You will need to include as much information as possible regarding your need for an exemption, such as the reason you are requesting the exemption, when you tested positive, when/where you completed isolation. This request for exemption should be done as soon as possible, even prior to travel.
Individuals currently under a mandatory period of isolation or quarantine as determined by county health officials should continue to observe the requirements of isolation/quarantine. You should NOT come to the testing site to participate in pooled testing. Contact the Health Information Line (HIL) at (631) 632-5000, option 1 for advice.
Any appointments that need to be canceled will be canceled through email. Please check your emails regularly .
Yes. If you are a Stony Brook University employee assigned to West Campus, the HSC or the School of Medicine and you are in the area of any of the designated test sites, please schedule at the location that is convenient for you.
Yes, even if you have been vaccinated for COVID, you are still required to provide a negative COVID PCR test and participate in our ongoing surveillance testing plan. You also will need to continue to wear your facial covering and adhere to all other infection prevention protocols and safety measures for the continued safety of everyone on campus.