Covid-19 testing for staff
Symptoms, testing and cases
When will testing start?
Testing for students and staff will start on Monday 3 January.
How many testing sites will there be? Where will they be?
Our testing site will be on campus, in the Sport Centre.
I am a member of staff at Sussex - can I book a test at the testing site in the Sport Centre before I travel to see my relatives over the Christmas break?
Yes, all staff can book a test.
What do I do if I need to cancel or change my test booking?
If your circumstances change and you need to cancel or amend your test booking, email a request to appointment.bookings@sussex.ac.uk. Please include the following details: name, email address, date and time of the original booking. Then book yourself a new test if appropriate.
I’ve already had Covid-19 – what should I do?
If you have tested positive for Covid-19 within the ten days before your booked lateral flow test, you should not undertake the lateral flow test because you will still have antibodies in your blood that could give you a false positive reading.
How accurate are these tests?
We will be utilising lateral flow devices (LFDs) - a clinically validated swab antigen test that does not require a laboratory for processing and can turn around rapid results within an hour at the location of the test.
The LFD tests have a high specificity, which means there is a very low chance of false positive test results.
The test does not detect all positive cases, however, and works best in cases with higher viral loads – i.e. those who are most infectious.
As the test is easy to administer and does not require a laboratory, repeat tests can be carried out.
The benefit will be the ability to detect a significant number of people without symptoms who are infectious; they will then be asked to self-isolate, which will reduce the transmission of the coronavirus.
I understand that the lateral flow test involves me swabbing my nose and throat. I’m not able to do this, so how can I be tested?
Additional support will be available for anyone who requires extra help with the testing process; most people will be able to self-swab with some additional support. Alternatively you may bring a trusted close contact from your support bubble who can do the swabbing for you, under the guidance of site staff.
What happens if I test positive for Covid-19?
If you test positive, you must self-isolate for a period of 10 days.
Data protection
What about data protection? What will you do with my personal information if I take a test?
We are using an online booking tool so students in essential roles and staff can book a test appointment. See information about data protection.
You will need to provide some personal information to book your appointment. The information you give in the form will be used to schedule your test appointment and to manage arrangements at the testing site. The information will be held securely and will only be kept for as long as is necessary. If you have any queries about how your information will be used, please email the University’s Data Protection Officer: dpo@sussex.ac.uk.
On arrival at your test appointment, you will be provided with a test kit and card and asked to register. The University will not have access to any of your registration data.
Who will have access to my results if I take a test?
On arrival at your test appointment, you will be provided with a test kit and card and asked to register. The University will not have access to any of your registration data.
You will be notified of your test result via SMS or to the email you provide when you register. The University will not see your test results.
Your personal information relating to test registration and results is processed by NHS Test and Trace. See information about how NHS Test and Trace will use your data.
Transport
Will extra parking be made available for students who do not feel comfortable taking public transport to campus for a test, and will it be free of charge during the testing period?
Parking will be available in the Sport Centre car park. This will be free for one hour for people attending the site for a test. The test appointment itself should take no more than 20 minutes, so there will be time to park and return to your car after the test within the free one-hour time slot.
As more staff/students will be travelling to the Sport Centre for a test, will an increased number of buses be going to campus?
The buses to campus are quiet at the moment, so there are no plans to increase these services; however Brighton & Hove Buses can react swiftly if necessary to meet increased demand.
I hear there may be railway engineering works happening around the time of the testing period – is that correct?
We liaise on an ongoing basis with Southern Rail. The only planned rail works we are aware of are overnight, which should not have an impact.