Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Confirmation testing
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If I test positive at the Surveillance Testing Center (STC), do I need a second test?
If you test positive at the STC, you will be considered to have COVID-19. No further testing will change that designation. Since the Health Department is in charge of determining those who must isolate, Binghamton University does not have the ability to alter this requirement; therefore, no further testing will be done and you must isolate.
Diagnostic testing
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What if I have symptoms and decline to have a PCR test done?
If you have symptoms and do not get tested, you will not know for sure whether you have COVID-19 and could spread this infection to others on campus. -
Why should I be tested for COVID-19 during the first day I have symptoms?
You should be tested as soon as you develop symptoms to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus to other people. Many young people have very mild symptoms (often less severe than the common cold), and the longer you wait to get a diagnosis, the more you put the people around you at risk for becoming infected. -
Why is it that only students with symptoms may get tested for COVID-19 at DSHSC?
DSHSC runs a diagnostic service for students. Diagnostic testing is only done on people who have symptoms or who have been directly exposed to COVID-19. The accuracy of COVID-19 test results depends on whether symptoms are present, and DSHSC wants to have the most accurate results possible for students with symptoms. -
Can I get a hard copy of my test results after receiving a PCR test at DSHSC or the
Satellite Diagnostic Testing Site?
You may request a hard copy of your test results by sending a secure message to the provider "OnlineNurs" in the student patient portal. You will receive a copy of your lab result by return secure message within 5–7 days. -
Do I need to upload my positive test results if the positive test was administered
on campus?
(New Jan. 13, 2022)
No. Students do NOT need to upload proof of a positive COVID test to the Decker student health portal if the test was administered on campus at the Surveillance Testing Center, Decker Student Health Services Center or the Satellite Diagnostic Testing Site at the walk-up window between the Union and the Engineering Building.
Home testing
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What do I do if I have a positive home test for COVID-19 while I am in Binghamton?
(Updated Dec. 21, 2021)
Home tests for the self-diagnosis of COVID-19 have become readily available. However, a major drawback is that they do not automatically get reported to any medical provider or official at the Department of Health, so no contact with the ill person is made, and no contact investigation to identify at-risk individuals is done.
If you have a positive home COVID-19 test while you are in Binghamton, regardless of whether you live on or off campus:
- Immediately put on a mask and avoid contact with other people.
- Write your name, date of birth and the date you performed the test on the test device
and then place it in a sealed plastic bag in case a medical professional requests
to see it.
- Upload a photo of the test device to the student health portal using the "COVID Positive Test Results" function.
- In the accompanying message, indicate the EXACT date your symptoms began or that you have no symptoms.
- Immediately report your positive test result to the Broome County Health Department using this short survey. This will ensure that you are contacted by them and individuals you have exposed are identified.
If you live on campus:
- If it is during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday), wait for a call from the COVID response team for further directions.
- If it is after hours, notify the Residential Life staff member on duty, regardless of the time of day or night, so you can be moved to isolation housing right away.
If you live off campus:
- follow the same process as for on-campus residing students, but isolate in the bedroom of your apartment until you are contacted.
