Students at the University of Alabama have a deadline for on-campus exit testing before Thanksgiving. Healthcare providers will administer COVID-19 tests today from 8 a.m. to five p.m. at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. Tests will be also be given tomorrow from nine a.m. to noon. One hundred and fifty nine students tested positive at all three UA campuses in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville earlier this month. Dr. Karen Burgess is the interim medical director of the UA student health center. She says everyone needs to get past COVID fatigue and do the right thing.
“I think people get tired of having swabs up their nose," said Dr. Burgess. "And those kinds of things. So, I think we have to strike a balance between all of those things. What is the level of information we’d like have, what’s the level of information that we can have.”
One Alabama lawmaker also called for a special legislative session to answer complaints from her constituents about mandates to wear face masks and to social distance. Without delving into the political issues, Dr. Burgess suggested that people consider the cost savings of wearing a mask, instead using up healthcare dollars and resources when they get sick.
“COVID aside, I’m not sure that it’s not a good thing to consider doing during cough, cold, and flu season. If it meant that we stayed healthier," contends Burgess. "It’s an inexpensive way to keep people healthy.”
Exit testing for UA students will resume on the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday. Those tests will be given at the East Campus storm shelter. Those tests will be given from 9.a.m. to 2 p.m.