UVA has been closely scrutinized recently just like most colleges and universities that have begun classes with some form of on-campus life.

Dr. Chris Holstege, the executive director of the Department of Student Health and Wellness at the University of Virginia recently talked to UVA Today about the state their department and how it is evolving as the pandemic rages forward.

“In addition to care and testing, we have rapidly set up a dedicated call center staffed with UVA graduate students who have been trained to help students who think they’ve been exposed to COVID-19. That call center has been live and running for about four weeks,” said Dr. Holstege when asked about what they are doing to handle the increased demand. “The staff focuses on answering whether a student would be considered a ‘contact’ based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition and the need to go into quarantine before the Virginia Department of Health officially performs contact tracing. They also refer students with symptoms to our providers for a COVID-19 screening.”

Dr. Holstege also discusses the process for students that have symptoms and how long the turnaround is during the testing process. You can read the full interview from UVA Today here.

By vascope