COVID-19 Sampling & Tracking Program

CSTP provides a saliva-based RT-qPCR test to participants. Participants will be asked to provide a small saliva sample in a test tube and follow protocols provided at the indoor testing sites. CSTP saliva tests have 95% sensitivity and 99% specificity. This means there is less than a 1% chance of false positives, and less than a 5% chance of false negatives despite being infected with COVID-19

Tests will be sent to LynxDx at the end of the testing day. Test turnaround time is approximately 1-2 calendar days.

CSTP test results are sent within 1-2 days; however, CSTP is unable to guarantee rapid test results or rush test results. We recommend working with your primary care provider or UHS (https://uhs.umich.edu/covid-travelers) for quicker results and documentation for travel. If you’d still like to get tested through CSTP, please schedule your appointment with CSTP here.

Indeterminate: The test produced a result that could not be confidently classified as negative or positive. If you are asymptomatic, please make an appointment to re-test with CSTP here. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please contact UHS for testing at (734) 764-8320. 

Invalid: Your sample was unable to be processed successfully in the laboratory. Please make an appointment to re-test with CSTP here.

No, Washtenaw County Health Department recommends that you do not get tested if you have been positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days of your anticipated new test date.

If your positive test results are from an external source (i.e. NOT OHS, UHS or CSTP) you need to submit your test result to the Self Reported External COVID-19 Results Survey. The survey can take 2 to 3 days to be pushed to ResponsiBLUE.

No, our current testing method requires that sample collection must be observed by program personnel.

If you have a positive result, you will be contacted by UHS or OHS with that information and for instructions on next steps. You will be asked to isolate following CDC and public health guidelines.

On and off-campus isolation spaces will be identified for use by any U-M student who needs isolation. Students also may choose to isolate with their families at home. More details about student isolation is available here.

Yes. CSTP testing is free of charge to all U-M and Michigan Medicine students, faculty and staff. There is no out-of-pocket cost associated with your test and test result. Your insurance will not be billed.

No. If you are a student who is experiencing symptoms on your test day or if you have had a recent close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19 please contact UHS for an online assessment. Employees can contact OHS or their individual provider. Do not come to the Community Sampling and Tracking Program location if you are experiencing symptoms.

No, CSTP participation is limited to U-M and Michigan Medicine students, faculty and staff only. We recommend taking a look at Washtenaw County Health Department's website here, which keeps a frequently updated list of testing options available to the community!

No, it is not necessary to get tested and schedule your weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 test appointment if you have been up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations for COVID-19 and submitted your documentation on Wolverine Access. 

If you have received one dose in a two-dose series, you can report your partial vaccination and continue to schedule your weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 test appointment. If you would like to request a medical or religious exemption, you may submit that here and schedule your weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 test appointment.

No. Food, colored drinks, and mouthwash cannot be consumed in the 20 minutes prior to sample collection. Drinking water is permitted. If you arrive at the testing station within 20 minutes of eating, please drink water and return 20 minutes later to collect your saliva sample.

LynxDx will complete diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing and return your test result directly to you via email and text message. When your test results are available, you will receive an email and text alert with a link to view the result. Individuals with a positive test result will be contacted by University Health Service or Occupational Health Services for follow-up and instructions on next steps.

When you test with CSTP, you may download an official results PDF from the online results portal. After opening your results using the LynxDx link, you will have the option to create an account with LynxDx and download the form with your results.

As part of participating in the program, your COVID-19 test results, along with your name, uniqname and other personal information, will be shared with the University of Michigan, including the School of Public Health, Michigan Medicine and University Health Service, and may be disclosed to the appropriate county, state or other governmental entity as may be required by law. Your test result will be returned to you by LynxDx and, if your test result is positive, University Health Service, Occupational Health Services or other appropriate public health officials will alert you.

Yes. If you are returning from international or domestic travel please get tested with CSTP after registering and scheduling an appointment at any of our campus testing locations.

Details on COVID-19 testing at UM Flint can be found here.

Reasonable accommodations and testing assistance are provided to CSTP participants by our trained staff. If you need specific accommodations please email the cstp team, covid19sampling@umich.​edu before your test appointment and we will provide assistance. At each site there is a Site Lead who can coordinate arrangements for accommodations if needed once you are at the testing location.

Yes! Please re-register for CSTP by filing out a brief survey here.

Our Pierpont Commons test site has metered parking on Bonisteel Boulevard and a metered visitor lot behind the Walgreen Drama Center (1226 Murfin). You can view the map here.

The Palmer Commons test site has a parking structure which is adjacent to the Palmer Commons building at the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and Palmer Drive. The Palmer Structure is managed by the Logistics, Transportation and Parking. For the CSTP site at the Ross School of Business metered parking is available on the east (East University Avenue) and west sides (Tappan Street). Street parking may be available in the student neighborhood south of the building.

Before scheduling your first CSTP test, please ensure you have registered for the CSTP by filling out a brief survey. To schedule your test, sign in with your U-M credentials, and click “My Account,” then “Book a New Appointment.” You can then select your preferred location, date and time.

To help maintain social distancing at our testing centers, we ask that you schedule an appointment for your test. Please continue to schedule appointments if you are testing on a regular weekly basis.

To cancel or reschedule your test go here, click “My Account,” and then “View Appointments.” You will see all scheduled appointments and can then cancel or reschedule an appointment as needed by clicking the magnifying glass icon under “View Details.” If you are no longer able to keep your appointment, please cancel it to open the space for someone else.

Yes, registration with the CSTP program must be completed by 5pm the day before your first test. Click here to register. This registration survey only needs to be completed once every semester.

Yes, you can choose the time and preferred site for your test. Please click here and schedule your test for a time and location convenient for you.

No, it is not necessary to get tested and schedule your weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 test appointment if you have been up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations for COVID-19 and submitted your documentation on Wolverine Access. 

If you have received one dose in a two-dose series, you can report your partial vaccination and continue to schedule your weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 test appointment. If you would like to request a medical or religious exemption, you may submit that here and schedule your weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 test appointment.

The CSTP program currently has three (3) campus testing sites: Palmer Commons (Plaza Room), Pierpont Commons (1st Floor Mezzanine, East/Center/Boulevard Rooms) and Ross School of Business (Seven10East Cafe). These locations have various hours of operation. Please feel free to schedule your test at any of the available times at these locations. Michigan Medicine employees may also get tested at the Towsley Lobby (Towsley Center for Continuing Medical Education, Ann Arbor, MI 48109) or The Rachel Upjohn Building. To view the availability of the testing sites please click here.

Please ensure you have registered with the CSTP program here and have a confirmed appointment by scheduling a test here. Please bring the following to your appointment: MCard or a valid government issued photo ID, a mask and a completed ResponsiBLUE Symptom Checker.

Please ensure you have not had anything to eat or drink in the last 30minutes prior to your test appointment.

To verify your identity at the testing site, please bring your MCard. Your Mcard is required to check into the testing kiosk. Please bring a mask that covers your nose and mouth. This program is for asymptomatic individuals without a recent close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19. For this reason, you will be asked to show your completed daily green ResponsiBLUE screen to enter the test center. If you are experiencing symptoms on your test day or if you have had a recent close-contact exposure to someone with COVID-19, please contact University Health Service for an online assessment or Occupational Health Services for faculty and staff (734-764-8021, Option 1).

If you have other questions regarding your testing compliance requirements, please contact covid19testingcompliance@umich.edu. You can also contact the COVID-19 call center at 734-936-7000 between the hours 9am and 8pm, seven days a week.

If you have other questions regarding scheduling, testing sites, or the CSTP program the CSTP team can be reached by email at covid19sampling@umich.​edu.