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University of Denver COVID-19 Test Module Key to Return to In-Person Learning – CBS Denver

DENVER (CBS4) – The University of Denver has a simple construction on campus, which is a key tool in helping students and staff stay safe during the pandemic. DU calls it their COVID-19 testing module.

It is becoming a campus staple amid the pandemic.

(credit: CBS)

“Everyone knows the capsule. He has great visibility, ”said Sarah Watamura, COVID-19 Response Coordinator and Professor at the University of Denver. “We joke that it is the welcome center of the university because it is the first place that people come because they have to be examined again before they can rejoin the community.”

The COVID-19 testing module is 40 feet long and is located north of the Richie Center. People can walk, bike, or drive to one of the six windows to receive their exam.

(credit: CBS)

"When you get to the capsule there is an intercom so that the person inside can talk to the person in outside without having to open the door initially. And then they can open the window, do the consent process, and take the swab very easily there, ”Watamura said.

“There are hand sanitizer stations at each window so a person can wash their hands and be out of the pod. Inside the capsule, all the personal protective equipment and cleaning options are inside. ”

The capsule cost a mere $ 200,000 to build, but it was money well spent. It was built after testers tried to beat the heat in August.

"The changing rooms were outside and under the tents, but it was hot, and they were suffering from dizziness and heat stroke from being outside all day," he said.

DU partnered with PCL Construction and within 10 days the capsule was ready for use.

(credit: CBS)

"And we've been using it from that point on, and we do 600 tests a day," he said. Watamura.

The COVID-19 test capsule is now used for testing, but Sarah hopes it can be used as a site to administer the coronavirus vaccine in the future.

“I think it is a really valuable tool to have any type of mobile medical unit and I think it is something that we will use in other types of initiatives in the future. So we felt it was a good long-term investment. ”

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