Symptomatic Testing

Symptoms of COVID-19

  • A fever of 100°F or higher
  • Respiratory symptoms, such as dry cough or shortness of breath
  • Vomiting or diarrhea
  • Muscle or body ache
  • Chills 
  • Loss of taste or smell

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Keep in mind, many people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms and are able to recover at home.

Employees

  • If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, contact your local primary care provider (PCP) for a health assessment and direction. 

  • If you do not have a PCP, contact The Ohio State University COVID Call Center at 614-293-4000 to assess the need for testing and to arrange a COVID-19 test if indicated. 

  • If your PCP advises that you should have a COVID-19 test, contact The Ohio State University COVID Call Center at 614-293-4000 to arrange a COVID-19 test. 

  • If an Ohio State contact tracer determines that you have been exposed as a close contact to someone who is infected with COVID-19, you will be contacted by the team and advised about quarantine and testing. 

Students 

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, students can be tested with an order from a Student Health Services’ medical provider or a referral from the contact tracing team. Testing is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except for the 2nd Friday of each month, opening at 9:30 a.m.). Making an appointment is required to help maintain physical distancing and reduce student wait times. 

To obtain an order from an SHS provider:

  • Schedule via My BuckMD
  • Select appointment reason, TELEHEALTH - COVID symptoms
  • This will schedule a telehealth appointment with the provider.
  • SHS provider will call you during your Teleheath appointment to address your medical concerns.

To schedule a testing appointment:

  • Schedule via My BuckMD
  • Select appointment reason, Covid-19 Testing ordered by SHS Provider or Contact Tracing.
  • This will not create an appointment with a provider, rather sign the student up for an assigned testing time.

Note: If you are unable to schedule via My BuckMD, please try these tips:

  • Switch browser to Google Chrome (most up-to-date version)
  • Clear browsing history
  • Conduct from a laptop or desktop

After your specimen is collected, you are required to self-quarantine in your residence and may not return to normal campus activities until your test result is available. This time frame may vary, but most results should be available between 2-3 business days after the specimen is collected. This brief self-quarantine is required out of an abundance of caution because it is possible to be infected with COVID-19 and have no symptoms.

Please reference this website for the most up-to-date guidelines. The university’s COVID-19 Transition Task Force’s Safe Campus and Scientific Advisory Subgroup will continue monitoring changing conditions and consult with local and state health authorities. Recommendations and requirements will be refined as needed.