Free twice-weekly Covid tests for students with no symptoms

The test should take about 10 minutes, however you should allow additional time for registration and in case of queuing. Please remember to bring your mobile phone and student ID with you, for registration and results purposes.

You should ideally take two tests, three days apart, each week. Your first test should take place as soon as possible after you return to/arrive for the first time at campus or to your student accommodation.

Tests will be rapidly processed on site; you may receive your results in as little as an hour, however it could take longer. 

Although they give a result much more quickly, the lateral flow tests are not as sensitive as the PCR tests (that is, lateral flow tests cannot detect very low levels of Covid-19). By doing two tests, three days apart, the programme is more likely to identify anyone with Covid-19 than from a single test.

The British Islamic Medical Association has reviewed fiqh opinions from different schools of thought: “Taking the Covid-19 PCR or lateral flow tests does not invalidate the fast during Ramadan as per the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars.”

Please contact your local Islamic scholar or healthcare professional for specific advice. More detailed information on Covid-19 testing and vaccinations can be found at the British Islamic Medical Association website.

The Muslim Chaplain to Oxford Brookes University is Sheikh Ramzy, his contact details can be found on the Multifaith Chaplaincy pages.

If you are a close contact of a confirmed case, you can attend your booked test but you must then immediately return to your accommodation to self-isolate. You should avoid travelling on public transport. If you have no other option than to use public transport, you should strictly observe social distancing measures, wear a face covering and wash hands thoroughly and regularly during the journey. 

The test is self-administered - you will do it yourself at one of our testing facilities on campus, with support from a testing helper. The test involves rubbing a swab (similar to a long cotton bud) at the back of your throat and up your nostril. 

You should bring your mobile phone and student ID with you - this is for registration and results purposes. Please also remember to bring your face covering.

We will have testing available at our Headington (at The Terrace, John Henry Brookes Building), Harcourt Hill and Swindon campuses from 7 January.

The tests we are providing are a ‘lateral flow test’ that is quick to take and gives results quickly. This detects the coronavirus antigen that is produced when a person is infectious with coronavirus.

The test is self-administered - you will do it yourself at one of our testing facilities on campus, with support from a testing helper. The test involves rubbing a swab (similar to a long cotton bud) at the back of your throat and up your nostril.

There are two main types of test used to check if people currently have coronavirus.

The test that is being offered in this programme is called a lateral flow antigen test. This detects the coronavirus antigen that is produced when a person is infectious with coronavirus. These are quicker tests that produce a rapid result and do not require a laboratory to be processed.

If you’ve previously booked a test through the NHS, it is likely to have been a PCR test, and this looks for the virus’s genetic material (ribonucleic acid or RNA). These tests are currently more commonly used in the NHS for testing people with symptoms. They require a laboratory to be processed.

You can still be infectious and not show or experience any symptoms, which means you could pass the virus to others. The lateral flow test is designed to detect the level of virus in individuals who do not experience and show any symptoms (they are ‘asymptomatic’). By taking a test, you will help to stop the spread of the virus, protect other people and save lives. 

It is really important that we all do our bit to stop the spread of the virus and protect our friends, loved ones and other members of society. Taking the test will help us fight the pandemic and save lives. Stopping all contact with other people for a limited period of time to prevent them from becoming infected is an essential part of the fight against the virus.

The tests are recommended for all individuals without Covid-19 symptoms, including those who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 and completed their self-isolation 10 days ago or more.

If you have recently (within 90 days) tested positive for Covid-19, you are likely to have developed some immunity.

You are exempt from testing by both PCR and lateral flow (rapid) tests within 90 days of a previous positive test, unless you develop new symptoms.

However, you may choose to take a rapid Covid-19 test after the isolation period. If it is positive, you will be required to self-isolate for 10 days or longer if you are displaying symptoms. This should only be done after you complete the required self-isolation period.

You are still required to self-isolate if you are identified as a close contact of a positive case, even if this is within the 90-day window.

Lateral flow tests are validated technology (the most commonly known type is a pregnancy test), they are safe and the results are trusted. These tests have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation including at Public Health England’s research laboratories to ensure they are verified for use. 

It may be a little uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt. 

Lateral flow tests are very accurate (highly specific), which means that only a very small proportion of people who do not have coronavirus will receive a positive result (false positive). However, in mass testing, because so many people without symptoms are being tested, there is still the possibility of getting a false positive result. If you receive a positive test result, you should book a PCR test to confirm the result either by booking a test online or by calling 119.

Assisted testing is available for anyone who is unable to self administer the test– including assistance with the swabbing of their throat or nose, or help with reading instructions. If an assisted test is required, please let us know via the online booking system and inform staff upon arrival, when completing registration.

Please note that disabled access bays are available at all sites. All testing sites are accessible to wheelchair users.

Appropriate face coverings need to be worn throughout the testing process whilst in the testing facility, apart from when guided by a testing professional to remove it when you take your sample by swabbing. You should put your face covering back on immediately after completing your test and before leaving the testing booth.

Should you have age, health or disability reasons for not wearing a face covering, please inform the site manager as soon as you arrive so that they can take additional precautions.