Asymptomatic Testing for Students and Staff

Asymptomatic Testing

Staff and students should take asymptomatic tests for Coronavirus before attending any face-to-face teaching sessions or accessing University facilities, including the Library.  

Asymptomatic testing uses a simple swab test called a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test. This is different to the PCR tests used for suspected cases of Covid-19. The LFD test is painless, self-administered, and should take less than 15 minutes. Results are provided by SMS text message or email, usually within one hour. 

If you are on campus, please take two LFD tests three or four days apart each week. Only go onto campus if you receive a negative result. Asymptomatic testing is important to protecting our community because some people who have Covid-19 have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all and can transmit the virus to others without knowing it.  

The University's on-campus Asymptomatic Testing Centre closed at the end of October 2021 to support a move towards self-testing via LFD collect test kits. University students and staff can obtain home tests kit from any of the following LFD Collection Points on campus:

• Student Support, Minerva Building (9:30am to 4:30pm)
• Student Wellbeing Reception, Student Wellbeing Centre (9:30am to 4pm)
• Student Advice Centre, Lincoln Students’ Union (12noon to 2pm)
• The University Library (open 24/7)

Alternatively, staff and students can order LFD test kits directly to their home address via the gov.uk website.

All staff and students are strongly encouraged to continue to test and report every Covid-19 test result (positive, negative, or void) to the University’s Test, Care and Trace system and the NHS.

The vast majority of LFD tests return a negative result but if someone does test positive, they would need to take a confirmatory PCR test. If the PCR test is also positive, they would need to self-isolate, as would members of their household unless they are exempt (for example, because they are fully vaccinated). The rules on self-isolation have changed since Roadmap Step 4. For the latest advice, see the NHS website.

For more information, please visit our coronavirus web pages.