Wellfleet and binx Health have teamed up to provide a simple, cost-effective, testing and support solution for university clients to test their population for COVID-19. The solution also helps monitor and inform their populations about its spread and mitigation measures.
What we’ve learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve learned that sticking to certain controls can aid in reducing the spread of the virus. That includes frequently washing hands, social distancing, wearing masks and reducing the number of people in social gatherings.
However, another important control is frequent testing for those who regularly engage in gatherings outside of their home. This can include essential employees or students on campus.
According to Wellfleet’s Chief Medical Officer, Barrie Baker, “without proper testing protocols it’s difficult to control the spread among the population, because carriers may be asymptomatic. Testing for the coronavirus is necessary to aid in tracking it’s spread and identifying when containment measures should be taken.”
Unfortunately, on some university campuses, it hasn’t been easy for students to get tested. This can be due to a variety of reasons, including cost and access to facilities. Further, efforts for contact tracing have been stymied because students have been reluctant to provide the names of friends or the businesses they have frequented.
Providing easy access to COVID-19 testing
To help combat this hurdle, Wellfleet has collaborated with binx health to offer college clients access to easy at-home/in-dorm sample collection for COVID-19 testing. They are doing this by leveraging binx’s platform, which is currently serving the college health community using similar tools to discretely test for sexually-transmitted infections.
“As a health plan provider for the student population, we’re hearing first-hand from our partners about the unique challenges they’re facing this year,” said Drew DiGiorgio, Wellfleet’s President & CEO. “Collaborating with binx helps us provide our clients with a fast, efficient, accurate, and cost-effective solution to keep their students, faculty and staff, safe and informed.”
binx’s testing platform offers a sophisticated, yet simple, process to serve university population needs. To receive the tests, students simply request their binx box online. Once received, they complete sample collection in their dorm or home and drop off the completed kit at centralized locations for lab processing. Results are rapid, and often provided in less than 24 hours of receiving the sample.
In addition to the testing, binx provides a ‘digital hub’ for the university. They provide viral trend analysis and reporting, rapid lab testing, contact tracing, and live customer service and support.
Helping to create safer, more informed campuses
Providing simple, quick and reliable means for testing and tracing is so important for campuses across the country. It can help quell the spread, creating a safer environment for those who want to engage in on-campus learning. Fortunately, Wellfleet’s relationship with binx helps enable this. Further, it has created a solution that is quick to implement, scalable for large populations, and affordable.
For more information on this program and how to implement it on your campus, please contact us.
