Asymptomatic testing in Semester 2
Information on voluntary asymptomatic testing and how you can get your tests.
In line with Scottish Government guidance, UG and PGT students should not return to campus until such time as on-campus teaching resumes, other than in specific special circumstances.
If you are planning to travel back to campus for any extenuating circumstances, you must notify the University before you travel and to let us know why you need to return to student accommodation under the current restrictions. If you do return to campus with no exceptional reason for doing so, then you will potentially be in breach of the law.
Notify us if you are travelling back to Edinburgh
We are offering asymptomatic Covid-19 testing until 30 June to students who are on-campus or those who are travelling to Edinburgh from elsewhere in the UK.
The tests are voluntary and you do not need to have been tested in order to attend in-person teaching. But we strongly encourage you to book a test as this will reduce the risk of you passing Covid-19 onto others.
For students travelling to Edinburgh from elswhere in the UK, you should book your tests prior to and on return from another household outside of the City of Edinburgh.
We are also offering regular repeat Covid-19 testing to students and staff who are visiting, studying or working on our campuses. You will be able to receive these tests twice a week.
We are working with the Scottish Government and the UK Government’s testing programme to offer lateral flow testing – a rapid test which can deliver a result within 30 minutes. This is uploaded into the NHS Test and Protect system who will contact you with the result within 24 hours.
Each student will be offered two lateral flow tests between 3 and 5 days apart. These tests will be run by the University on campus. The tests use a self-administered swab from the nose and throat, done under supervision at one of the University’s testing locations.
If you test negative, you should bear in mind that there is a risk you could have or develop Covid-19 as a test is a reflection of one point in time. While students who have tested negative will be able to attend in-person teaching on-campus in the window between your second test, you should take all precautions and should continue to follow the Scottish Government’s safety guidance, such as physical distancing measures.
If either tests are positive, you will need to self-isolate.
The tests are voluntary but we strongly encourage you to book a test if you are returning to Edinburgh from another part of the UK. You should book your tests prior to and on return from another household outside of the City of Edinburgh.
We are also offering regular repeat testing to students and staff who are visiting, studying or working on our campuses. You will be able to receive these tests twice a week.
Testing is recommended for anyone who doesn’t have Covid-19 symptoms as well as those who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 (over 90 days since you tested positive) and completed their self-isolation 10 days or more ago.
While around half of people with Covid-19 develop symptoms, many show no symptoms (asymptomatic) and are unaware that they are infected. Even if you are asymptomatic, you can still spread the virus. The aim of these tests is to find these asymptomatic cases and minimise the risk of spreading the virus further.
If you have had a positive PCR test within the past 90 days then you should not participate in the asymptomatic screening programme.
You can get an asymptomatic test if:
- You have not been tested before; or
- You have previously tested negative; or
- You have previously tested positive more than 90 days ago then you can participate in the lateral flow testing.
The test centre is located at the Pleasance Sport Complex and Gym, 46 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ.
The testing centre at the Pleasance Gym can be accessed via the side entrance. There will be plenty of staff and signage to help guide you when you arrive for your testing appointment. If you are having any issues locating a testing site, please contact us.
Testing is available Monday to Friday 10:00 - 13:50, until 30 June 2021.
All tests will need to be booked in advance. Book a test by clicking on the link below:
When booking your Covid-19 tests, please remember that you must make two separate bookings using this form. Your second booking must ideally be 3 days after the first booking, and as close as possible to your date of departure.
Testing is available Monday to Friday 10:00 - 13:50, until 30 June 2021.
All tests will need to be booked in advance. Book a test by clicking on the link below:
When booking your Covid-19 tests, please remember that you must make two separate bookings using this form. Your second booking must ideally be 3 days after the first booking, and as close as possible to your date of departure.
Using the booking form:
- Log into https://bookmycovidtest.is.ed.ac.uk
- Select the location
- Choose your preferred date and time
- Enter your Name and Email address (Please make sure to check that your University email address is correct, for example: s1234567@sms.ed.ac.uk)
- Enter your Student Number
- Select your University from the drop-down list
- Read and tick the University's privacy policy agreement
- Press ‘Book’. Once you have completed the online form, you will receive a confirmation email. This email will confirm the date, time and location of your test, according to the fields you selected in the booking form. You will also be able to update or amend your booking.
- Press ‘New Booking’ to repeat the above steps for your second test booking. Make sure to choose a date ideally 3 days after the first booking, and as close as possible to your date of departure.
Please remember to bring the following with you:
- A face covering
- A record of your test booking
- A mobile device. This is needed so that you can scan a QR code and register your details connected to your test.
Your test should only take a few minutes to complete. You will receive a sealed swab and will be given direction on where in your mouth and nose you will need to swab.
Please note: If you start displaying symptoms of Covid-19 at any time up to your asymptomatic test, you must not attend the testing centre. You will need to cancel your asymptomatic test and instead book a Covid-19 test via the usual process with NHS Inform.
Testing sites will operate physical distancing along with queue management. Staff will wear appropriate PPE and visitors will be asked to wear face coverings except when they are carrying out a test. Testing areas will be cleaned between each use.
The results will be sent to you within 24 hours of each test.
If you haven't received your results and it has been more than 24 hours since you were tested, you will need to rebook another test. You may need to amend your second test booking to ensure you still have a 3 day break between tests.
If you test negative, you still need to take a second test so please remember to make two separate bookings using this form. Your second booking must ideally be 3 days after the first booking.
If you test negative, you should bear in mind that there is a risk you could have or develop Covid-19 as a test is a reflection of one point in time. While students who have tested negative will be able to attend in-person teaching activities on-campus in the window between your second test, you should take all precautions and should continue to follow the Scottish Government’s safety guidance, such as physical distancing measures.
Please note that the tests give a good indication of whether or not you have Covid-19 at the time you are tested. A negative test result still means that there is a risk you could have or develop Covid-19. This is because each test is a reflection of one point in time and may not be 100% accurate in all cases.
In line with Scottish Government guidelines, if either tests are positive, you and your close contacts will need to self-isolate and you will need to attend a NHS testing facility for a further PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for confirmation. You will be able to book a PCR test via the website below:
Booking a PCR test if your asymptomatic test result is positive
When prompted on the menu system to answer “Why are you asking for a test?”, you will need to select “I have been told to get another coronavirus test”. We would also recommend that you get in touch with anyone you have been in close contact with (particularly household members) and advise them to self-isolate until you have your PCR result.
If you receive a positive PCR result please work with the contact tracing team as part of NHS Test and Protect, when they get in touch. Close contacts will be asked to self-isolate.
Lateral flow tests are less sensitive than the PCR tests used by the NHS. What this means is that they do not pick up every infection that would be detected by a PCR test. This is why we recommend two tests. Repeated testing reduces the risk of a false negative result, and therefore reduces the risk of infecting others, although this does not eliminate the risk entirely. A negative test still means there is a risk you could have or develop COVID as a test is a reflection of one point in time.
Lateral flow tests are very 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. Therefore, if you test positive on a lateral flow test, you will be asked to have a confirmatory PCR test to reduce the frequency of false positive results.
If you test negative, you should bear in mind that there is a risk you could have or develop Covid-19 as a test is a reflection of one point in time.
While students who have tested negative will be able to attend in-person teaching on-campus in the window between your second test, you should take all precautions and should continue to follow the Scottish Government’s safety guidance, such as physical distancing measures.
Unfortunately not. University of Edinburgh students will only be able to access the asymptomatic testing at our Edinburgh locations.
If you test negative but are identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive (such as a member of your household), you should self-isolate in your term time accommodation for a period of 10 days.
If you need to return home, it is important that you self-isolate for 10 days when you arrive home. The return home should be by using private transport wherever possible. If you have no other option than to use public transport, you should strictly observe physical distancing measures, wear a face covering and wash hands thoroughly and regularly during the journey.
If you need to self-isolate, you will need to let the University know by completing our self-isolation contact form. We can then ensure you receive all available support to help you during this period.
You must also inform us again, using the form, if you receive a positive test result for Covid-19. This must be done even if you have already completed the form to advise us that you are self-isolating.
The asymptomatic Covid-19 testing programme is not sufficient evidence to bypass self-isolation requirements if you are returning to Edinburgh from overseas.
If you are travelling internationally into the UK, there is a requirement for all passengers travelling to Scotland to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
Please read the Government’s international travel and quarantine guidance for the latest information on what you will need to do when entering the UK from another country:
- International travel and quarantine guidance
- Country exemptions and information on the process for people entering the UK
If you are travelling from the UK to another country, please be aware that pre-travel PCR tests are not available via the University or the NHS and must be purchased privately from companies who offer that service. In Edinburgh, these include the following, although there may be others and none are endorsed by the University of Edinburgh:
- NHS Lothian Travel Clinic
- TrExMed Travel Clinic
- Edinburgh Travel Clinic
- Newington Pharmacy
- CityDoc
- Vivo Clinic
Countries may specify a certain type of test, so you will need to confirm that your chosen provider can comply with this prior to paying for any testing.
For the latest information and guidance about our Semester Two plans, returning to Edinburgh in January and accessing support, go to our Semester Two webpages:
The minimum possible personal data will be used by the University of Edinburgh to help facilitate the screening programme. Most of this data – such as your name, email address and accommodation address – will already be held by the University.