At its highest number of cases, Carleton University reported five on-campus students who tested positive for COVID-19. Strict rules are in place to limit the spread of the virus in residence, and the protocol to get tested is no less stringent.
But residence students who have been tested or shown symptoms said the process is slow and problematic. Others said the university is not doing enough to communicate with students on cases in residence.
The university advises residence students who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 to contact the residence desk. According to interviews with students who are familiar with the process, the university will then send a residence nurse to test the student in their room or direct them to the nearest testing centre.
While awaiting results, students must self-isolate. To leave isolation, a nurse’s assessment is required, according to two students.
Rachel Routly, a first-year student living in residence, said she had to isolate for nearly three weeks after she thought she might be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
Routly said she called the residence desk when she first noticed the symptoms.
“I was having trouble getting air in, and I have asthma and other health issues, but I was like, ‘This was not normal. I should probably isolate and get tested,’” Routly said.
She reported her symptoms on a Saturday and got tested on Tuesday in her room by a residence nurse. While waiting for the test results, Routly continued to isolate. Food was delivered to her room from the cafeteria.
Routly, who is vegetarian, said the university did not accommodate her dietary restrictions when delivering her meals.
“They were all cold . . . I was served meat three times,” Routly said. “I just had cereal in my room those days.”
It took a week for Routly to receive the results of the test, which were negative, Routly said. Even after receiving a negative result, she was not allowed to end her isolation because she was still experiencing symptoms.
“I got my results back and they were like, ‘Okay, it’s a negative test, but you have to stay in your room because you still have symptoms,’” Routly said. “Despite the fact that my symptoms were because of my chronic illness.”
Eventually, almost three weeks after first calling the residence desk, Routly’s doctor cleared her and her isolation ended. Routly said the university should be more accommodating, especially for people who have health issues.
“They were just going to keep me in here indefinitely,” Routly said. “It felt like they didn’t really care and weren’t educated.”
Greg Aulenback, the director of strategic initiatives for the office of the vice president (students and enrolment), said tests taken on campus are administered in consultation with Ottawa Public Health and sent to a regional lab for analysis.
“It is challenging to comment on wait times for results as it depends on the symptoms students are experiencing,” Aulenback said in an email to the Charlatan. Aulenback did not clarify why testing times are impacted by a student’s symptoms or the average wait time to receive test results.
Students also have to wait through other delays in testing, like waiting for the nurse to be available and to get a call with the results of the test. Routly said there was no way for her to find her test results online, as with other testing centres.
Routly and others expressed frustration with the long process to receive results.
“The fact that the results take so long compared to the testing facility you can just walk across the street to is not ideal,” said Rayyan Esmail, a second-year student in residence.
Brewer Park Arena, located across the street from Carleton, is one of 26 COVID-19 testing locations in the Ottawa area. Esmail said he had not been tested for COVID-19.
Gillian Cook, a residence fellow (RF) and third-year student, also expressed concerns about the wait time for tests in residence, although she said she has not been tested through the school.
After receiving a notification from the government’s COVID-19 alert app in September, Cook reported the notification to the residence manager and went to the test centre at Brewer Park Arena to get tested the next day. Cook received her results, which were negative, online the following day.
Cook had to wait an additional day in isolation—only permitted to throw out trash and receive food left at the door by Carleton staff—while waiting to be assessed by a nurse.
“I ended up spending pretty much a full day in self-isolation, waiting on the nurse to call to clear me,” Cook said. “I felt like that was taking a lot of time.”
Three days after she first received the exposure notification and one day after she received her test results, Cook said the nurse cleared her to leave isolation. The nurse cleared her because she had not been in close contact with anyone who had tested positive, according to Cook.
Despite the delays, Cook said she likes the extra precaution of being cleared by a nurse before leaving isolation.
Communication complaints
When an on-campus student tests positive, the university updates its Cases on Campus tracker and notifies students if there is an active case in their building.
But several students expressed concern over the school’s communication of positive tests and the testing process.
Rebecca Moen, a second-year student living in residence, said that while residence students used to receive weekly email updates about cases, those updates have slowed.
“I think now everyone’s just confused and a bit worried that there are more cases that they aren’t telling us about,” Moen said in an interview before reading week.
In that interview, Moen said she had not seen her RF since the first week of school and would appreciate more communication from the university.
“Maybe getting them to give us more updates so it’s more personal communication rather than emails from the school,” Moen said. “That could be better and take away our worries a little.”
Cook said RFs can point students to the residence desk if they are experiencing symptoms, but otherwise don’t play a role in the testing process.
Maude Lipsett, a first-year residence student, said there could be more communication from the university on testing options but said she appreciates the openness about positive tests.
“I think communications from the school have been quite clear on what we’re supposed to be doing to prevent COVID from spreading and getting too bad on campus,” Lipsett said. “Though I haven’t heard much about testing come directly from the school.”
Then there’s the stigma around testing positive.
The Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) is running a campaign to raise awareness on COVID-19 protocols called “Mask Up or Pack Up.” The campaign also addresses the stigma around the virus.
RRRA president Jaden Slawter said it could be helpful for students to hear others open up about their experiences in self-isolation to diminish the stigma.
Aliyah Jarvis is a first-year student living in Glengarry House. She said she has not been tested for COVID-19 since moving to Ottawa, but said she understands how intimidating the process can be and that the prospect of testing positive can inflict fear and guilt.
“It can be a little bit intimidating making a phone call or knowing there’s a possibility you have COVID,” Jarvis said. “There is a little bit of a stigma.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated that Gillian Cook is a second-year student, which is incorrect. She is a third-year student. The Charlatan regrets this error.
