This is how the NWU pre-screening process works
With the phasing in of the first 33% of students returning to campus from Wednesday 17 June, the North-West University (NWU) Information Technology department has developed a pre-screening application to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the three campuses.
Final-year and post-graduate students who require access to laboratory facilities, technical equipment, internet connectivity and accommodation; students who require clinical training and those who have chosen the paper-based distance modality, are among the first who will be reintegrated to campus learning.
To gain access to campus, NWU students first have to complete the Covid-19 Awareness e-Training on eFundi and pass with 100%. The test also includes an in-depth video, providing some important information about the novel Coronavirus to staff and students. Only students who are permitted to return to campus will be allowed through the gates.
The Department of Health explained that the screening process helps to determine if someone has Covid-19 or not, by asking symptom and travel related questions and by taking their body temperature.
As there are not enough testing kits for every person in the country, screening is an effective way for health workers to decide whether to test someone or not, by using a formula that looks at the severity of symptoms and high-risk factors.
The pre-screening app, available on NWU’s DIY services, needs to be completed once a day if the student is planning to enter the campus.
On the pre-screening app, the student is required to select their campus, and answer eight yes or no questions.
Chandré Botha, business analyst of NWU’s IT department, explained that students who answer “no” to all questions will receive a green token. However, if a student answers “yes” to two or more questions, they will receive a red token. Tokens are sent to the student via email and SMS and must be shown to the security officer at the gate upon entering the campus.
Depending on which questions the student answered “yes” to, they will be denied entry or referred to the Health Care Centre on campus for further evaluation. If a student has a high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above, they will also be referred to the Health Care Centre for further evaluation.
The library will remain closed and students will have restricted access to labs. All students will be required to wear masks, practice social distancing and adhere to strict safety measures on campus.
The video below explains how a Covid-19 test works.