Tempe, Ariz., February 10, 2021 – Arizona State University, in partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), is opening a new COVID-19 saliva testing site in south Scottsdale. SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, will open a free, drive-thru public testing site beginning Tuesday, February 16.
The SkySong site replaces a previous ASU and ADHS testing site at Phoenix Municipal Stadium that has been converted to a high-volume point of distribution for vaccinations.
SkySong, located at 1465 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, will be open Tuesday through Saturday each week from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The site will provide 500 saliva tests per day, up to 2500 each week.
“Testing for the virus continues to be a very important tool in managing public health,” said David Thomas director of site operations for ASU, who also serves as CEO of ASURE. “We’re pleased to get SkySong into our family of sites and to continue offering this critical service to Valley residents and to citizens throughout Arizona. We encourage anyone who has a forward-facing job, or who regularly interacts with people outside of their own home, to be tested for COVID-19 frequently.”
A recent study published in JAMAÂ has shown that 59% of COVID-19 transmission is occurs by people who are asymptomatic. 35% of those people are pre-symptomatic, and 24% are those who never develop symptoms.
“In Arizona, the virus is wide-spread, and it continues to infect thousands of people every day,” said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, Executive Director of ASU Biodesign Institute and leader of ASU’s COVID-19 research efforts. “The ASU developed saliva tests are easy to do, completed quickly, and you’ll have your results typically in 48 hours or less. These tests help stop the spread of COVID-19 and they are free of charge.”
To sign up for a COVID-19 saliva test, visit the ADHS website and pre-register using the code: SALIVATEST.https://azdhs.gov/
About ASU
Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American Research University, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it.