Geneva College is one of two campus communities nationwide selected for a Mayo Clinic research study screening for COVID-19 antibodies. Geneva faculty, staff and students will be eligible to be tested when they arrive on campus and again about six weeks after classes start, shedding statistical light on how COVID-19 impacts college and university communities. This serological test will also screen for Influenza A and B, RSV, and seasonal coronaviruses (other than COVID-19). 

Participation in the research study is not mandatory, but elective for all faculty, staff and students.  Study participants will help the local community by tracking the incidence of the virus early in the semester – and the greater community by aiding researchers in understanding how the virus is spread.

The study will be conducted by Mayo Clinic at no cost to Geneva or the individual participants. All personal results will be given to participating individuals and remain private. The college will receive aggregate data reports without identifying personal information. Participants who receive a positive antibody result will qualify for a standard COVID-19 viral test covered by most insurance carriers. The cost of the both sets of tests (initial and later) is valued at more than $500 for each participant.

Director of Health Services Beth Carlson, PA-C, says, “As a Christian college, we strive to care for our own health – and for the good of others. Participating in the Mayo Clinic Study enables us to do that. This study is a gift to us and in turn we are able to help others in a very meaningful way.” 

Dr. Gregory A. Poland, Distinguished Investigator of the Mayo Clinic and a member of Geneva’s COVID-19 Advisory Council, is leading the research study.

For more information go to geneva.edu/mayostudy.