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COVID Testing

Testing at FIU Clinical Sites

Students, faculty and staff also have the following resources:

  • Faculty and staff

    Call FIU Health (Ambulatory Care Center) at 305-348-3627 to schedule an appointment. Tests are administered Monday through Friday at FIU Health’s MMC. Appointments must be made at least one day in advance.

    Holiday hours: Note that the clinics will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23 - Monday, Dec. 26. The clinics will reopen Tuesday, Dec. 27 - Friday, Dec. 30 from 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    You can get the following tests at an FIU facility:

    • Nasal swab (RT-PCR) molecular test. Results in 24-48 hours. Patient’s insurance will be billed. If you have no insurance, the self-pay price is $100. (Offered at FIU Health MMC).
    • Antibody blood test. Patient’s insurance will be billed. If you have no insurance, the self-pay price is $60. (Offered at FIU Health MMC).
    • Antigen test. Results in 15 minutes. Free for faculty and staff. (Offered at FIU Health MMC). This test is most accurate when you have symptoms or have been exposed to a known COVID positive person. 
  • Students

    To make an appointment, visit the Student Health Center portal. All appointments for FIU clinics must be made at least one day in advance. 

    Holiday hours: Note that the clinics will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23 - Monday, Dec. 26. The clinics will reopen Tuesday, Dec. 27 - Friday, Dec. 30 from 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

    You can get the following tests at an FIU facility for free:

    • Nasal swab (RT-PCR) molecular test. Results in 24-48 hours. Offered at FIU Student Health MMC and BBC.
    • Antibody blood test. Offered at FIU Student Health MMC.
    • Antigen test. Results in 15 minutes. Offered at FIU Student Health MMC and BBC. This test is most accurate when you have symptoms or have been exposed to a known COVID positive person. 

    Should you have any challenges scheduling your appointment, or if you want to see a provider, call the FIU Student Health Center at 305-348-8385 for MMC or 305-919-5620 for BBC. 

Types of tests

Two kinds of tests are available for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests.

A viral test tells you if you have a current infection. There are two methods of testing: 

  • Standard Molecular Testing (RT-PCR), rapid or regular: This common coronavirus (COVID-19) test checks samples from your respiratory system, such as a swab from the inside of your nose, to see if you are currently infected. These viral tests are sent to a laboratory for analysis and results can take several days.
  • Antigen (Rapid COVID-19) Testing: An antigen, or rapid COVID-19 test, is another type of diagnostic test and can provide results in less than an hour. Positive results are usually highly accurate but negative results may need to be confirmed with a standard, molecular test. 

An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection.

If you want to know more about the differences in these tests, please visit FDA Testing Basics.

Who should get tested?

  • People who have symptoms of COVID-19.

The following is a list of symptoms associated with COVID-19 (but there may be others):

  • Fever (temperature of 100.4°F or higher) or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headaches
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

In general, having a cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, or new loss of taste or smell or having more than one of any of the symptoms above would increase the urgency for getting tested for COVID-19 due to an increased likelihood that the illness is COVID-19.

Visit the CDC website for more information.