COVID TESTING

Leila Williamson The Communicator

While COVID-19 is a very confusing and unknown territory, not everything has to be challenging. COVID testing is available locally whether you are a student attending the main SFCC campus in Spokane or you are at the Pullman campus. Below are a few resources to help you find the best testing site for you if you should need to get tested.

Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Call ahead to see if your insurance applies and if it will cover the test. Without insurance it will be at least $175. There is no appointment or referral required to get a test here if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19 by another person or group that did not follow COVID-19 social distancing guidelines within the last five to fourteen days. While it is not required it is recommended you schedule an appointment online as a precaution.

Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Insurances will be billed, but patients will not be billed or have a copay for testing. For those without insurance CHAS will not bill you for your test. To schedule a covid test you should text “COVID” to 424-354-4965. From there you will receive screening questions and further instruction before your test on where to go.

Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. Cost: With insurance they will bill your insurance and you will have to pay your copay. Without insurance they recommend you call the number above to hear different options you may have. You don’t need an appointment or referral to go be

Corbin Willmorth | The Communicator The CHAS Clinic is one site offering COVID-19 testing.

tested here.

Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Your insurance will cover the cost of the test, if uninsured the US department of Health and Human services has made a program that will cover the cost of a medically needed test for COVID so the medical center will bill them for you. This medical center requires that you have a referral sent in from your primary care doctor in order to be tested.

Ashley Jacobson The Communicator

Even without a pandemic looming above students’ heads, college can be a stressful time. Many students can find themselves overwhelmed and falling into periods of severe stress and anxiety. It’s important to note first and foremost that these issues can arise in anyone and they are manageable. Shawna Shelton, one of the counselors here at SFCC, said that one important way to deal with stress and anxiety is practicing mindfulness. “Some practical tips that can be quite helpful for stress, are things like using a structured planner where students can create designated times for study, work, sleep, recreation, meals, family, etc.,” Shelton said.“It may feel tedious at first, but exercises such as these relieve an enormous amount of stress that often burdens students when they are trying to figure out how to balance everything they need to get done.” In 2017, the University of Cambridge published a study on mindfulness. The subjects consisted of 616 students 18 years or older with no self-assessed mental illness or crisis prior to the study. The students were split into two groups, where one was given an 8-week mindfulness course and mental health support that would normally be provided by the university, whereas the other group only received the usual mental health support. Over the course of four months, the researchers found that the group that took the mindfulness course experienced far less distress during exam periods than the group that didn’t take the course. Other people may also find they can manage their stress through yoga, meditation, or other physical activity. There are plenty of YouTube channels that specifically teach about yoga and meditation. Some free apps to encourage mindfulness include Smiling Mind, Insight Timer, Aura, and Inscape.

The University of Rhode Island administered a study to a group of 17 students between the ages of 19 and 23, asking the the students to complete a six week program in which they were required to complete an hour-long vinyasa flow yoga class once a week to determine if this had any effect on stress or anxiety levels. The students completed a questionnaire before and after their program, which consisted of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). From the questionnaire, the researchers found that the students’ stress and anxiety levels made a significant decrease, while their mindfulness skills increased.

Shelton also noted the importance of touching base with someone you can trust as soon as possible.

“It is often easier to reach out sooner rather than later,” Shelton said. “When students are feeling overwhelmed, the thought of reaching out can be too much. Finding a safe person to talk to, like a friend, a co-worker, or classmate who can help connect them with a counselor or other resources can be very helpful.” SFCC has Counselors and Counseling Interns that can meet with students for free over Zoom, on the phone, and in person. Students can call (509)533-3525 or email sfcc.counseling@sfcc. spokane.edu in order to schedule personal counseling.