Welcome to the Color COVID-19
Testing Program, in partnership
with the California Department
of Public Health

Program Overview

We are excited to help you set up your testing program to keep your community safe.
Once you have signed up, we will send you emails to begin onboarding. Here’s an overview
of how you’ll run your program.

Onboarding
& Site Setup

Collecting
Samples

Monitoring &
managing your
program

Onboarding & Site Setup

 

These pages detail the steps and decisions necessary to complete onboarding and set up your testing programs.

Identify your testing team

It takes a team to run an effective testing program, and we recommend
selecting people from across your organization for the roles below.

Program Director
Site Lead
Testing Administrator
Participants

Program Director

Responsible for identifying collection sites and the site lead for each collection site.

Color Access

  • Staff management “site manager” role, to manage team member access sample collection
  • Results dashboards for all sites
  • Access management, to edit team member access to dashboards

Site Lead

Responsible for all testing at a collection site and setting up at-home testing. They identify testing administrators, distribute testing supplies.

All testing administrators complete training, performing the necessary antigen test kit qualification, and maintaining quality control logs.

Color Access

  • Staff management “site manager” role, to manage team member access to sample collection
  • Results dashboard for their site
  • Access management, to edit team member access to dashboards

Testing Administrator

Testing administrators set up testing stations and oversee sample collection. They’ll use Color to record which participants provide samples. At least one testing administrator should be selected for each testing station.

Testing administrators at monitored antigen testing sites are required to complete Color’s antigen testing training program.

Color Access

  • Staff management “site staff” role

Participants

Participants are the individuals who register, consent, and provide samples for testing. For participants under 12 years of age, a parent or guardian must register and provide consent on their behalf. Participants may test at your testing site or at home, depending on your program.

Sign up for Color accounts

All staff must create Color accounts. Here’s how it works:

 

  • Head to home.color.com/create-account.
    Enter your organization email, and set up a password. We’ll send an email to confirm your email address once you’ve created your account. After confirming, your account is ready for use.
 
How to create a Color account

 

On testing days

For monitored programs, testing administrators will log into Color via home.color.com/admin – we suggest bookmarking this link.

If you need a Color account, please contact your organization lead. If you haven’t received a confirmation email, check your spam folder.

Order test kits

After your first shipment, you will be responsible for ordering additional test kits. Please contact cdph-antigen-kit-ordering@color.com to place an order for antigen test kits.

Get additional materials

Be sure to have these on hand before you begin collecting samples.

Hand sanitizer, a waste bin, and personal protective equipment (PPE)

  • Each testing station should have enough hand sanitizer for all participants and testing administrators to sanitize their hands before and after providing a sample or touching the sample collection tubes.
  • Use a waste bin at each testing station to collect swab packaging.
  • Biohazard waste bins should be used to properly dispose of all positive antigen tests.
  • Make PPE available per your district’s guidelines and any state or local recommendations.

Internet

  • Color’s software requires internet connectivity via WiFi or cellular service.
  • If you’re using WiFi-only devices like laptops or tablets, make sure you have strong and reliable WiFi coverage in your testing area.
  • If your WiFi isn’t reliable, we recommend using portable hotspots from a cellular network provider, like this Verizon Jetpack® MiFi® 8800L.
  • If you’re planning on using cellular devices, like a WiFi + Cellular iPad, be sure to select the appropriate cellular network provider that provides the best coverage for your area, like AT&T or Verizon.

Tablets and/or laptops

  • Each site administrator should have their own device on testing days.
  • We recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome on your devices.
  • iPads must be running iOS 13 or iOS 14. For example, the 10.2” Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad, model MYN32LL/A works well. We recommend you also download the Google Chrome iOS app.
  • Android tablets must be running Android version 9, 10, or 11 with the latest updates and the latest version of Google Chrome. For example, the Samsung tablets, such as the Galaxy Tab A 8.4” Cellular, work well.

Scanners

  • We recommend using scanners to automatically capture barcodes and ensure samples are matched to the correct participants. If scanners are not functional for any reason, or if you don’t have access to scanners, you are able to input the information manually.
  • If you are using an iPad, we recommend using the ScanKey iOS app which enables usage of the iPad’s camera as the barcode scanner from within the virtual keyboard interface.
  • If you are using a handheld scanner, the scanner must scan one-dimensional (1D) barcode labels. We recommend using wired USB scanners, because wireless or bluetooth scanners can be difficult to pair and ensure connectivity throughout the day.

Electricity

  • Be sure to maintain the battery levels of your devices throughout testing days to enable continuous usage. It is important to remember to charge devices overnight before testing days, and consider charging overnight.
  • iPads will require at least a 12-watt (2.4 amp) USB power adapter. If supporting multiple iPads or other USB-charged devices, we recommend using a multi-port USB charger.

Set up registration and testing stations

The collection site should have stations for registration and testing. Registration stations are where participants or their parent/guardian register for testing, and testing stations are where they provide their samples. Monitored antigen testing sites should also have a designated station for recording test results.

These are the materials you’ll need for each registration station:

  • Tablets or computers, fully charged
  • Chargers
  • Posters
  • Hand sanitizer

These are the materials you’ll need for each testing station:

  • Test kits
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Waste bin

Participants at monitored collection sites or their parents/guardians can register one of two ways:

1. Using their own device

Before testing day Color will email school leads two separate registration links (URLs), one for staff and one for students, so participants or their parents/guardians can register for testing in advance at home.

Organization leads can turn registration links (URLs) into QR codes to print and post at the collection site so participants or their parents/guardians can register in advance.

To create a QR code, head to qrcode-monkey.com, enter your URL, click “Generate QR Code”, then “Download PNG”.

2. With assistance

For participants or parents/guardians without access to technology or who need additional assistance, organizations can set up a device on site that can be used to access the registration links.

Organizations can set up a hotline, staffed by people familiar with the registration process that can provide additional support.

Collecting Samples

 
How to conduct a rapid test

Here are step-by-step instructions for collecting monitored antigen testing samples:

  1. Head to home.color.com/covid-admin and sign in to Color.
  2. Select your site and “COVID-19 rapid testing”.
  3. Search and select the name of the participant. Click “Confirm”.
  4. Walk the participant through sample collection and conduct the test per the manufacturer instructions.
  5. Wait for the test to process.
  6. Search and select the name of the participant in the “collected” list. Enter and confirm results.

Store unused test kits

The recommended storage temperature for antigen kits is between 35.6 and 86° F.

Please note: Kits may not be transferred to a different site or used for any purpose other than for sample collection. For safety reasons and to ensure specimen samples are not contaminated or damaged and results are accurate, unused kits may not be returned once they are delivered to a collection site. Unused collection kits must be destroyed when the testing program ends. There are specific expiration dates listed on components of the kits. Please destroy any unused, expired antigen kits by placing them in the regular trash.

Monitoring & Maintaining Your Program

Results dashboards

Overview Dashboard which presents aggregate data and is meant to provide an overview of the statistics for a site or set of sites, including the number of tests, percent of tests with each type of results, and participant demographics. The overview dashboard does not include identifiable patient information.

Testing Patient Dashboard which provides row-level identifiable patient information, where each row represents the results of an individual participant and includes demographics, contact information, and test results. If you’re using pooled testing, you will not have access to a testing patient dashboard.

How to access and use dashboards

To access dashboards, log your Color account, select reports (you may need to click on your name and choose “use another Color product”). If you don’t have access to dashboards, contact your district director, district administrator, or school administrator.

District directors and school leads can request or revoke dashboard access for team members by selecting “access management” in Color.

Access Dashboards
Note:

All Color monitored antigen tests are Rx only and therefore are physician ordered.
All test results are released to the ordering physician as part of the reporting workflow.