Returning to the spring semester means a lot more than classes starting again. Resources by the Dyson Wellness Center (DWC), MyShield testing, COVID Institutional Response Team (IRT) and more are being disbursed around campus to keep students, faculty and staff healthy from COVID-19.
Vaccine clinic
The DWC is offering free COVID-19 vaccines, boosters and flu shots to all students, faculty and staff. However, an email sent out on Jan. 17 by the DWC said that participants must bring their insurance card and NCC ID. The latest clinic is on Tuesday, Feb. 1 from 10:30-2:30 p.m. The location is in the Cardinal Room on the first floor of Merner Fieldhouse. In addition, registration is not mandatory.
Quarantine protocols
Like in previous semesters, COVID-19 quarantine and contact tracing protocols are still intact. However, there have been some changes with the quarantining process. If an individual tests positive, it is necessary to quarantine for five days. Still, if symptoms don’t appear within 24 hours on the fifth day, isolation can end on the sixth day. Moreover, no matter one’s vaccination status, they must take the correct precautions if they have come in close contact with a positive case. This includes 10 days of self-monitoring for symptoms and proper mask etiquette.
In addition to this, an email sent out on Jan. 17, explains how to calculate one’s isolation period.
“Day 0 is the first day you started experiencing symptoms or the day your specimen was collected for your positive test (whichever came first). Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed or your test specimen was collected,” said Dr. Peter Barger and Michael Hudson, co-chairs of the COVID IRT.
Positive Cases
Within the first week of classes (Jan. 9-14), 84 students, faculty or staff have tested positive for COVID-19. Therefore, if an individual tests positive for COVID-19, it is required to submit a reporting form to the school. This allows the school to begin contact tracing and notifying faculty and staff.
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