Health Services Update for September 18

Mark Parisi, director of counseling and health services, sent out the following COVID-19 update to students on September 18:

Dear Students,

There is now one positive student case at the College, which I notified you about on Saturday. As a reminder, you can find a current tally of positive COVID-19 cases on campus by viewing our COVID-19 Dashboard. It will be updated as new cases are reported.

You can view the data for the Capital Region (and by county) on the New York State Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard. The Capital Region continues to demonstrate effective efforts to limit the transmission of the virus. Let us continue to do our part to protect our campus and the surrounding community by following best practices!

In a recent update given to health care providers, the New York State Department of Health indicated that the two most promising vaccines in development are two-dose vaccines with doses being given a month apart. The testing of these vaccines will require about a five to seven-month period before useful results are obtained which would determine whether the vaccines are safe to be administered to the public.

As we all know at this point, mask wearing helps reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). But the key is to wear and handle our masks correctly to maximize their effectiveness. The CDC has provided some helpful tips on how to select a mask, wear a mask, and clean masks (if they are reusable masks).

Testing for COVID-19: COVID-19 testing is available through Health Services, and you should call 518.454.5244 or email healthservices@strose.edu if you are seeking testing.

Treatment at Health Services: For any nonurgent medical issue, students can call 518.454.5244 or email healthservices@strose.edu for assistance, and their cases will be triaged by our LPN or nurse practitioner. Based on the presenting concerns, the triage outcome may lead to a telehealth appointment with the nurse practitioner.

Treatment at the Counseling & Psychological Services Center: Students may be experiencing emotional distress in response to the impact of the pandemic on our daily lives in addition to simply adjusting to college life again. Please call our center at 518.454.5200 or email us at counseling@strose.edu to speak with a counselor through a phone or Zoom session.

Staying healthy: We are entering the influenza season, so you may have symptoms of illness that are not COVID-19. Look for our upcoming flu clinic and get vaccinated! We’ll put the word out as soon as we have details.

You can find the most current COVID-19 information on the CDC’s COVID-19 webpage. In addition, you can always call the New York State Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Hotline at 888.364.3065 and ask any question you have regarding COVID-19.

As always, if you have any concerns or questions, please contact the College’s Health Services at 518.454.5244 or healthservices@strose.edu.

Sincerely,

Mark Parisi
Director of Counseling and Health Services