Health Services COVID-19 update for October 9

Mark Parisi, director of counseling and health service, provided his weekly COVID-19 update today (October 9, 2020).

Dear Students,

At the time of my writing this message to you, we have one new positive COVID-19 student case to report this week. Contact tracing has taken place, and the student had not attended in-person classes. All follow-up testing with contacts has come back negative to date. 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.

Thank you for all the efforts you’re making to keep the College’s rates low. Please continue to take COVID-19 precautions by wearing a mask, social distancing, socializing in small groups, and staying home if you are sick.

Daily Symptoms Tracker: Remember to complete the Symptoms Tracker form that appears on your To Do list in the Navigate app every day. All students must complete the form, whether they will be on campus or not for the day. Student Development staff will reach out each day to students who do not complete the form.

Staying healthy: We are entering the influenza season, so you may have symptoms of illness that are not COVID-19. We have partnered with the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to offer a flu shot clinic in order to meet the immunization needs of students. The flu shot clinic for students will start Wednesday, October 14, and will be offered on Wednesdays for the month of October. The clinic will be held by appointment only, under the tent on the grass next to Health Services, on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Here is information on how to schedule an appointment with location and times:

To sign up

• Fully complete the Immunization Questionnaire found at https://redcap02.acphs.edu/surveys/?s=WL97X43AAF by 2 p.m. Tuesday in order to provide enough time for processing.

• You will be redirected to the appointment scheduler to reserve an appointment time upon completion of your survey.

Important reminders

• Please be sure that all COVID-19 requirements have been completed. If you have not already done so, complete the COVID-19 requirements before scheduling an appointment at the flu shot clinic. Do not come to the flu shot clinic if you are sick.

• Please do not bring anyone to your appointment.

• Please be sure to wear clothing that will allow for access to the injection site and appropriate facial covering to your appointment.

Feel free to contact The Collaboratory at 518.487.4117 ext 103 or College Parkside Pharmacy at 518.694.8522 with any questions you have regarding your immunization. You can also email Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at FluClinic@acphs.edu with any questions or concerns.

Testing for COVID-19: If you are having COVID-19 testing done, be sure to not drink or eat anything a half hour before your testing appointment. 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 non-urgent 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.

More COVID-19 information: 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.

You can view COVID-19 data for the Capital Region (and by county) on the New York State Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.

New York State has put out a new COVID-19 contact tracing app that you can download to your phone. This app will be used to help notify you if you have been in close contact with someone that has tested positive for 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