COVID-19 Health Services update for January 29

Mark Parisi, director of counseling and health services, sent the following weekly COVID-19 update to students today:

Dear Students,

Welcome back! We want to thank everyone who has submitted their COVID-19 test results before coming to campus. Because of your commitment to our protocol, we were able to pick up more than 30 positives among students and employees before they arrived on campus and potentially spread the virus.

We had 15 students and one employee report positive COVID-19 test results this week, bringing our total of cases for the spring semester to 43. Please note that the total includes test results from some time ago that have been self-reported since the start of the semester. They are not recent or active cases. As a reminder, you can find the tally of positive COVID-19 cases on campus by viewing our COVID-19 Dashboard. It will be updated as new cases are reported.

An important reminder: All undergraduate and graduate students who plan to be on campus for any reason this semester must send a negative COVID-19 test result to covidresults@strose.edu. The deadline for that is today (Friday, January 29). However, if you have not yet been tested, please do so immediately and send us the results. Those who have not submitted results will be restricted from campus. ID card access to campus buildings will be turned off on February 1 for those students and will remain off until test results are submitted. Students who do not plan to come to campus for any reason this semester should submit this testing waiver to covidresults@strose.edu, and they will not have access to campus buildings.

Daily Symptoms Tracker: Now that we are back starting a new semester, we ask that you resume completing the Symptoms Tracker form that appears on your To-Do list in the Navigate app every day.

Increased sample testing: This semester, we are increasing our weekly sample testing efforts. We will now randomly select 10% of our on-campus population (both undergraduate and graduate students and employees) for testing each week. This is an increase from last semester, when we tested 1 to 2% of our student population on campus weekly. The testing will be conducted using a non-invasive technique involving a saliva sample. Sample testing will begin the week of February 8. You do not need to contact Health Services for this. They will reach out to those who have been randomly selected. If you are having COVID-19 testing done, be sure to not drink or eat anything a half hour before your testing appointment.

Reporting positive COVID-19 results: Please remember, we are asking all students who seek off-campus COVID-19 testing and receive a POSITIVE result to email your test result to covidresults@strose.edu.

COVID-19 vaccine: It is important to be vigilant regarding scams being perpetrated around COVID-19 vaccination. Given the current issue with the limited supply of available vaccines, scammers are taking advantage and advertising fraudulent offers to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in an effort to steal personal information and/or collect money. Beware of these scams. To learn more about all types of COVID-19 related fraud, see the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services webpage. To find the most current information on the status of legitimate COVID-19 vaccine availability in New York. See vaccine updates.

A common question: If I’m vaccinated do I need to wear a mask? The answer is yes. According to the CDC, “People wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. … We also don’t yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you don’t get sick yourself. CDC will continue to update (the public) as we learn more.”

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 practitioners. Based on the presenting concerns, the triage outcome may lead to a telehealth or in-person appointment with the nurse practitioner.

Treatment at the Counseling and Psychological Services Center: Students may be experiencing emotional distress in response to the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives. 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. 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