Tuesday roundup
February is Black History Month, and the Intercultural Center and the Black History Month Committee have published the calendar of Black History Month events and activities on the center’s website. The theme for Black History Month 2021 is Civil Unrest: The Quest for Centering Black Life, which emphasizes the need to disrupt the historical imbalance of power in our society that institutes a racial hierarchy through which Black people are subjugated and oppressed. Hope your Deacs will find some events and activities to engage in this month. Also on the web, Ken Bennett has published a photostory about the start of school, which gives you a peek into life on campus.
We have seen some increased activity on our COVID dashboard, and I have been asked to reinforce a couple of things:
For positive results: Our contact tracers and case investigators work 7 days a week, but they do not work 24 hours a day. So it is possible that your Deac could log into their Bioreference portal after hours and see a positive result, (or report a test they got off campus) but not get a call right away from University staff. So what do they do in that case?
Until students receive a call from the University Contact Tracing Team, those with positive tests should follow CDC recommendations for isolation. Stay in their room/home and away from others and wear a mask.
Students do not need to notify the University or the Student Health Service of a positive result from asymptomatic testing (i.e., testing we do each week at Wake) unless they need medical guidance.* If on the other hand a student goes to a CVS/local clinic, etc. on their own and gets a test, if it comes back positive, they DO need to report it to Wake, because we have no way of accessing those results. Please note that appointments in the Student Health Service are not required for those with a positive test or symptoms.
* Students who need medical advice on how to care for symptoms (if they develop) can call the Student Health Service during normal business hours for guidance or to schedule an appointment. A nurse advice line is available after hours for students who need urgent medical advice by calling the Student Health Service. Note: appointments cannot be made on the after hours line.
For COVID exposure: Similarly, if your Deac is told they have been exposed to COVID but has not yet gotten the contact tracer’s call, they should:
Report it on the SneezSafe screening tool. If they have already completed their SneezSafe screening for the day, they can email traceshs@wfu.edu to say they may have been exposed. Students do not need to call the Student Health Service unless they have symptoms.
While they are waiting to receive guidance from a contact tracer, they should quarantine (which means staying in their room and not socializing with others). They can get grab and go food or order in; they should not eat with others. They can go out of their room to use the bathroom, but cannot congregate or go in groups. A contact tracer will contact them to determine next steps. They should not worry if they do not hear from a contact tracer right away; it can take several hours or more (particularly if there is a lot of contact tracing to be done, if it is after hours, etc.).
In both of the above cases, students should consult the Quarantine and Isolation page for information on what to pack for the hotel and can begin assembling their things in their room, review hotel logistics and expectations, etc. Be sure to pack things like over the counter pain medicine/fever reliever, just in case they experience symptoms while in quarantine or isolation.
We kindly ask that students (or families) not contact multiple offices with the same question (i.e., don’t call the Call Center and Student Health and send a question in via our COVID form about the same topic/question). That means we end up with multiple people trying to assist with the same case, and that slows down our ability to help other people. Students and families should keep the Quarantine and Isolation page handy and use it as your first source of quarantine and isolation information – there is a lot of info in there! You can contact the Call Center if you still have questions after reviewing the Quarantine and Isolation page. You can also leave a message on the Call Center voicemail if it is after hours; we will return your call the next day. Note, too, that the after hours nurse advice line at the Student Health Service is there for students who need urgent medical advice, not for students who have routine questions about quarantine or isolation, or who want appointments. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Since we are in the swing of things academically, it’s a great time to remind that there are ample academic resources available for students. All of next week will be dedicated to raising awareness of academic resources, but you can get a taste of what’s to come here.
Finally, if you had not seen this via social media, there is a brief video with Dr. Susan Wente, who will become Wake’s 14th president on July 1st. This is a nice introduction to her, and well worth your time. You can also read comprehensive coverage of Dr. Wente here.