Photo and Written By Makenna Hall, Managing Editor of Content
While having your temperature taken before lunch and getting the green-lit-okay to enter dining locations has become fairly customary, the protocol might make you question what happens when the thermometer turns red.
According to Dean of Students and Campus Life Christie Kracker, if a student has a fever or is presenting COVID-19 primary symptoms they are instructed to contact the Student Health Center, where they will be evaluated.
The type of evaluation depends on the severity of the illness, according to the medical director of the Student Health Center, Anju Sonia Dayal.
“If their symptoms are severe, the [student] is transported for emergency care at one of the local hospitals. If not, they are evaluated by one of the Student Health Center’s registered nurses and nasal swab testing for COVID-19 is performed and sent to Geisinger medical center’s laboratory for analysis,” Dayal said.
“All students with significantly abnormal vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, or oxygen testing) or atypical symptoms will be referred for provider evaluation at the time of the nursing assessment,” she continued.
Until their results are returned, symptomatic students will be quarantined either in the off-campus hotel location or in their individual rooms, while commuters are required to quarantine in their own homes, according to Susquehanna’s website.
If students are directed to quarantine in the off-campus location they can either drive themselves or they will be transported by Susquehanna drivers wearing proper personal protective equipment, according to Kracker.
The results should come back in 48 hours, but according to Dayal, the tests results have recently been coming back within 24 hours.
Those who receive a positive result and live on campus will be isolated in on-campus isolation housing. Commuters that receive a positive result will be directed to isolate themselves in their own residence.
All students in quarantine, on or off campus, or in isolation can expect constant communication with COVID-19 care coordinators as well as the nursing staff from the health center. According to Kracker, she is also in communication with isolated students in order to assist them with requests such as picking up packages or getting items from their rooms.
“All students who test COVID-19 positive and remain in on-campus isolation housing can expect to have a daily video visit with the SU student health nurse or provider during the week,” Dayal said. “On the weekend, the students will be checked on by the COVID Care Coordinators (as they do [during] the week as well) and the on-call nurse can be reached for medical advice, if needed.”
