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Students who are feeling ill with any type of respiratory symptoms, whether you have a fever or not, please do not attend class on campus. Notify Health Services or call the COVID Response Hotline at 651-631-5353 for further directions.
Exposure: MDH defines a COVID exposure as someone who has been within 6 feet of a confirmed COVID positive individual for 15 minutes or more. If you feel that you have been exposed, please do not attend class on campus until you have talked to a Health Services staff member or someone from the COVID Response Hotline at 651-631-5353.
To report COVID -19 exposure or positive result, use the COVID-19 Reporting portal.
Coronavirus (officially COVID-19; formerly Novel Coronavirus 2019 or 2019-nCoV) is the name of the illness people get when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the official name given to the actual virus). It was first identified in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since then, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global pandemic of COVID-19. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus COVID-19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), human coronaviruses are common throughout the world and usually cause mild to moderate illness in most people. This new virus is a public health concern because:
People can spread the COVID-19 disease to each other through nose and mouth droplets when someone who is infected coughs, sneezes, or exhales. The droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people nearby and be breathed in; and on surfaces and objects that other people then touch. Infected people may be able to spread the disease before they have symptoms or feel sick. A person can also spread the disease if they have no symptoms. Research has shown that 30-45% of people infected do not develop symptoms. The picture depicts your risk exposure according to your activities (click on picture to enlarge):
The most common symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, congestion, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include:
If you are experiencing any of these emergency symptoms, call 911 right away. If you are a student living on campus, please call Public Safety 651-631-5310 after you have called 911.
Can it be COVID-19? Use this self-screening tool from Minnesota Department of Health to check your symptoms and how/when to seek help
All students with COVID-like symptoms or exposure must be reported to UNW via the COVID-19 Self Report Portal, by emailing Health Services at healthservices@unwsp.edu or calling Health Services at 651-631-5246 and should get tested. Please call Health Services for an appointment to get tested.
Students who have symptoms and choose not to be tested, must isolate for at least 10 full days until their symptoms have improved and have been fever-free for 24 hours without taking a fever- reducing medication.
Keep in mind that while waiting for your results, you should stay home and separate yourself from other people in your home (who do not have symptoms) as much as possible. Wash your hands often and clean frequently touched surfaces.
The nasal PCR test is available here in Health Services. PCR testing is considered the “gold standard” in SARS-CoV-2 detection. This test actually detects RNA (or genetic material) that is specific to the virus and can detect the virus within days of infection, even those who have no symptoms. It is sent out to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) for processing and results are generally back within 24-72 hours. This test is billed directly to your insurance company from HCMC. The cost is $75 for non-insured students, the charge to the insurance may differ. *Please be aware that if your health insurance denies this claim, the fee will be billed to the student account. Please bring a copy of your insurance card to your appointment.
Our rapid antigen test is excellent and available for those with or without symptoms. This test detects protein fragments specific to the Coronavirus. Results are received within 15-20 minutes of the test time. That test is $35.00. For students, that cost is added to the student account. For employees with UNW insurance, it is covered by your insurance company, and for employees without UNW health insurance, $35.00 is due at the time of the test. A receipt is provided upon request (to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement).
FREE TESTING OPTIONS:
We have obtained a free rapid antigen test which is available for individuals with symptoms fitting a certain criteria. We will utilize that test whenever possible based on your symptoms; if the test is negative, you may be advised to have a follow up test for further confirmation.
Testing is available at: UNW Student Health Services Respiratory Clinic: By appointment only
Monday- Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Center Pointe Building
2955 Centre Pointe Drive
Roseville, MN 55113
651-631-5276
You can also follow this link to find testing location near you.
It is best to stay informed of the travel recommendations put forth by the CDC. This link outlines those recommendations and includes an interactive map in which you can determine the level of risk to an area you are considering.
As with all travel, please practice the following precautions:
Currently, there are no specific antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19 infection. The federal government is working hard with laboratories for a vaccine and a vaccine is in the trial stage, but it won't be available for a while. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. Here are good habits to practice to prevent the spread of infection:
If you have been exposed to someone who currently has COVID-19:
If you have had close contact with someone who has been told by a doctor, clinic or hospital that they have COVID-19:
If you have flu-like symptoms that include any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, loss of taste and/or smell, shortness of breath, muscle/body aches, sore throat you should go get tested for COVID-19 at UNW Health Services Respiratory Clinic, your local primary care office or affiliated testing site. If you are having any of the emergency symptoms listed above, dial 911 immediately. Please call your insurance carrier to get a list of local places you can go to get tested. You will also need to self-isolate until your symptoms have mostly improved and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without taking fever reducing medications.
Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM; ; Wednesdays 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM- 4:30 PM (while school is in session. Health Services is closed during weekends, academic breaks and holidays.)
After hours, go to a doctor's office, urgent/urgency center or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
If you tested positive and are symptomatic or if you've been sick with any type of respiratory illness, whether you've had a fever or not, it is highly recommended that you stay home until you are completely well. Stay home until all three of these things are true:
If you tested positive for COVID-19 but did not have any symptoms, day 1 of isolation starts the day you were tested and you will be in isolation through day 10.
*Please report any positive COVID tests or exposure to UNW by clicking on the COVID-19 Report Portal, emailing Health Services at healthservices@unwsp.edu, or calling Health Services at 651-631-5246. After hours, please call the COVID-19 Hotline at 651-631-5353.
If you are currently being prescribed a medication through Health Services:
Below are some things to prepare if you will be living on campus:
It is also highly recommended for you to carry a copy of your insurance card with you, and have a care plan for when you are really sick.
The most common myths you may have heard about COVID-19 addressed.
References:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/index.html