Dear Faculty and Staff,
Thank you for all that you are doing to promote the health and safety of our community. In recent days, I’ve heard from many of you about how to answer questions from students who are sick and are concerned about their symptoms.
We’ve developed a resource on the University’s COVID-19 Resource Center to help members of our community with these questions.
Our Health Information page provides a glossary of terms related to COVID-19, information on symptoms, what you should do if you feel sick or if you have contact with individuals who test positive for COVID-19, and guidance on best practices for social distancing and prevention.
COVID-19 symptoms can include a fever (temperature above 100.3), cough, and difficulty breathing – similar to what you may feel with influenza or a bad cold. The incubation period (how soon the symptoms appear from the time of first exposure) for these types of viruses is typically 2-14 days. If you have been exposed directly to a person with COVID-19, and you do not work in the health care setting, you should self-quarantine for 14 days. If you have been exposed directly to a person with COVID-19, and you work in the health care setting, you should follow the guidance of your hospital/clinic. Additional information can be found on the CDC’s guidance for risk assessment.
If you are feeling sick, please be sure to call your doctor or the hospital BEFORE you go there. They may provide specific instructions to you to prevent spread of the virus and to protect other patients and health care professionals. Students covered by Georgetown’s Student Health Insurance plan can access virtual services as well.
People who self-quarantine should not go to work or school, and should avoid close contact with others during the 14-day period. Voluntary self-quarantine is a form of social distancing that may limit transmission to others in the event that you have contracted COVID-19.
Those who self-quarantine should monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms. Monitoring includes checking for any symptoms that could be related to COVID-19. If you develop these or other flu-like symptoms, please isolate yourself from other people and pets and contact your health care provider.
According to the CDC, people who have contact with someone who had contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 have low to no risk of developing the disease as a result of that contact. The CDC offers this information about how the virus is spread.
There will be many people across the nation who will become ill with symptoms that may or may not be from this coronavirus. At this moment, without widespread testing available, testing may be limited to those with more severe symptoms or those who have less robust immune systems. This uncertainty will be very unsettling but will become common. With all our efforts now at social distancing the spread of illness should be significantly reduced.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. As a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19:
- Clean your hands often by washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick and stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Social distancing can stop or slow down the spread of COVID-19.
We hope these resources will be helpful to you as you interact with concerned students and members of our community. If you would like to receive a daily update listing all new COVID-19 communications sent by Georgetown, subscribe to our daily digest.
Thank you for your service to Georgetown University.
Sincerely,
Vince WinklerPrins, MD, FAAFP
Chief Public Health Officer