University Makes Changes to Protect Students

Details on testing and isolation protocols shared

As the pandemic continues on, so do the efforts of Sacred Heart University’s faculty and staff to protect students. All semester, they’ve been working diligently to accommodate students’ educational, social and emotional needs.

With student safety as the University’s top priority, significant changes were made to ensure students could still thrive during a global pandemic.

Betsy Clachko, medical director at SHU’s Maureen Hamilton Wellness Center, answers questions and shares details on what’s been going at Health Services to keep students safe and healthy.

What has been going on behind the scenes at Student Health Services to prepare for the delivery of student health care during the COVID-19 era? 

We have been working tirelessly since as far back as our shutdown in March to prepare for the anticipated increased demands and unique challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced. We made some physical changes to our building, including a newly renovated second floor, to accommodate students with respiratory complaints and other symptoms of COVID-19. We also set up a tent in our backyard to allow for testing and limited exams to keep our staff and students safe. We increased our hours and hired new staff anticipating a higher demand from students this year. We also changed the way we offer appointments, including limiting any time spent in a waiting area and doing away with walk-in appointments, again all with safety in mind.

Throughout this time, we’ve also been working closely with the SHU contact tracing team, residential life, public safety and the dean of students to come up with new protocols. We are constantly looking to public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local departments of public health, and the American College Health Association to guide us with our policies and keep us informed of best practices.

What can students expect when they contact Health Services for COVID-19 care and testing?

Our top priority is the health and safety of students and the health services staff. Students who contact us to report symptoms of COVID-19 are given a telehealth appointment with one of our nurse practitioners or physicians. During the virtual visit, the clinician decides whether or not they need to come in for an in-person exam and/or testing. This occurs either outdoors in our tent or in one of our new negative pressure exam rooms. We always try to rule out alternative diagnoses such as strep throat. While we wait for COVID-19 test results, we usually advise students to self-isolate to reduce the spread of infectious illness.

What happens if a student is positive for COVID-19?

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, they will need to go into isolation. Some students choose to go home, and the rest of the residential students are provided a private room in a designated space on campus. Our clinicians check in with every student who isolates on campus daily through Zoom telehealth visits to ensure that they are feeling well and have access to basic supplies. We’ve been known to send over goody bags with over-the-counter medications, thermometers, toiletries and even candy and snacks. We also understand how lonely it can be, so we try to make students feel as comfortable as possible with a friendly face and some emotional support.

What should the roommate or suitemate of a positive student do? 

Once a student is identified as positive for COVID-19, the contact tracing team will interview them to find out who they may have been in close contact with over a specified period of time; this generally includes roommates or suitemates. Close contacts will then be instructed to go into a 14-day quarantine period. Again, if it is safe to go home, students can choose to do so; however for residential students who stay on campus, accommodations will be provided in one of SHU’s designated quarantine spaces.

We always recommend that students in quarantine get tested for COVID-19. The best time to get tested is around five to seven days from the last close exposure. Any student who develops symptoms of COVID-19 during their quarantine period should get tested right away. We can arrange for transportation for any student quarantined on campus who would like to be tested at health services.

How quick are turnaround times for testing? 

We are typically able to get students in the same day for testing appointments. At the moment, we send our COVID-19 PCR test specimens to an outside laboratory for processing, and the current turnaround time is, on average, two to four days. Students are usually notified of their test results the same day that we receive them. We also have rapid antigen tests available for symptomatic students with a 15-minute turnaround time. However, any negative test is followed up with a PCR test.

What is the process for students leaving quarantine or isolation and going back to class and campus life?

Every student must be cleared by health services to return to campus from either quarantine or isolation. For students who tested positive for COVID-19 and have been in isolation, we use the CDC criteria to make sure that they are no longer considered infectious to others. When students are ending their quarantine period, we interview them by phone to evaluate details of their quarantine including any other contacts they may have had, their symptoms, test results and more. We work closely with the contact tracing team. Once a student meets the criteria to safely end isolation or quarantine, we send a letter to their health portal indicating that they have been cleared. This can be used as documentation for their professors, coaches and others.