A weekly update from Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley with community health information, important resources and announcements of any changes to protocols.
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Key information in this week’s Community Health Update:
- COVID-19 information
- COVID-19 testing resources
- University monkeypox protocols
- Community health status update COVID-19 information
COVID-19 information
As reported in the special campus update on Monday, our community has experienced a significant number of reported COVID-19 cases over the past week. Most individuals are reporting mild symptoms and our campus population remains highly vaccinated which enhances protection from serious illness. While an increase is typical for the start of a semester, this is a good reminder of the precautions we should be taking as a community to protect ourselves and those around us against COVID and other respiratory illnesses.
The use of masks is critical to limiting the spread of illnesses as we head into the fall and into flu season. All students, faculty and staff should keep a well-fitting high-quality mask (cloth, surgical, N95 or KN95) with them for use in crowded areas or when extra protection is advised. When you go off campus, please remember that both Alamance and Guilford counties are currently at the CDC “high” community transmission level, which suggests the use of a high-quality mask.
If you find you need a mask but don’t have one handy, limited supplies are available at the following locations: Moseley Center Information Desk, entrance to campus dining locations, Belk Library, Campus Recreation and Wellness check-in desk, residential neighborhood offices, Alamance Building rotunda, Lindner Hall first floor, Global Commons, Koury Business Center first floor.
If you’re not feeling well – fever, runny nose, a cough or other respiratory symptoms, even if you think it is allergies – you should be masked when around others or out in public, including in classrooms and dining halls. You should avoid large public gatherings such as sporting events, parties and other social activities. And you should get tested for COVID-19 (testing resources below). These actions will protect those around you and reduce the spread of illness on campus.
Elon’s Infectious Disease Response Team continues to closely monitor conditions and consult with health officials to determine if additional campus mitigation measures are warranted. Please re-review the University COVID-19 website for a reminder about the important information about masks, testing, and information about positive cases and isolation.
COVID-19 testing resources
COVID-19 testing continues to be available on campus throughout fall semester for students, faculty and staff.
The fall schedule for asymptomatic testing at McCoy Commons 207 (Oaks Neighborhood) is:
Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – noon and 1 – 4 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – noon
Check your test results at: www.elon.edu/myreadiness.
Sick visits, including diagnostic testing for those with COVID-19 symptoms, is available for students by appointment at Student Health Services and for staff and faculty by appointment at the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic.
Other testing options include at-home test kits from the federal government, purchasing home tests at local pharmacies or stores, or utilizing local testing sites.
University monkeypox protocols
Elon’s monkeypox information webpage now includes details on testing, actions you should take if you test positive, and information about the protocols for isolation in the event of a positive case. Please review the information so you know how the university is preparing to respond to potential positive cases. With a longer isolation period for the monkeypox virus (the duration of the illness, which can last 3-4 weeks), the university will recommend that students who test positive travel home for isolation if they can do so safely without using public transportation. Elon has also extended the faculty/staff Temporary Continuity of Work Policy so it includes monkeypox, as well as COVID-19.
Visit the monkeypox FAQ page to learn about how monkeypox is spread and how you can protect yourself.
Community health status update
Each Tuesday afternoon by 4 p.m. the university COVID-19 webpage is updated with information about the status of COVID-19 case reporting and on-campus testing. The site also includes the link to the latest information about the CDC COVID-19 community levels, which are currently at high in Alamance and Guilford counties.
The next Community Health Update is scheduled for next Wednesday, September 7, by 10:45 a.m.
—
Jon Dooley, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Life