John Carroll University Student COVID-19 Response Policy and Procedures 8-16-2021
It is the responsibility of John Carroll University (JCU) faculty, staff and students to notify and immediately report to either their supervisor and/or Student Health Center in the event that they have been on campus in the last 14 days and have tested positive for, have symptoms of, or are diagnosed by a health care provider with COVID-19, or are aware of a student who has tested positive for, has been diagnosed with and/or is symptomatic.
I. THE PURPOSES OF THIS POLICY ARE:
1. Safeguard the health and welfare of students, faculty and staff
2. Manage the operations of JCU in an effective and efficient manner
3. Inform and advise the JCU community as needed based on the risk to the community
4. Establish operating procedures appropriate to all constituents of JCU
II. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the COVID-19 Policy are to:
III. POLICY AND PROCEDURES:
A. Procedures for Vaccinated Students ( students who are 2 weeks past their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccination OR 2 weeks past their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination):
B. Procedures for Treating Unvaccinated Students who Reside In Campus Housing:
1. Student Health Center staff shall consult (preferably telehealth) with the student suspected of having COVID-19 and determine appropriate medical care based upon symptoms or confirmed diagnosis. Depending on the situation, for student athletes, the team physician may examine the student and determine the appropriate medical care based upon confirmed diagnosis.
2. If a student has been diagnosed as having COVID-19 by the Student Health Center staff or other medical agency/physician, the Student Health Center will consult with the local health department, as appropriate.
Students who live within 250 miles will need to make arrangements to isolate themselves either at home or at an off-campus location for a minimum of ten (10) days to prevent spread of the virus.
If the student is unable to leave campus, the Senior Director of Residence Life (or their designee) will be notified and if needed, a recommendation will be made to isolate the student on campus with expedience.
While arrangements are being made about the location of isolation, the student should remain in an isolated location (i.e. residence hall room, Student Health Center).
If the student is diagnosed with having COVID-19, but is not at the Student Health Center, the student will remain in their space (e.g. residence hall room) and self-isolate until medical arrangements are made by the Student Health Center and Residence Life staff during business hours, or JCUPD and Residence Life staff if the Student Health Center is closed.
3. In the event that a student with COVID-19 must remain on campus and in isolation, the Student Health Center will check-in with the student on a daily basis via telehealth visit, as well as the student, who is quarantined or isolated, will do daily symptom monitoring and report to the Student Health Center. The Student Health Center Director and the Dean of Students (or designee), in consultation with the Director of Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs and the Senior Director of Residence Life, shall determine the extent of the involvement of the other major JCU offices in the management of the disease. This decision will be based upon their evaluation of the risk to the JCU community. The Student Health Center and the Dean of Students will maintain confidentiality of the student’s name and diagnosis to the extent possible, except as necessary to protect the health and safety of the student and the JCU community. The Student Health Center and the Dean of Students will seek permission from the student to share the student’s name and diagnosis with others to conduct necessary contact tracing to help determine possible transmission of the disease. John Carroll offices that could be advised and involved may include: Facilities, Housekeeping, JCU Police, Institutional Advancement/Office of Media Relations, Athletic Department and Athletic Training, and Human Resources. The department heads for each of these offices shall be contacted, when appropriate. These individuals shall implement plans to care for the infected student and to maintain a safe and orderly campus environment. With the student’s permission, the Student Health Center will also notify Academic Success regarding missing class as related to the COVID-19 event.
a) The Senior Director of Residence Life shall notify all appropriate parties within Residence Life of the location in which the student is convalescing. Residence Life shall advise its staff of procedures to be used in communication with the infected student and in serving the residential needs of the infected student with the assistance of the Student Health Center. The staff in the Office of Residence Life will coordinate with Parkhurst Dining to provide meals to students in quarantine or isolation.
b) Custodial Services, in collaboration with the Director of Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs, shall arrange for routine and special custodial services for the area in which the student is convalescing. Custodial Services shall be responsible for informing all housekeeping staff who are assigned to the isolation area of the COVID-19 diagnosis and mode of transmission of the disease. The Housekeeping Department shall inform the custodial staff of the recommended methods of self-protection that should be used in carrying out routine and special custodial service.
c) The Director of Physical Plant, in collaboration with the Director of Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs, shall inform maintenance and trades persons who are assigned, or may be assigned, to the area in which the infected person is convalescing, of the recommended methods of self-protection that should be followed if maintenance and trades persons come into contact with the infected person.
d) The Director of JCUPD, in collaboration with the Student Health Center Director, shall inform the JCUPD officers and JCU EMS that a person with COVID-19 is convalescing on campus. The director shall provide the officers with information about the disease, the location where the student is convalescing, and the recommended methods of self-protection should the officers come into contact with the infected person
e) Under the direction of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH), the Student Health Center shall notify and inform the appropriate individuals who may have had contact with the infected individual. In collaboration and under the direction of the Board of Health, the Student Health Center will assist with contact tracing on campus.
4. If a student tests positive for COVID-19, prior to returning to campus classes and activities, the student with COVID-19 who has stayed in the residence hall or at their permanent address (home isolated) can stop home isolation and return to campus activities (if the student will not have a test to determine if they are still contagious), the student can leave their residence hall or home after all of these three things have happened:
a. The student has had no fever for at least 24 hours (that is one full day of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers). b. The student’s other symptoms have improved (for example, cough or shortness of breath have improved). c. At least 10 days have passed since the student’s symptoms first appeared or positive COVID-19 test, whichever came first.
5. If there is an on-campus outbreak in a residence hall, the Director of the Student Health Center, will notify the COVID-19 Task Force to determine next steps (i.e. campus closing).
C. Procedures for Treating Students with COVID-19 Who Reside Off-campus
1. Student Health Center staff shall consult (preferably telehealth) with a student suspected of having COVID-19 and determine appropriate medical care based upon confirmed diagnosis. For student athletes, depending on the situation, the team physician may examine the student and determine the appropriate medical care based upon confirmed diagnosis.
2. If a student is diagnosed as having COVID-19 by the Student Health Center staff or other medical physician or agency, the preferred practice shall be to send the student to their permanent residence where care can be provided and where exposure to other students is reduced.
3. In the event that a student with COVID-19 must remain off campus and in isolation, the Student Health Center Director or their designee, in consultation with the Dean of Students, the Director of Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs, and the Senior Director of Residence Life shall determine the extent of involvement of other university offices in the management of the disease. This includes evaluation of the risk to the JCU community. John Carroll offices may include: JCUPD, Media Relations, Athletic Department and Athletic Training, and Human Resources. The department heads for these offices shall implement plans to care for the infected student, to determine the risk of exposure or spread of the disease, and to maintain a safe and orderly campus environment. In the event that a diagnosis is made over the weekend involving a student, the Dean of Students shall determine when the other major offices shall be notified. The Student Health Center and the Dean of Students will maintain confidentiality of the student’s name and diagnosis to the extent possible, except as necessary to protect the health and safety of the student and the JCU community. The Student Health Center and the Dean of Students will seek permission from the student to share the student’s name and diagnosis with others to conduct necessary contact tracing to help determine possible transmission of the disease.
a) Under the direction of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH), the Student Health Center shall notify and inform the appropriate individuals who may have had contact with the infected individual.
b) With permission, the Student Health Center (or Dean of students) will contact Academic Success regarding missing class as related to the COVID-19 event.
4. Prior to returning to the campus activity, students with COVID-19 who have stayed home (home isolated) at either their off-campus residence or their permanent residence can stop home isolation (if the student will not have a test to determine if they are still contagious), the student can leave home and return to campus activities after these three things have happened:
a. The student has had no fever for at least 24 hours (that is one full day of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers).
b. The student's other symptoms have improved (for example, cough or shortness of breath have improved). c. At least 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared.
D. Procedures for managing an outbreak among Students in University-Sponsored Activities:
1. Responsible adults working with participants enrolled in University-sponsored activities shall contact the Director of Student Health Center when the occurrence of a COVID-19 diagnosis has been confirmed.
2. The Director of the Student Health Center shall consult with the Dean of Students and to determine the extent of the involvement of other university offices in the management of the COVID-19 disease. This decision will be based upon the Medical Director’s (CCBH) evaluation of the risk to the campus community. University offices may include: Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs, Residence Life, Facilities, Housekeeping, JCUPD, Media Relations, Department of Athletics and Athletic Training, and Human Resources. The department heads for these offices shall implement plans to maintain a healthy, safe and orderly campus environment.
3. Prior to returning to the campus activity, students with COVID-19 who have stayed home (home isolated) can stop home isolation (if the student will not have a test to determine if they are still contagious), the student can leave home after these three things have happened:
a. The student has had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) .
b. The student’s other symptoms have improved (for example, cough or shortness of breath have improved).
c. At least 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared.
V. DEFINITIONS:
The following definitions pertain to this policy:
1. Communicable disease-COVID-19 is caused by a virus called Coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a common cause of the common cold. COVID-19 is a novel (newly discovered virus). COVID-19 is mostly spread through person-to-person close contact (within about 6 feet). Small droplets from coughing and sneezing can enter the mouth and lungs of those nearby. It is also possible that infection can happen by touching a surface or object that has a virus on it, such as a table or door knob and then touching their own eyes, mouth or nose, but this is not the main cause of spread.
2. Communicable Period – The communicable period is that period of time or times during which the infectious agent may be transferred directly or indirectly from an infected person to another person. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Typical COVID-19 symptoms include: 1) fever, cough, or shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or 2) at least two of these symptoms: fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or new loss of taste or smell.
VI. RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. It is the responsibility of all affected students to report a positive test for COVID-19 or a COVID-19 diagnosis from a health care provider to the Student Health Center Director. The Student Health Center Director shall notify the Vice President for Student Affairs who shall in turn notify the President when a student’s diagnosis of COVID-19 threatens the JCU community.
2. It is the responsibility of certified and licensed public health officials (CCBH), external to the university, to provide a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis to the appropriate JCU office when a JCU student is known to have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. It is the responsibility of the Student Health Center to report a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis to the appropriate public health agencies in accordance with the State of Ohio health laws.
3. The responsibility for coordination of the implementation of the COVID-19 policy shall be shared among the following groups and all groups should work in concert with each other: Student Health Center, Dean of Students Office, Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs, Human Resources, Residence Life, Housekeeping, JCUPD, Strategic Communications, Facilities, and Department of Athletics and Athletic Training.
4. When deemed appropriate by the Provost in conjunction with General Counsel, it is the responsibility of Strategic Communications to publicly announce that an outbreak of a communicable disease has been confirmed, and to state the related facts that serve to inform and protect the university community.
5. The CCBH notifies 911 dispatch centers of who has diagnosed/tested positive for COVID-19 in their respective jurisdictions, so first responders will be aware. The JCUPD policy and practice is to notify Heights Hillcrest Dispatch of this, as well as anyone who they call about having COVID-19 symptoms. Also, to avoid exposure for JCU EMS, the JCUPD practice will be to call UHFD with any medical call possibly related to COVID-19 unless emergency care is needed.