Starting at Portland State University Fall 2020
Purpose:
Health Services is the healthcare resource for PSU students. With changing guidelines around travel, physical distancing, and infection control best practices, the staff at Health Services aims to provide recommendations regarding needs for risk assessment, quarantine, isolation, accessing resources, and primary health care.
Definitions:
- Isolation - separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. If you are in isolation, you should not have interaction with others because of the high risk of spreading your infection. Housing will help support any needs that may arise.
- Quarantine - separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. Housing will help support any needs that may arise.
Process
Prior to arrival on campus out of state and country residents should contact the Student Health and Counseling front desk (503-725-2800). After having a medical chart made, the caller will be transferred to a nurse who will ask about recent travel to determine any possible COVID-19 exposures.
Likely questions from the Health Services nurse:
- Have you had a recent COVID-19 test? What type of test was done? What was the result?
- How did you arrive (or how do you plan to arrive) to Portland?
- Where do you plan to live while studying at PSU?
- Do you plan to live in campus housing?
- In the past 2 weeks have you been able to maintain a 2 meter distance and wear a mask in social settings, on planes, busses, etc.?
- Do you have any known exposures to COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks?
- Has anyone that you have been traveling with been ill?
- Do you have any chronic medical concerns such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure? What are they?
- Are you taking any medicines? Please have the medication, dose and frequency available.
Based on the risk assessment the nurse may recommend isolation, quarantine, and/or COVID-19 testing. Due to living in campus housing, the nurse will check in with the medical director to make sure that adequate precautions are in place for their stay on campus. The individual’s private health information will continue to be private. Health Services does not give out individual names to the University campus at large.
Resources:
CDC Guide for Travelers
CDC Guidelines for Quarantine and Isolation
CDC After Travel Precautions