Health of Community

Here are the key requirements in place for students as they return to campus:

• Submit a pre-arrival COVID-19 test
• Complete mandatory 14-day quarantine
• Begin daily symptom monitoring (via the SneezSafe website)
• Read the Student Social Compact
• Complete the COVID-19 Education and Training module
• Read and acknowledge the COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors and Student Expectations
• Read and sign the Public Health Emergency Addendum to the Undergraduate Conduct Code

Students must acknowledge these tasks in Canvas.

SneezSafe is a web-based platform where undergraduate students who will be residing in University housing or accessing campus are expected to log their daily COVID-19 symptom screening. It was developed in partnership with Wake Forest Baptist Health. Students will be expected to use the tool at the beginning of each day throughout the semester. Responses to this screening are confidential. More information is available here.

If a member of the Wake Forest community tests positive for COVID-10, a banner will be posted to the University website and will remain on the website until the confirmed case or all confirmed cases on campus have been cleared.

In order to comply with medical privacy laws, Wake Forest University cannot release names of infected students. The Student Health Service, in conjunction with the Forsyth County Health Department, will be in touch with any close contacts identified by the affected student. Those close contacts will be advised of the need to quarantine and monitor for symptoms.

Undergraduate students living on campus or in University-sponsored housing who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 will be isolated until they are determined to no longer be contagious based on CDC criteria. Wake Forest has made arrangements to set aside distinct spaces that can provide single rooms with private bathrooms and a refrigerator for food supplies, and infected students will be isolated in these spaces.

Undergraduate students living on campus or in University-sponsored housing who have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be instructed to quarantine in one of these private rooms until the CDC criteria for quarantine after exposure have been met (generally about 14 days). These students who are in isolation or in quarantine AND are living on campus or in University-sponsored housing will have meals and/or grocery boxes delivered to them. (NOTE: students living in non-University sponsored housing or graduate/professional students will need to make their own arrangements).

Students in quarantine will be required to continue daily symptom screening through the SneezSafe app. Students who develop symptoms while in quarantine will be contacted by the SHS to discuss their symptoms and connect them with appropriate medical evaluation.

Students in isolation (confirmed to have COVID-19) will be contacted daily by the Student Health Service for symptom monitoring and support; additional medical intervention will take place as needed. There will also be a system in place to ensure students have food and other resources while in isolation or quarantine.

Other students confirmed with or exposed to COVID-19 (including undergraduate students not in University sponsored housing as well as graduate/professional students), will be directed to isolate or quarantine in their off-campus dwellings.

Employees confirmed with or exposed to COVID-19 will be required to remain at home until CDC criteria for isolation and/or quarantine have been met.

The goal in contact tracing is to find individuals who have been exposed to a case of COVID-19 and separate them from others that they might infect if they develop COVID-19.

Individuals who are diagnosed with COVID-19 are isolated from others until their symptoms resolve and their risk of infecting others has gone – usually at least 10 days; if they have no symptoms, this 10 days would be from the time they had a positive test.

Individuals who are exposed to a person with COVID-19 are quarantined for the period of time felt by public health experts to be the length of time most people will develop COVID-19 if exposed (generally 14 days). Because individuals can have COVID-19 without symptoms, it is important for the individuals who have been in contact with someone known to have COVID-19 to remain separated (“quarantine”) from others until the time has passed when they would no longer be considered at risk.

Undergraduate students will be asked to acknowledge a Student Compact pledging to uphold public health and behavioral expectations as a condition of returning to campus. The Student Compact educates students about COVID-19 related concerns and identifies the University’s expectations of students.

All members of the campus community will be required to complete an education and training module about COVID-19 facts, virus transmission, risk-reducing behaviors, and relevant university policies. Students who fail to comply with this requirement will be subject to removal from campus until such time as they complete the education module. Faculty and staff who fail to comply with this requirement will not be permitted to work on campus or at University properties.

A Code of Conduct Public Health Emergency Addendum has been added to the Undergraduate Student Handbook and reflects the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a time of potential risk to the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, and we must each be vigilant in our commitment to protecting, encouraging and supporting each other. Members of the Wake Forest community are asked to respect the health and safety of others and comply with all North Carolina, Winston-Salem and University policies and regulations. The Addendum to the Code of Conduct is in place so that students in our community have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and know the importance of acting in ways that honor these expectations.

In a time of potential risk to the health and safety of students, faculty and staff, every student must be vigilant in their commitment to respecting the health and safety of others as they would respect their own. This includes ensuring that students do not sponsor or host parties that could spread COVID-19 to others. When students sign their name to a lease, they and their housemates become responsible for what occurs inside the residence. This is true whether a party is intentional and planned or not intentional and the amount of attendees grows organically. This will require housemates to reach agreements about what will and won’t occur in each residence. Every student has a responsibility to ensure they are not contributing to dangerous situations.

COVID-19 can cause serious issues for the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff. For individuals at high risk, COVID-19 could threaten their health, their ability to do their jobs or even their lives. Because the stakes are so high, the consequences of actions that could threaten the health of our community must be equally high.

Students in the Winston-Salem area can call Student Health Service for further guidance. In the event that you develop severe symptoms, you should call 911 or call Wake Forest Baptist Emergency Department (336-713-9000) before traveling there.

Student Health Service is available Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nurse triage is available after hours. Please call (336) 758-5218 before coming so we can help to arrange an appropriate appointment.

Students with questions concerning follow-up visits, medication refills, chronic medical conditions, and psychiatry should call the Student Health Service to discuss their needs (336-758-5218). For the Counseling Center, call 336-758-5273.

Students with questions concerning follow-up visits, medication refills, chronic medical conditions, and psychiatry should call the Student Health Service to discuss their needs (336-758-5218). For the Counseling Center, call 336-758-5273.

Yes. Students should call HealthLine Blue 1-877-477-2424. They can talk to a nurse 24/7 to get timely information and help on a number of health-related issues. Nurses are on hand in both English and Spanish. StudentBlue covers telehealth visits with mental health providers who are in-network (deductibles and co-pays may apply).

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has the most up-to-date information on How Coronavirus Spreads.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The CDC website offers important information on social distancing and how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The CDC has issued recommendations regarding cloth face coverings. Here are links to FAQ’s about cloth face masks.

Information on quarantine and isolation protocols is available on the CDC website here.

At Wake Forest, students who are diagnosed with COVID-19 living on campus will be provided a single room with a private bathroom. Students are not permitted to leave their rooms while in isolation unless seeking healthcare at a medical facility (generally visits can be done in the student’s room by telehealth). Students are not permitted to socialize in person or be in close contact with anyone on campus.

Student Health Service will contact students daily and are available to answer any questions. Residence Life and Housing will deliver food provided by dining services daily.

Individuals who are diagnosed with COVID-19 can return to normal activities (released from isolation) under the conditions outlined on the CDC website here.

If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 or develop symptoms, you should contact the Student Health Service (336-758-5218) or your primary care physician if not living in Winston-Salem. It is important that you call before going to any healthcare facility to describe your symptoms and how you may have been exposed. Visit the CDC website to learn more about the symptoms of COVID-19.

Most patients will recover on their own without any specific treatment. For most patients without severe symptoms, rest, fluids, and over the counter analgesics such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) are recommended. Students with concerns about exposure to or having COVID-19 should contact the Student Health Service or your primary care physician for guidance. The CDC provides a list of “10 ways to manage respiratory symptoms at home.”

Information is available on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website concerning testing recommendations. Testing is available at the Student Health Service. Please call 336-758-5218 for assistance about testing.

Most individuals do not need hospitalization and will recover on their own without medical intervention. Students living on campus will be isolated in a single room with an attached bathroom and followed closely by Student Health. Food and basic necessities will be arranged by Residence Life and Housing and the Student Health Service will follow these students on a daily basis. The CDC provides a list of “10 ways to manage respiratory symptoms at home.”

Students who are suspected to have or are diagnosed with COVID-19 will be isolated. Their personal identifying information (name, location, etc) will not be provided by the University or the Student Health Service. Any close contacts will be identified, contacted, and provided guidance on what to do concerning the exposure. Students with COVID-19 will not be permitted to leave their room or mingle with anyone else during isolation and face disciplinary action if they break isolation.