Coronavirus update for March 10: Student Health Center May Now Test for COVID-19

March 10, 2020

A Special Message from the Student Health Center:

Testing for COVID-19 previously has been limited to the most severe cases.  As a result, the Student Health Center has only been able to perform alternative testing for students to rule out other viruses and the flu.

In an effort to broaden screening, the Whatcom County Health Department has lifted restrictions on who can be tested for COVID-19.  In addition, commercial testing is also becoming widely available.

Healthcare providers at the Student Health Center now may test any student patient in whom they suspect of COVID-19. Though testing may not change clinical management, knowing patients’ COVID-19 status will help public health track COVID-19 and better respond to the outbreak.

Patients at the Student Health Center with symptoms who are considered at highest priority for testing:

  • Patients with underlying medical conditions
  • Pregnant women
  • Patients with worsening symptoms not responding to other treatments
  • Patients in healthcare or public safety occupations (e.g., nursing, law enforcement, fire fighter, EMS)

Currently, the turnaround time for COVID-19 screens is 3-7 days.

Any student who has been screened for COVID-19 should follow these precautions;

  • Stay home except to get medical care
  • Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home
  • Call ahead before visiting the Student Health Center
  • Wear a facemask
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes
  • Avoid sharing personal household items
  • Clean your hands often
  • Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day
  • Monitor your symptoms

Seek prompt medical attention at the Student Health Center if your illness is worsening (e.g., difficulty breathing). Before seeking care, call the Student Health Center at 360.650.3340 and tell them that you have, or are being evaluated for, COVID-19. Put on a facemask before you enter the facility. These steps will help us to keep other people in the office or waiting room from getting infected or exposed.

If/when a student receives a confirmed diagnosis, they will receive medical instructions, and Western will take necessary steps as advised by the Health Department, including cleaning and disinfecting, quarantining and isolating ill students, as well as other actions recommended by medical and public health professionals.

We will not share personally identifying information or private medical information of students.

I’d be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank the outstanding staff at the Student Health Center as we work to address this serious public health challenge.

 

Dr. David Hansen

Associate Medical Director

WWU Student Health Center

 

The Incident Command System team at Western has established three goals for all of our preparation and response to COVID-19:  to protect life safety and minimize the spread of the coronavirus illness, to maintain – as much as possible – the continuity of Western’s operations, and to communicate with our communities as fully as possible.

Western's coronavirus information website features Frequently Asked Questions; has links to campus, regional and national resources; an archive of campus messaging and media stories about coronavirus; a new toll-free campus coronavirus information line, and more. The site is a living document, and will get frequent updates as the coronavirus situation evolves.