The most important thing to do if you feel you are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 is COMMUNICATE! Acting quickly is key to keeping our community safe. The Dean of Students will have oversight of the health and safety for all traditional undergraduate students (resident or commuter); however, the Rector of the Seminary shall have oversight for all seminarians and the Associate Provost for the Division of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education shall have oversight for all graduate and accelerated students.
List of contact numbers:
Below are some answers to frequently asked questions.
Do not come to campus or go to classes. (If you are on campus or in class, leave immediately.) If you are concerned that you may contracted COVID-19, seek medical advice by using a tele-health service, calling your healthcare provider, or calling the Health Center at 301-447-5288. The Health Center will conduct a symptom scan by phone and provide guidance on next steps. Students should also contact the Dean of Students (Levi Esses, Ph.D., esses@msmary.edu).
If the individual is an employee, contact Human Resources, if they are a student contact the Dean of Students (Levi Esses, Ph.D., 301-447-5274; esses@msmary.edu). The sick individual should isolate themselves in their office, car or outside alone, and call their healthcare provider or the Health Center for further phone evaluation and decisions about next steps.
If an individual becomes ill while on campus or during class, they should be directed to go home immediately (if a graduate or commuter student) or make contact with the Health Center (if a resident student), even if their symptoms are mild to see if they can come in for an immediate appointment or obtain further direction.
In addition, supervisors and/or faculty members may address a particular situation if an individual may be exhibiting symptoms in order to ascertain whether or not the individual should be directed to go home or seek care from the Health Center. Notification should be made immediately to Human Resources for incidents involving an employee, or the Dean of Students in the case of a student.
Close contact means someone was closer than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes from an individual who is positive for COVID-19. It does not matter if the individuals were wearing face coverings.
If the COVID-19 positive person had symptoms, the contact time would start 2 days (48 hours) before they developed symptoms. If the person did not have symptoms, the contact time would start 2 days (48 hours) before the date of the positive COVID-19 test.
The CDC does not recommend self-quarantine; rather, the individual should continue to self-monitor for symptoms. Concerned individuals can also seek out COVID-19 testing.
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before people know they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their healthcare provider. [See Quarantine Procedures in the next section below.]
Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19 and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom (if available). [See Isolation Procedures in the next section below.]
Under CDC guidelines, individuals who have had close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual must self-quarantine (see care instructions above for quarantine). However, the length of the quarantine may differ depending upon the proximity of the close contact with the COVID-19 positive individual.
Will not have further close contact – Quarantine for 14 days from the date you had close contact with COVID-19 positive individual.
Live with person but can avoid further close contact – Quarantine for 14 days from when the person with COVID-19 began isolation.
Under quarantine and had additional close contact with COVID-19 positive individual – Restart quarantine from the last day you had close contact with anyone in your house/room who has COVID. Anytime a new household/roommate gets sick with COVID and you had close contact, you will need to restart quarantine.
Live with person and cannot avoid continued close contact – Avoid contact to the extent possible, quarantine for 14 days AFTER the person with COVID ends isolation.
No. People infected with COVID-19 can take up to 14 days to develop symptoms. The individual must finish the full 14 days of quarantine.
The University will encourage the individual to be tested for COVID-19. Until results are available, the individual must self-isolate. The individual must remain in self-isolation for 14 days after symptoms started and 3 days after fever has resolved and symptoms improved, whichever is longer.
The University will conduct deep cleaning and disinfection protocols.
The University also will identify individuals with whom the suspected individual may have had close contact. Close contact means someone was closer than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes from an individual who is positive for COVID-19. It does not matter if the individuals were wearing face coverings.
If the individual tests positive, the exposed individuals identified as close contacts must self-quarantine for 14 days following the close contact.
The individual will be instructed to stay home and self-isolate if a graduate or commuter student or if a resident student, the University will arrange for self-isolation.
The University will meet its obligation to notify the Mount community.
IMPORTANT: It is against the law to identify this individual by name. The University will not disclose to other staff/students or third parties the name or other personal or health information of the individual who tested positive for COVID-19.
The University will conduct deep cleaning and disinfection protocols.
Within 24 hours of learning that an individual has tested positive for COVID-19, the University will notify the Frederick County Department of Public Health.
Members of the Mount St. Mary’s community are required to cooperate with contact tracing efforts, including notification of potential contacts, while maintaining confidentiality required by state and federal law and regulations.
The defining symptoms of COVID-19 are 1) a fever AND 2) a cough or shortness of breath. Students who are experiencing either of these symptoms are encouraged to call the Health Center at 301-447-5288. In order to reduce the risk of transmission of disease to other students, students should not, as a first step, come into the Health Center in person. After hours, students should call Frederick Health 301-418-0059.
Health Center staff will triage and assess patients. Students who are beyond the scope of our clinic to treat will be supported in accessing a higher level of assessment and care.
1. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions on the daily health survey, you are not permitted to come to campus or move around on campus at this time. Please contact your resident assistant (RA) for additional guidance and the Health Center should contact you to assess your condition. You should notify your professors, coach, employer and others that you will be absent. Students can continue to attend classes remotely.
2. All students who are engaging in self-isolation should continue to fill out the Daily Health Survey each day. Students should also email their faculty and coach to alert them of their absence. Students should continue their classes remotely if possible. Students who expect to miss three days or more of classes and need assistance in communicating with faculty should contact the Dean of Students Office. Students living on campus will be provided with a Wellness Kit to support their isolation.
3. When students are assessed by Health Center staff or other health professionals as needing to engage in isolation:
4. In all cases above, contact Health Center staff if your symptoms worsen.
5. Students also should cooperate with all contact tracing efforts.
1. Separate yourself from others and wear a face covering at all times, even in your room if you have a roommate. Do not attend classes in person, practices, meetings, or events. Notify your professors and coach. Students can continue to attend classes remotely. If you live off campus, do not come to campus.
2. If you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, you should quarantine for 14 days since the contact. You are not permitted to be moving about on campus at this time. Please contact your RA for additional guidance and the Health Center should contact you to assess your condition. Students should continue their classes remotely if possible. You should notify your professors, coach, employer, and others that you will be absent. If you live off campus, you must stay at home and call the Health Center and/or your physician.
3. For students who live on campus and have a meal plan, you will be given instructions regarding meals.
4. In all cases above, contact Health Center staff should your symptoms become worse.
5. Students should cooperate with all contact tracing efforts.
Students are required to shelter in place while they await their baseline COVID-19 results upon arrival for the spring semester and may also need to shelter in place at other times in the semester if an outbreak is suspected in a residence hall.
Under our shelter in place protocol, students should make their residence or room their primary location. Students may attend all classes virtually, but they do not need to notify their instructors individually that they are doing so. Students may leave their room to use the restroom, pick up meals to be taken back to their room to eat, and go for additional testing or medical care as directed by the health center. Students may not go get their mail from the mailroom or interact with any other campus office or department. Students may not participate in any activities or sports practice anywhere else on campus.
Please do not leave campus; students may not shelter in place from home. No visitors are allowed into the residence hall unless on official business to support students who are following shelter in place guidelines. Students who are sheltering in place may not visit each other in the residence halls. Common spaces and lounges will also be closed during the shelter in place period. Students are welcome to go for walks or to get fresh air outside, but students should do so alone and maintain appropriate social distance in relationship to others while outside as well.
Aramark Food Service staff will prepare meal boxes (three meals a day) for all students in isolation or quarantine on campus. A food preference and information form will be provided to allow students to inform food service staff of food needs, preferences and any allergies or accommodations.
If necessary, Student Life staff will contact students in isolation and quarantine to review options for students to continue their class work. Students will have the option to send a Faculty Notification to their instructors and advisor(s) from the Associate Provost’s Office, notifying them of their current situation. For questions regarding academic support, students can contact the Dean of Students or send email to studentlife@msmary.edu. Students may also schedule a phone or Zoom appointment as well. Phone appointments will be available for students who are in isolation and quarantine.
Student Life staff will retain a roster of students who are known to be engaging in isolation and quarantine. The contact tracer team will contact all students in isolation daily to record their health status and find out if they have any needs.
Whenever emergency response is required to those students, responding Student Life staff will wear N-95 masks. Whenever Public Safety or Student Life staff are aware of an emergency response by external first responders to such a student, those staff will inform the external first responders of the student’s status in isolation or quarantine.