Dear Residence Hall Student,
Kent State University is committed to the health and safety of our students and staff. We want to inform you that wastewater samples taken from your residence hall show an increase in COVID-19 virus.
What Does This Mean?
Wastewater samples are collected twice per week from sewer lines that connect your residence hall and an adjacent hall. We monitor these samples because they are an early indicator of COVID-19 virus. The virus shows up in wastewater before a person knows they are infected.
COVID-19 virus in wastewater does not tell us who is infected or how many people are infected.
What Can You Do?
As we approach finals week, we know that you want to be healthy and feeling good to study and do well on your exams.
- Attend your courses and classes as scheduled.
- Wear a mask in class and at other times when you feel you should.
- Monitor yourself for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 over the next two weeks.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and then dispose of the tissue and wash your hands immediately. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands, to cover coughs and sneezes. If you are experiencing cough or congestion, consider staying home and seeking medical care.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces regularly using a household cleaning spray or wipes.
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms, stay home and contact your healthcare provider or the DeWeese Health Center, 1500 Eastway Drive on the Kent Campus. Call the DeWeese Health Center at 330-672-2322 to schedule an appointment.
- Get a COVID-19 test. Visit Healthcare is providing testing on the Kent Campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Eastway Lounge. At-home tests also are available on the Kent Campus. You also may visit Testing and Community Health Centers | COVID-19 (ohio.gov) for a complete list of testing centers in Ohio.
Reach Out for Help
If you have any questions, contact the COVID Response Team at 330-672-2525 or the Kent City Health Department at 330-678-8109.
Visit Kent State’s coronavirus webpages for answers to your COVID-19 questions, or call the Kent State COVID Response Team at 330-672-2525. You may also contact the Ohio Department of Health at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) or visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Sincerely,
Lisa Dannemiller, M.D.
Chief University Physician
Interim Director, University Health Services
Melissa Zullo, Ph.D., MPH
Director, Pandemic Institutionalization Effort
Interim Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs
Program Coordinator – Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Professor of Epidemiology, College of Public Health