COVID Update: Preparing for Returning After Break

April 15, 2022

To the Saint Louis University community

We are writing to prepare you for returning to campus after our long weekend break. We aim to have everyone return safely and with health at the forefront of our minds and hearts. 

In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases on campus. The purpose of this communication is to empower you with information, and to encourage actions you can take to make a positive difference for your personal health, the health of your loved ones, and the health of our community.

What we see in the data

We are always keeping a close eye on the number of COVID cases on campus. Having lifted our face mask requirement on March 28, we knew we would see an increase in COVID infections. The pace of infections is another factor that we observe. Starting this past Tuesday, April 12, we have seen a large uptick in cases.

Here is what we have seen:

• March 7–13: 6 student cases; average 0.85 cases per day
• March 14–20: 6 student cases; average 0.85 cases per day
• March 21–27: 13 student cases; average 1.85 cases per day
• March 28–April 3: 32 student cases; average 4.57 cases per day
• April 4–April 10: 36 student cases; average 5.14 cases per day
• April 12–14: 51 student cases; average 17 cases per day

Many of these newest student cases have been linked to two events outside of the classroom. Our contact tracing team has identified a few cases where classroom transmission was one of several possibilities. However, with the elimination of our face mask requirement and the ease with which the BA.2 variant spreads, it is now far more challenging to identify the likely source of exposure.

Both St. Louis City and St. Louis County Health Departments are reporting an increase in COVID cases locally, although overall the rates remain somewhat low.

The rate of increase on campus signals a need for attention. We are seeking your help in limiting disease spread as we prepare to return to campus after the long holiday weekend spent traveling and visiting with loved ones.

4 things you can do

Our collective actions have an impact on campus disease transmission. Here are specific actions that will make a difference.

1. Gather outdoors whenever you can.

• It’s important to your well-being to connect and be in community with your family and friends. When the weather allows, take advantage of outdoor spaces to hang out with others and enjoy the beauty of spring. 

2. Notice any potential COVID-like symptoms and then get tested.

• We greatly appreciate everyone who has recognized their symptoms and quickly sought testing. You are demonstrating care and concern for our community members. Please remember:
• Get tested at the first sign of symptoms. Even if those symptoms are mild and even if you think they are just allergies or a cold. If you are symptomatic, an antigen test or a PCR test can be effective. 
• If you develop symptoms over the holiday weekend, get tested before you return to campus. That will protect members of our campus community and may prevent the need to move you into on-campus isolation housing. Recovering at home may be preferable.
• If Student Health or Employee Health are unable to provide testing when you need it, visit your health provider or a local pharmacy. Don’t forget to let Student or Employee Health know if you test positive on an at-home test.
• Please don’t come to campus to work, attend class, or study until Student Health, Employee Health, or your medical provider has given you the okay.

3. Follow instructions if you are identified as a close contact of an infected person. 

• You may receive an email from our contact tracing team, or you may reach out to Student Health or Employee Health if you believe you have a known exposure to someone with COVID-19. 
• You are considered a close contact if you have spent 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and one or both of you were unmasked. With that known exposure, you will be advised on the ideal day to seek testing based on when the exposure occurred. 
• If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days, you will not require testing even if you are identified as a close contact. 
• If you are asymptomatic, you need to obtain a PCR test. If Student Health, Employee Health, or our campus testing clinics are not able to provide a test when you need it, you can seek out a PCR test from your healthcare provider or a local pharmacy. 

4. Voluntarily wear a face mask in classes and crowded indoor spaces, at least for the next two weeks.

• If you are high-risk for severe illness or provide care to someone who is, we strongly encourage you to don a KN95 when you are in indoor public spaces, including in classrooms and labs. 
• Face masks are a tool we can use on a temporary basis to suppress the spread of campus infection. Some East Coast colleges have reintroduced face mask requirements on their campuses, including Johns Hopkins University, Columbia, Georgetown, and George Washington University.
• The more people who opt to mask up voluntarily, the more likely we may be able to keep infections low and maintain our current “face masks are optional” practice.

Thank you for your proactive efforts to keep our community healthy. We continue to monitor this situation very closely. We have the tools in place to manage this effectively, together.

Stay safe and be well.

Terri Rebmann, Ph.D., RN, CIC, FAPIC
Special Assistant to the President
Director, Institute for Biosecurity
Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
College for Public Health and Social Justice