Safeguarding Your Health Over Winter Break
December 9, 2022
Dear members of the SLU community,
As winter break approaches, I write with information to help protect your health and the health of the SLU community. This email includes:
- Trends in COVID-19 and flu infections and hospitalizations in the St. Louis region;
- Opportunities to obtain COVID-19 or flu vaccines on campus before break; and
- What to do if you develop symptoms.
COVID-19 and flu infections and hospitalizations
COVID-19 cases are once again increasing across St Louis and the U.S. as a whole. COVID-19-related cases and hospitalizations increased significantly in the last week and are expected to continue to rise. We are also experiencing one of the worst flu outbreaks we have seen in the last decade.
These are not trends we wish to see right now, with end-of-the-semester activities, finals, and the winter holidays when friends and family will be gathering in celebration.
There are actions you can take to protect your health and the well-being of your loved ones. As we reminded you in November: Get vaccinated, stay home if you become ill, practice good hand hygiene, and consider wearing a mask in public spaces.
Final campus vaccination clinic for the semester
We will hold one final vaccination clinic on campus for the fall semester, from 1 - 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, in Simon Rec Center.
- You may register for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment here. You may also walk in.
- Limited doses of flu vaccine will also be available at this vaccination clinic. We will have 50 doses of flu vaccine available at the clinic, including five doses of high-dose vaccine. If you would like a flu vaccine dose reserved for you, email pandemic@slu.edu. The vaccines will be available on a first come, first served basis: First to those who reserve doses by email, and then to walk-ins after that.
Flu vaccination available at Student Health
The Student Health Center also offers flu vaccines to students. Contact Student Health (314-977-2323) to make an appointment.
If you have questions about getting your flu shot, you can check out SLU’s flu vaccination webpage, email fightflu@slu.edu or read more about it at the CDC website.
What to do if you have symptoms
Many respiratory viruses are circulating in the community right now, with very similar symptoms. The best way to know which disease you have and receive the correct treatment is to get tested.
If you test positive for COVID-19 or flu over winter break, please let us know. As always, if you test positive, please stay home and do not return to campus.
- Students should contact Student Health (314-977-2323) and/or SLU’s Contact Tracing team at contacttracing@health.slu.edu to report a positive influenza and/or COVID-19 test.
- Employees who test positive for COVID-19 should report that to SLU’s Contact Tracing team at contacttracing@health.slu.edu.
If you have a fever (temperature over 1000F) but test negative, stay home. Do not come to work or class/campus until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without the need to take fever-reducing medication.
If you have flu or COVID-19-like symptoms other than a fever but test negative, you may come to campus for work or class, but you must wear a mask until your symptoms have resolved.
As always, please email pandemic@slu.edu if you can’t find the answer to your question on SLU’s website.
Thanks so much to all of you for your commitment to OneSLU and protecting the public health on our St. Louis campuses and in our region.
A special thank you to our School of Nursing faculty and students, who have once again helped deliver COVID-19 and flu vaccinations to our community members this fall. And to all of our employees and students who are healthcare workers: Thank you for continuing to provide compassionate care to those with RSV, flu, and COVID-19. We are grateful for the work you do to keep our community safe.
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