If you have COVID-19 symptoms (fever, chills, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea), stay at home, self-isolate, monitor your symptoms and alert Student Life at (+34) 638 763 758. According to WHO, if you have minor symptoms, such as a slight cough or a mild fever, there is generally no need to seek medical care. Seek immediate medical care if you have difficulty breathing or pain/pressure in the chest (call 060).

As always, students who miss class are asked to notify their instructors in advance, if possible. Students who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms (that cannot be attributed to a known medical condition, such as allergies, asthma, etc.), test positive for COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19 (and are thus required to quarantine by health authorities) shall absent themselves from class and campus activities. If they are able, they are expected to participate in their classes remotely. All absences due to illness or isolation/quarantine directives shall be considered “authorized” absences.

If you are approached by an individual with COVID-19 symptoms (fever, chills, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea), maintain social distance (1.5 meters/5 feet), avoid direct contact, and escort the individual to the nearest of these three campus locations:

• Padre Arrupe Hall – Admissions Conference Room
• Padre Rubio Hall – Office of the Director of Student Life
• San Ignacio Hall – Auditorium

Inform the receptionist of the situation. Should any of these rooms be occupied, the receptionist will provide an alternative. The receptionist will notify the designated SLU-Madrid officials who have been trained to respond to this emergency.

Remain in the area until the designated SLU-Madrid officials arrive: your presence will be key to providing information, and you will receive further instructions thereafter. Keep the situation as confidential as possible, allowing SLU-Madrid officials to manage the incident. The Office of Student Life will be responsible for contacting Spanish health authorities, and SLU-Madrid will follow their directives.

Sanitas, SLU-Madrid's healthcare provider, only covers COVID-19 laboratory tests for patients admitted with acute respiratory infection or in emergency situations. Their policies, too, are subject to change in relation to national directives and protocols. Testing through Sanitas is currently available for a 140-euro fee. Click here to find out about the lab that is closest to campus and to El Faro where no appointment or referral is required.

No. All possible measures should be taken to protect the privacy of any person who tests positive for COVID-19. The name of the individual should not be shared. The instructor does not have the duty of notifying others of a student's positive test result. The instructor should share any information regarding a possible case of COVID-19 with the Office of Student Life, who will contact the Spanish health authorities and follow up as necessary. The students diagnosed with COVID-19 will not attend classes until their health has been cleared.

Not necessarily. If social distancing and face mask wearing protocols were followed, classmates may not be considered close contacts and therefore require quarantine or testing. Quarantine and testing expectations will be determined by the Spanish health authorities.

Spanish health authorities will be responsible for conducting contact tracing on all confirmed COVID-19 cases; SLU-Madrid will not release the names of individuals who test positive. Being in a classroom with an infected person does not constitute exposure if everyone maintained social distancing and were all wearing masks.

Quarantine and testing expectations will be determined by the Spanish health authorities. The Office of Student Life will ensure that these expectations are met by SLU-Madrid whenever necessary. Instructors will be notified on a confidential case-by-case basis.

No. However, SLU-Madrid will work with Spanish health authorities, our campus physician, and our health insurance provider to direct a student, faculty, or staff member for testing if necessary.

No. Students who present symptoms or have a temperature should not go to class and must contact the Office of Student Life at studentlife-madrid@slu.edu or call the emergency number at +34 638 763 758.

Disinfection of classrooms will take place at the end of each day. Due to time constraints, there will not be disinfection between classes. However, there will be disinfecting supplies available in every classroom. Students or instructors may disinfect their own work or class space.

Classroom seating will be arranged according to appropriate social distancing. However, it will be incumbent on instructors and students to maintain this appropriate distancing.

No. Should Spanish health authorities require universities to acquire such systems, we would do so.  

A community-centric approach would focus on engaging individuals in a conversation to understand why they are not wearing a face mask. Some members of our campus community will have legitimate reasons for not wearing a face mask (and will have official documentation from their physicians or Spanish health authorities to that effect). If the conversation is not productive, the next step may depend on whether the individual is an employee, student, or visitor.

Reporting concerns:

• Employees: Notify a supervisor or HR (hr-madrid@slu.edu)
• Students: Notify the Director of Student Life (studentlife-madrid@slu.edu)

Students, faculty, and staff are required to wear face masks where a 1.5-meter (5 foot) distance cannot be maintained. Therefore, it is reasonable for an instructor to prevent a student who is choosing not to wear a face mask from entering the classroom, unless they are able to present corresponding medical documentation. Face masks will be available at all SLU-Madrid reception desks should a student, faculty, or staff member forget to bring a face mask.

Quarantine and testing expectations will be determined by the Spanish health authorities. The Office of Student Life will ensure that these expectations are met by SLU-Madrid whenever necessary. With respect to university-arranged residence hall housing, please refer to Nexo Residencias' COVID-19 Protocol. Students in host-family housing, should inform their Señora, who in turn will activate a protocol of action together with SLU-Madrid Housing officials. Students may not attend classes until their health is cleared.

In addition to the enhanced cleaning protocols already in place, SLU-Madrid will pursue many efforts, including, but not limited to:

• Desk and wall-mounted hand-sanitizer stations throughout campus
• Acrylic screens at reception desks and other service offices where prolonged close interaction takes place and social distancing is difficult to maintain
• Open doors in high-traffic areas
• Drinking fountains with foot pedals and limited to water bottle refills only
• Daily ventilation of buildings
• Educational signage promoting best practices
• Distribution and availability of face masks
• Availability of additional face shield protection for faculty for in-person teaching

Wide-spread testing of asymptomatic students provides no significant public health benefit — and diverts health care resources from more effective work. Asymptomatic students and employees are still able to get tested if they wish. They will be referred to local testing options after contacting the campus' physician and insurance provider.

The Office of Student Life will coordinate information related to COVID-19 for the SLU-Madrid community. Related information should be reported to them at studentlife-madrid@slu.edu or by calling the emergency number at (+34) 638 763 758. Employees may contact the Office of Human Resources at hr-madrid@slu.edu. All members of the SLU-Madrid community will be encouraged to download the SLU App and identify themselves as a “Madrid persona.” This will allow SLU-Madrid officials to be in constant communication with the SLU-Madrid community. SLU email will be used for additional communication.