Covid-19 Information for the Rensselaer Community
Fall 2024
Covid-19 continues to affect our community, requiring us to adapt and change our protocols in response to evolving knowledge about the virus and changes in population immunity and susceptibility. Our policies reflect current CDC recommendations.
Please read below for details on what to do if you get sick as well as prevention, testing, treatment, and other on-campus protocols:
What are Covid-19 symptoms?
COVID-19 symptoms often feel like ordinary cold symptoms.
Possible symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
What should you do if you develop any of the symptoms above?
- Stay home and away from others until your symptoms begin to improve.
- If you must be around others while you are sick or if you share a dorm room, both you and anyone else in the room should wear a mask. If you must be around others to pick up food while ill, wear a tight-fitting mask such as K9-95 and take food to-go.
- Remain at home until you are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication AND your symptoms are improving (you may or may not experience fevers).
- At that point, you can return to normal activities but continue to wear a tight-fitting mask like a KN-95 for at least five days and take precautionary measures to prevent spread of infection to others such as improving ventilation, distancing, and frequent handwashing.
- Testing is encouraged and strongly suggested if you are immunocompromised. Tests are available via PCR at a pharmacy/urgent care OR via at home rapid test. If the first rapid test is negative, repeat the test 48 hours later to confirm. You can obtain tests here.
- Students should inform professors immediately if they are missing class and plan with the professor to make up missing course material.
If Covid-19 is confirmed:
Most cases of COVID-19 are mild and symptoms can be treated at home with the same over-the-counter medications used to treat any cold-like illness.
You may use Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for fever or body aches (see Viral URI Guide for more information).
Make an appointment with a medical provider (your primary doctor or RPI Student Health Center 518-276-6287) immediately in the following circumstances:
- If you have an underlying medical condition that could cause severe Covid illness, such as diabetes, chronic heart/lung/kidney or liver disease or cancer
- If you can’t eat or drink normally
- If you have any difficulty breathing such as wheezing or coughing that makes it hard to catch your breath
- If you feel chest pain
- If you have a fever that won’t go away or that comes back after several days
- If you have unexpected symptoms
- If you are frightened or worried about your symptoms
****Remember to wear a well-fitting mask if you need to get medical care for COVID****
Call 911 immediately if you develop:
- Severe difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
- New confusion or inability to arouse or stay awake.
- Bluish lips or face.
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.
Covid-19 Prevention
- Practice good hygiene: Cover coughs and sneezes; wash hands after eating and/or touching the face. Wash common touch areas frequently
- Consider wearing a mask to prevent Covid-19
- Masks are recommended for those with immune compromise, in crowds in poorly ventilated places and for close contacts of those with confirmed Covid
- Risks may also be reduced by handwashing, distancing and improving ventilation by opening windows or using an air filter.
Vaccines
- All Rensselaer community members are encouraged to receive the most current Covid-19 vaccination
- An updated COVID vaccine will be available in early fall which will provide protection against the currently circulating variants.
- Visit www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date for more information
