COVID-19 Health Information

COVID-19 Health Information

Content:

  1. Wearing of Face Coverings
  2. Washing Hands
  3. HSE Tracker App
  4. Health Services
  5. Covid-19 Updates

If you are not feeling well STAY AT HOME

A new strain of Covid 19 is now circulating in Ireland which is much more transmittable, we must do all we can to prevent the spread of this virus by restricting our movement and reducing our contacts.  If you are feeling unwell, please stay at home.   If you have been abroad in the last 14 days you must self isolate until the two week period from your return and don’t have any symptoms. These are fever (high temperature), cough or difficulty breathing.

If you do have symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), you should phone your doctor or emergency department (ED) immediately.

Do not visit a doctor or ED – phone them first. This is so you do not accidentally put other people at risk. If you do not have a doctor, phone 112 or 999.

Tell them about your symptoms.

If your doctor thinks that you need to be tested, they will tell you where the test will be done. They will also tell you when to expect results.

Avoid contact with other people by self-isolating.

If you are feeling well

  Please follow the advice on how to protect yourself from Covid-19 (Coronavirus) and other infections such as flu.

Avoid spending time with people that are ill with a cough, high temperature, or breathing problems.

If you develop symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus):

  • avoid contact with people by self-isolating
  • phone your doctor or emergency department
  • tell them your symptoms and let them know you have been to a country or region with a spread of Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

If you think you have been in contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

 Phone HSE Live on 1850 24 1850 if you think you have been:
  • in contact with someone confirmed as having Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
  • to a healthcare facility in another country where Covid-19 (Coronavirus) patients are being treated

You will be put in contact with your local Department of Public Health staff who will give you information and advice.

If you develop symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), avoid contact with people by self-isolating and phone your doctor or emergency department.

Back to top

Symptoms

 It can take up to 14 days for symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) to show.

Symptoms of the virus include:

  • a cough
  • shortness of breath
  • breathing difficulties
  • fever (high temperature)

More information on symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) is available from the HSE.

How Covid-19 (Coronavirus) spreads

Covid-19 (Coronavirus) can be spread:

  • 1. directly, through contact with an infected person’s body fluids (for example, droplets from coughing or sneezing)
  • 2. indirectly, through contact with surfaces that an infected person has coughed or sneezed on and which are, therefore, contaminated with the virus

The virus may only survive a few hours if someone who has it coughs or sneezes on a surface. Simple household disinfectants can kill the virus on surfaces. Clean the surface first and then use a disinfectant.

Covid-19 (Coronavirus) is spread through close contact with an infected person. A close contact involves either face-to-face contact or spending more than 15 minutes within 2 metres of an infected person.

WASHING HANDS

When we return to campus one of the best way’s of protecting ourselves and others is to regularly wash our hands throughout the day.  Hand sanitizers are also available throughout the campus and the same proceedure to rub gel into hands should be used as washing.  Please watch the video below.

back to top

DOWNLOAD HSE TRACKER APP

We ask all our students and staff to download the HSE tracker app.  The more people who has the app on their phones the more protected against Covid-19 we will be.  The app allows the HSE to quickly identify those who may have been in direct contact with a person with Covid-19.

Back to top

HEALTH SERVICES

We are ready to give you any support you need during these challenging times. Your Health Service may look a bit different this year as we lean towards virtual medicine for the protection of all.

A virtual clinic is a consultation with the nurse or doctor by phone or video call (using Microsoft Teams) instead of a face-to-face meeting. If it is medically required for you to attend the Health Service, this can be organised for you.

How to make an appointment with the Health Service

  • Do not attend the Health Service in person.
  • Please call the Health Service reception on 071-9155463 between 9-3pm, Mon to Thurs and 9-1pm on Friday.
  • The nurse will then call you to assess what type of appointment will meet your needs. If you need a phone/video/in person consultation this will be organised for you.

What to expect when you attend for an in-person appointment

If you are attending the service in person, you will be asked to stay in your car/outside until you are called in by the nurse/doctor. It is important that you arrive at the exact appointment time given to you.

You will be asked some brief questions at the door by the nurse. Your temperature will be taken. You will be asked to sanitize your hands and remove your own face covering and apply a medical mask for the consultation.

We will be operating a strict social distancing policy at all times within the clinical area. Measures such as social distancing, perspex screens and masks make us all uncomfortable but just remember the health professionals behind the mask have not changed and we are here to help you.

How virtual medicine works

We will be doing more telephone and online consultations to minimise the spread of COVID-19. We do not believe that this is a completely satisfactory replacement for face to face

meetings but for now we must do what is safest for everyone concerned. The nurse will ring you in the morning and together we will decide if a video, telephone, or in person meeting will meet your needs best. You will be given a scheduled time so that you can make sure you have a private place to take the call without interruptions or noise.

What to do if you have symptoms of COVID-19

Symptoms of COVID-19 are:

· Fever (over 38 degrees)

· Sudden cough (any type of cough)

· Shortness of breath

· Loss or change in your sense of taste or smell.

If you have any of these symptoms, immediately isolate at home and call the Student Health Service/GP for advice. If you are on campus and you If you feel well enough, please leave the campus immediately through the closest exit.

· Apply your mask and hand gel if you have it on your person.

· Do not walk through the main campus.

· Remember your respiratory etiquette; if you have to cough/sneeze turn away from others and cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve. Place used tissues in a lidded bin and wash hand/apply gel.

· Do not use public transport to get home.

· Do not go to a GP, surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

If you do not feel well enough to leave the campus, Isolation rooms are available on campus to be utilised if required. Dial 071/9155333 to access these rooms and first-aid personnel.

How to organise a COVID-19 test

Your GP/Student Health Service will organise an assessment and/or a referral for COVID-19 test if necessary. The assessment and test are free of charge.  Walk in centres are available around the country and can be found on the HSE website.

You must self isolate while you are awaiting testing and test results. Your housemates and close contacts will also need to restrict their movements. Therefore, you and everybody in your house should not attend college under any circumstances.

If you test positive elsewhere if would be helpful if you could advise the Health service in confidence by phone or email. This will allow us to keep an accurate log of any cases we have on campus.

COVID-19 test results are confidential as per doctor/patient confidentiality. However, you should be advised that we may need to share your information with Public Health doctors as required for the purposes of protecting public health, e.g. to protect people from infection under defined circumstances.

 

Mental Health Well-being.

Back  to top

ERASMUS/INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

All international students will need to adhere to the 14 day self isolation regulation enforced by the Irish Government.  Support will be available to help International students on arrival to self isolate.  Information to follow.

Back to top

What to do if you think you’re at risk of Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

  • Student Services are the primary point of contact for students who have queries regarding their health status. Students to be advised to make their initial contact with the student health centre by phone.
  • Health Services:  contact 071 93 05463 or email studenthealthservices@nullitsligo.ie