Campus Update 6/30/20

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Reporting Positive COVID-19 Symptoms or Diagnosis

As members of the Albany State University community, we care for the health and safety of each other as well as ourselves. In support of that care, listed below are a few basic guidelines we expect to be followed by all individuals to include faculty, staff, students, and anyone visiting one of our campuses. At the beginning of your day, prior to traveling to campus, you should self-monitor and acknowledge that you do not have any symptoms of COVID-19. If you have symptoms or suspect that you have come in contact with the virus, please be considerate of others and stay home. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), those who have contracted COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and include some of the following:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fever (greater than 100.4 degrees)
  • Chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell (without a stuffy nose)

We encourage everyone to follow these guidelines when on campus and in public:

  • Wear a face covering.
  • If you are alone in a closed office or workspace, a face covering may not be necessary.  
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Practice social/physical distancing and stay at least six feet away from other people; to the extent possible.    
  • Avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more. 
  • Avoid crowded places and mass gatherings.  
  • If there is a need for a large meeting, hold meetings and conferences virtually using institution-provided technology such as WebEx, MS Teams, or stagger the meeting over several days or shifts.  
  • Follow the CDC guidelines and/or your medical provider’s directions regarding COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related symptoms.

If you develop symptoms:

  • Stay home. (Do not report to work if you are sick; if you become ill while at work, go home immediately.)
  • Immediately inform your supervisor, who will the notify Human Resources.

If you test positive for COVID-19:

  • Employees who test positive for COVID-19 should leave campus immediately and not return to campus until they meet the CDC criteria for discontinuing home isolation and have coordinated their return with Human Resources.

If a student reports a positive test for COVID-19 to you:

  • Contact Student Health Services immediately.

Contact Tracing:

The Georgia Department of Public Health will be responsible for all contact tracing on campus.

What happens next:

  • Human Resources will notify the relevant campus administrators, including but not limited to the following (only those individuals who have a need-to-know will be contacted):
  • President
  • Director of Health Services
  • Divisional Vice President ​of the reporting employee
  • Area Supervisor of the reporting employee
  • Human Resources will contact the employee directly to discuss leave options, if needed.
  • The employee’s supervisor may contact the employee as appropriate.

When can you return to work:

You may return to work when all of the following conditions are met:

  1. You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (3 days) without the use fever reducers (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc.) AND
  2. Other symptoms have improved AND
  3. At least 10 days have passed since your first symptoms appeared.

Questions: 

If you have questions about the above, please contact Human Resources at (229) 500-2026 or hrasu@asurams.edu.

Thank you for your continued dedication to following the guidelines and protocols above. They are necessary in order to keep us safe and healthy. Remember, if you have questions that were not answered above, please visit our Coronavirus Update page on the ASU website or contact your supervisor.

If you need assistance during these difficult times, staff and faculty are able to access the comprehensive resources offered through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 1-844-243-4440. More information is available on the ASU Human Resources webpage. Remember, they are there to support our ASU family.bsite at www.asurams.edu/coronavirus and reading ASUInfo emails for relevant updates and additional information.