COVID-19 and EMU

EMU Health Services strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. Visit Vaccinate Virginia for vaccination sites in the commonwealth. 

Masking is always welcomeon campus. The last few years have clearly shown that masks dramatically reduce the spread of airborne infections, including COVID-19. Masks will not be provided by EMU. All employees and students are encouraged to bring their own.

Do not attend class, work or gatherings if you are sick. Test if you suspect COVID-19.

Fall 2022 COVID Protocol for Students (updated 8/17/22)

  • Walk-in COVID rapid testing will be available for EMU students at Health Services, Monday – Friday 8:45 a.m.– 3 p.m.
  • EMU encourages all students, whether residential or commuter, to access testing in Health Services.
  • Any student who self-tests and tests positive should notify covidhotline@emu.edu.
  • Residential students who test positive in Health Services and who plan to remain on campus for their isolation period will be given a food voucher that includes dates of isolation. The student will give this voucher to the CA or RD who will make sure the student receives their meals while in isolation.
  • The student who tests positive will isolate for five full days (count the day of testing as zero), and mask for at least 10 days (longer if still experiencing symptoms).
  • The person who tests positive is responsible for contacting people they have been in close contact with for periods of 15 minutes or longer in a 24-hour period and within the past 24 to 48 hours.

Fall 2022 COVID Protocol for Employees (updated 8/17/22)

Isolation and Quarantine Information for Students and Employees (updated 8/17/22)

  • Per Centers for Disease Control (CDC), isolation is five full days away from others. Count the day of the positive test as day zero. Wear a mask for a full ten days after testing positive. 
  • Per CDC, there are no requirements to quarantine when exposed to a person who is positive. If a person knows they have been a close contact to someone who has tested positive, it is recommended that they mask for five days and complete a rapid antigen at home test on day 5 after exposure or if they become symptomatic.

COVID-19 basics 

From the American College Health Association

  • COVID-19 can affect anyone. People of all ages can get COVID-19. Even young people have gone to the hospital, developed serious health problems, and died because of COVID-19.
  • More than one million people have died from COVID-19 in the United States. In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer.
  • Many people are tired of hearing about COVID-19 — but we still need to protect ourselves. Even if you’re young and healthy, there’s still a chance that COVID-19 could make you very sick. So it’s important to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and take steps to protect your health.
  • COVID-19 has a wide range of symptoms. Some people have cold-like symptoms — like coughing, running a fever, or feeling tired and achy. Other people have more serious symptoms, like having trouble breathing or thinking clearly. Researchers are working to find out why some people get sicker than others.
  • People can spread COVID-19 without having any symptoms. Some people who have COVID-19 feel totally fine. But even if you don't feel sick, you can still spread the virus to other people.
  • COVID-19 mainly spreads through the air. People who have COVID-19 can spread the virus to other people around them when they talk, cough, sneeze, sing — or even just breathe.
  • You can get COVID-19 more than once. If you’ve had COVID-19 recently, you may have a short period of natural immunity, meaning you’re less likely to get it again. But researchers aren’t sure how long natural immunity lasts, and it works better for some people than others.
 

EMU Info

COVID-19 Communications 

Below is a log of all emails sent to the larger EMU community regarding COVID-19. 

EMU tracks COVID-19 cases while students are on campus. The dashboard is publicly available.

EMU's Crisis Management Preparedness Team

The Crisis Management Preparedness Team includes members from across campus; it leads major decision-making on issues related to campus operations. The team works in collaboration with the President, the President’s Cabinet, and the Provost’s Office.

The team meets regularly to process updates and recommendations from local authorities, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH). 

Public information about the virus