What To Do If Your College Student Contracts Covid-19

As difficult as sending your child to college, doing it during a pandemic can be downright terrifying. Since no parent likes to hear that their kid has the coronavirus, it’s important to take precautions. Despite immunization efforts, students are still getting the virus, so be ready for anything. In this article, learn more about what you can do if your college student contracts Covid-19.

When your student comes to visit, do you have them stay overnight? Isolating them at school is something you promote, right? How are their symptoms being monitored? You can get through this whether you’re making preparations or have already heard your child tested positive.

Create a Preventive Measures Strategy

Planned action before a student is sick is preferable. However, it is not too late to make preparations after learning that your child has tested positive.

If your kid has any sort of health problem from the start, it’s crucial that you’re ready. Overweight children and those with diabetes, asthma, or a weaker immune system are at higher risk. If a person has a critical medical condition, vaccination status does not prevent them from obtaining monoclonal antibodies or antiviral medication.

Due to the limited window of opportunity for these two treatment choices, you must have your child examined as soon as they develop symptoms. They risk being disqualified if they put off taking the test.

A quick trip to the doctor after a positive test result for your child is not always necessary. Unless they have a serious ailment or have been sick for a long time, most pupils won’t need to see a doctor. It is possible that this consultation might also be conducted via telehealth.

Important Factors to Think About:

• If you haven’t done so previously, please encourage your youngster to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza.
• The sooner individuals are checked after experiencing symptoms, the better.

• Obtain a copy of the student’s medical records and keep them in a safe place.
• If your student expects to reside on campus, you should learn about the college’s sick-student policies.
• You should stock up on essentials like acetaminophen, a thermometer, a pulse oximeter, and multivitamins for your kid.
• Make contact with a nearby doctor or hospital.
• Make sure you are aware of the location of the closest drugstore.
• The student should have a copy of the parent’s health insurance card.

Master the policies and processes of your university.

Virtually every university has a strategy for dealing with students who score well on COVID-19. Discover the college’s protocol for dealing with coronavirus cases and what you should expect if your child is infected.

Many schools have built online COVID-19 dashboards to keep parents and students informed about issues such as the number of COVID-19 cases on campus and the availability of quarantine beds. They also detail the accommodations and care that will be provided for pupils who test positive, should that situation arise.

Find out the school’s policy on making up work you missed while absent due to illness. If the school doesn’t have a coronavirus team, have your student inform their teachers about their absence. Last but not least, teach your kid how to find support if they need it. It could be a student.

Maintain Consistent Contact With Them

The CDC recommends that students who test positive for COVID-19 remain in their current location and isolate themselves rather than going home. Because of this, you should expect to have frequent contact with your student. Tell them you’ll be touching base with them regularly during the day and maybe even several times.

Set a high standard from the start so that they can expect your calls and texts and be ready for them. The inability to connect with them and the accompanying lack of clarity about what they expect from you might lead to unwarranted anxiety and stress.

Use a video calling service like FaceTime, Skype, or even Zoom to check in on your kid and keep tabs on their health. The fact that you can see their face is crucial for gauging not only their physical but also their emotional health.

Watch for symptoms of concern and soothe your child whenever possible; for some youngsters, the worry of a positive test result can be more debilitating than the condition itself. Your kid must know that you will always be there for them and that they have support.

Investigate the academic institution’s provision of support services for students with mental health issues. You should also work on your listening skills and showing that you understand their worries.

Make sure your pupil understands the implications of being quarantined. The student’s parents should likewise tell them the truth. Assure them that they will be requested to self-isolate for 10 days and that their cooperation with contact tracking is expected.

Infected children may worry about their health, their capacity to perform academically, and the social ramifications of their condition.

Some parents send care gifts, have food delivered, or make humorous family films to assist in allay their children’s anxieties. Others opt to lodge at a hotel or visit relatives in the area around the school their child would be attending. Even if they can’t visit their child during the isolation phase, having a trusted adult nearby might be reassuring.

Monitor their condition and make sure they are receiving the necessary care.

It is crucial to check in with your student, whether they are isolated in a dorm room or an off-campus apartment, to see how they are doing. Does he or she appear to be running a fever? Can they catch their breath? Does everyone seem to be having a good night’s rest? Do they seem to be getting enough to eat?

Document your child’s symptoms and what they eat in a journal or diary. Write down the time and date and any problems they’ve been having. You should also monitor their body temperature and the amount of water they consume. And if a pulse oximeter has been provided, make sure you’re keeping track of the results. Should they deteriorate or require medical attention, this data will be crucial.

Remember that once your child is over the age of 18, they are no longer considered a minor, and you will not have access to their medical or school data without their consent.

Consequently, it is recommended that a HIPAA release be obtained. You could go as far as having them fill out a medical power of attorney paperwork. These two documents, which can be found online, grant doctors and hospitals permission to discuss your medical history with you and your family in the event of an emergency.

Create a Safety Net

It could be helpful if you asked other people to see how your pupil was doing as well. As more people contact them, they will feel less alone. Contemplate the people who will be there for your kid. Consider the make-up of their chosen academic clan. Is there a friend or relative nearby who might check on them and send food or supplies? It is important to encourage people to maintain virtual relationships with one another.

Especially if you aren’t feeling well, it’s not fun to be stuck in a tiny room by yourself for 10 days. Make sure your student knows family and friends will always support them.

Leave Guilt and Shame Behind

Criticism and shaming of COVID-19 are easy to find on social media and don’t require much scrolling. When students get sick, the general public immediately assumes they aren’t taking precautions or weren’t immunized.

As a result, you should probably give the news that your pupil is sick some serious thought. Instead, you should only share your most personal information with those you know and trust, such as close friends and family. Furthermore, you should not criticize your sick pupil or judge their behavior.

This is not the time to lecture them on the importance of wearing a mask or question whether they actually used one. Instead, focus on being comforting, understanding, and kind. Numerous public shaming has been organized due to the spread of COVID-19. Children must feel safe when they speak up. We also hope they realize how much their family and friends truly care for them.

Keep in mind that your kid isn’t feeling well. The last thing someone who is sick needs is to feel guilty or criticized. Because of how easily spreadable this virus is, everyone—vaccinated or not—is vulnerable to contracting it. There is no cure for this infection. We cannot avoid contracting COVID-19; it is certain that each of us will eventually come face to face with this disease.

Finding out your child has tested positive for COVID-19 when thousands of miles away from home can be shocking and stressful. Most young people, especially those who have been immunized, can handle the infection and recover rapidly.

The results of a positive test for your child should cause you to take a deep breath and calm down. Together, you will get through this. The next step is to give yourself a bit of mental space to process the information and go right into the action.

Get a feel for the university’s approach to successful cases, and plan to maintain open lines of contact with your student. The 10-day isolation time will pass fast if you all work together and know what to do if their symptoms increase. You won’t believe how quickly life can get back to normal.

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