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Health/Safety

For the health and safety of all members of the Rutgers community, it is important to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to prevent getting sick and what to do if you are sick. Those in at-risk populations should follow the full CDC guidelines for those individuals.

Stay current with the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the state’s response at the New Jersey Department of Health’s COVID-19 Information Hub.

 

Symptoms

COVID-19 presents with a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Symptoms include:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or smell

This list is not all inclusive. Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. See the CDC website for details.

Symptoms of COVID-19

 

Behavioral Health and Wellness

This is a difficult time that presents new stressors and burdens on our community members. Please remember that support and guidance services are always available to our students in need through CAPS or UBHC.

Additionally, the Psychological Services Network at Rutgers Graduate School for Applied and Professional Psychology is offering phone and telepsychology services to help members of our community obtain short-term supportive therapy or facilitate referrals to therapists in our network.

Rutgers4U is a confidential support line to offer emotional and therapeutic support during and following the COVID-19 pandemic to Rutgers staff, faculty, and their families. The support line will be operational Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–4 p.m., with additional hours to be added. Access the support line by calling 1-855-652-6819.

 

COVID-19 Testing Clinics

Walk-in clinics are available on all campuses to any member of the Rutgers community authorized to receive COVID-19 testing. Please make an appointment through the Return to Rutgers page: go.rutgers.edu/COVID-19-Testing. Small drive-through testing clinics may be arranged with individual departments to accommodate specific needs.

 

Rutgers Students

Students at home with symptoms should contact their local health care provider, making sure to call ahead and apprise the provider of symptoms and concerns. If a student is on campus with symptoms, they should contact student health services. A student who tests positive for COVID-19 and is physically on campus or in Rutgers facilities should contact student health services directly to report the case and seek guidance.

To make an appointment with Rutgers Student Health:

Testing Requirements for Students Living On-Campus

Moving Into On-Campus Housing

  • All students moving in to on-campus housing must undergo COVID-19 PCR testing one to three weeks prior to move-in day
  • A second test is done at move-in

Living in On-Campus Housing

  • Students living in on-campus housing should expect periodic testing throughout the semester

Find more information at health.rutgers.edu/covid-19-testing.

Get Your Flu Shot

To preserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19, getting your flu shot is more important than ever. The Rutgers Student Immunizations and Health Requirements policy (10.3.13) requires students who work directly with patients, or who handle material that could spread infection, to have a flu vaccination.

Flu shots are already available at local pharmacies and through your primary care provider. Please visit the State of New Jersey’s flu webpage to find a vaccine provider near you. Additionally, students with a valid RU ID can obtain flu shots at Student Health. Contact your student health office (listed above) to schedule an appointment for vaccination. For more information, read the October 12, 2020 communication.

 

Rutgers Faculty and Staff

If you are returning from travel or were exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, please contact the Occupational Health office below before returning to work. Employees who test positive for COVID-19 and are physically on campus or in Rutgers facilities should contact Occupational Health directly to report the case and seek guidance.

Occupational Health offices by location:

  • Rutgers–New Brunswick, Rutgers–Newark, and Rutgers–Camden: 848-932-8254
  • Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) Newark: 973-972-2900
  • RBHS New Brunswick/Piscataway and University Correctional Health Care: 848-445-0123 ext. 2
  • Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Faculty and Staff: 732-235-6559

The CDC has established the risk categories dependent on exposure to help guide optimal public health management of people following potential COVID-19 exposure.

Join Us to Fight the Flu

Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden of flu illnesses and hospitalizations on the health care system and conserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19. Flu shots are already available at local pharmacies and through your primary care provider. Please visit the State of New Jersey’s flu webpage to find a vaccine provider near you.  Additionally, Occupational Health will offer free flu vaccines to faculty and staff with a valid RU ID through the end of October. Visit the Occupational Health Flu Immunization webpage to review vaccine availability, and clinic dates and locations. For more information, read the September 29, 2020 communication from Vicente Gracias, Senior Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and Vice President for Health Affairs, Rutgers University.