Staff nurses, during the daily clinic hours, administer allergy injections free of charge. The Health Center maintains the antigens and allergy records. A student who has received an allergy injection will be required to wait in the Health Center for the entire observation period that has been ordered by her allergist. Allergy appointments are required as injections are administered only when a physician or nurse practitioner is present in the Health Center.
The Athletic Department mandates that all sports physicals are to be completed at the Health Center. No other physical can fulfill this athletic requirement. A clinic appointment, which may be made over the phone, is required for this physical examination. Ill students are given priority for clinic appointments, which may require the rescheduling of physical examinations.
The main way that illnesses like colds and flu are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This is called "droplet spread."
This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air and are deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Sometimes germs also can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches his or her own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands. We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks.
Cover your mouth and nose. Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve.
Clean your hands often. The "Happy Birthday" song helps keep your hands clean? Not exactly. Yet we recommend that when you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. That's about the same time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice! Alcohol-based hand wipes and gel sanitizers work too. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.
Properly handle and cool poultry and eggs. Poultry should be cooked to at least 165 degrees, which will destroy viruses and other bacteria should they be present. Eggs should be cooked until both the yellow and white parts are firm.
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