COVID-19: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself and Others

The health and well-being of our Thomas Nelson students, faculty and staff is a top priority. With the current and uncertain future of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is imperative that the College follows very specific guidelines, thus the reason for all measures that have been put in place for instruction for our Fall 2020 semester.

We encourage ALL of our community members to play an active role in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by following health and safety guidelines offered by public health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control (Links to an external site.) (www.cdc.gov (Links to an external site.)) and the Virginia Department of Health (Links to an external site.) (www.vdh.virginia.gov)

The steps below, from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are critical steps to protect both yourself and others from COVID-19:

1. Be aware of how COVID-19 spreads.

There is NO vaccine for this disease. The best way to prevent contracting COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to the virus.

The virus appears to spread from person to person in the following ways:

When you are in close contact with individuals (within about 6 feet)
Via respiratory droplets from an infected person when they cough, sneeze, or talk – these droplets may land on the mouths or noses of nearby persons and may also be inhaled into the lungs
Recent studies suggest that the virus can also be spread by individuals who are not showing symptoms (known as asymptomatic spreaders)

2. Wash your hands often with soap and water for AT LEAST 20 seconds after you have been in a public place, or after you blow your nose, cough, or sneeze.

It is VERY important to wash after doing ANY of the following:

Before eating or preparing food
Before touching your face
After using the restroom
After leaving a public place
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After handling your cloth face covering
After changing a diaper
After caring for someone sick
After touching animals or pets

When soap and water is not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains AT LEAST 60% alcohol. Be sure to spread the sanitizer over all surfaces of your hands and rub them together

ALWAYS Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

3. Avoid close contact with others.

Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.

Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household – especially for those who are at a high risk of getting sick

Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ lengths) from other people

4. Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others

You can spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.
The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.
Everyone should wear a cloth face cover in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Exceptions to this include young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

Do NOT use a facemask meant for a healthcare worker. Currently, surgical masks and N95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders.

Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.

PLEASE NOTE: Except for those unable to participate due to health and/or safety reasons, face coverings are mandatory inside ALL Thomas Nelson Community College facilities and are to be worn by all individuals in these spaces AT ALL TIMES.

Cloth face coverings should:

fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
be secured with ties or ear loops
include multiple layers of fabric
allow for breathing without restriction
be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

For more info, visit the following resource from the CDC: How to Wear Cloth Face Coverings (Links to an external site.)

5. Cover coughs and sneezes

Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
Throw used tissues in the trash.
Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

6. Clean and disinfect

Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

7. Monitor Your Health Daily

Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
- Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet
If symptoms develop.
- Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
- Follow CDC guidance (Links to an external site.).

Students attending IN PERSON CLASSES on campus, must abide by the following guidelines, per the Thomas Nelson Contagious Disease Policy (APM 6-21):

Students who know or have reason to believe they are infected with a contagious disease that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, i.e., creates a risk of death or significant injury or impairment, must stay home and notify the Dean of Student Services
Faculty or staff who suspect a student is exhibiting symptoms of a contagious disease shall report what they have observed to Dean of Student Services but may not take any other direct measures with respect to the student.
The Dean of Student Services may send students home if they exhibit or report experiencing symptoms of the contagious disease. Failure to follow the Dean of Student Services instructions will be considered a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and may result in disciplinary action.
Before returning to the College, students who reported having, or have been diagnosed as having, a contagious disease must be free of all symptoms of the disease for at least seven (7) days since the date of the first report or diagnosis, or as otherwise recommended by a healthcare provider, the VDH, CDC, or other public health officials. The College may require students to provide written documentation from a healthcare provider or local health department that the student may return to campus safely, unless state officials advise agencies to not make such requests, in which case students may return after the appropriate period as established by public health officials.
Students have a responsibility to stay in contact with faculty/instructors regarding their absence and missed class assignments and should contact the Academic Division Dean if they have any difficulties or concerns. The College will provide reasonable accommodations as requested and required by law.

If you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, someone from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) might call you to inform you that you’ve been exposed and ask you to stay at home and self-quarantine. PLEASE answer the call to help slow the spread. To learn more about Contact Tracing efforts in Virginia and how it works, visit: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/prevention-tips/contact-tracing/

For more information on how to protect yourself, visit the following resources:

Centers for Disease Control (Get the Facts about Coronavirus) (Links to an external site.)

CDC Coronavirus (COVID-19) Frequently Asked Questions (Links to an external site.)

Virginia Department of Health: COVID-19 in Virginia