Loyola University is taking the measures and investing in the resources to help quarantine positive COVID-19 students on their campus.

There are currently a total of eight active cases on the university’s campus with a total of seven of those cases being quarantined off campus. The students are being given the option to quarantine on campus or off campus with resources available.

Djoulissa Louis-Jean, the university’s public health coordinator responsible for contact tracing, shares some of her knowledge on the process.

Students who decide to quarantine on campus are moved to an isolation room where they are provided meals, laundry, and trash service. The students receive a daily call from student health and have a certified nursing assistant check on them three times a day according to Loyola’s Protocol.

For students who live or choose to isolate off campus, they receive a daily call from the health center daily as well. All students who test positive are also emailed a resource document by the university’s contact tracers where they are provided a list of resources available to them within Loyola. The help offered includes water, financial help, and mental health services according to Louis-Jean.

“They are provided with meals every single day, three times a day. We also ask them if they have any dietary restrictions, if they are allergic to anything, vegan or vegetarian, just to be sure they are being given the correct food and we are taking care of them,” says Louis-Jean. 

Students are able to get tested on campus in the Danna Center more than once. While the testing is not free, they do accept insurance.

Loyola’s contact tracers are also in contact with Tulane University to share testing results and alert students of both campuses of possible outbreaks. If a student has been identified from either campus as being in close contact, both teams will share their data according to Louis-Jean.

The university has received positive feedback toward their efforts to take care of the students. There have been a few instances where parents have expressed concerns which range from; multitude of concerns over food, or making sure the student health center is actually calling the students according to Louis-Jean. The university has tried to make its top  mission being quick when issues arise. The concerns are brought up immediately in the health meetings and to make sure the community’s needs and concerns have been met according to Louis-Jean.

Will Harrison, a junior at Loyola University of New Orleans, shares about his connection and experience with the recent efforts of Loyola.

“We as students are lucky to have the resources a university like Loyola can offer especially in a time of so much uncertainty. It feels good to know that we have a community that we can rely on. I am always getting emails and updates to make sure we are constantly prepared and I think that is powerful,” said Harrison.

Harrison is one of the individuals from Loyola’s community that has a connection with one of the students that were mandated to quarantine by the campus. The student asked to remain anonymous according to Harrison. The student was one of the COVID-19 positive cases that chose to quarantine off campus but claimed the university was super attentive to their needs. The student serves as one example that we have a community that cares about us and is there when we need a hand according to Harrison.

“We as human beings are all very resilient. I feel like this is something I’ve been saying a lot, People ask me what is something that you’ve learned during this pandemic. We are resilient, we are adaptable and we are able to overcome change no matter how hard it is in the moment. We have progressed and adapted so well in these ever changing times. It’s very heartwarming and encouraging,” said Louis-Jean.