COVID Symptoms & Self Care
COVID Symptoms
COVID impacts everyone differently. Possible COVID symptoms may include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you are having any of these symptoms, do not come to campus. The above list does not include all possible symptoms.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, seek emergency medical help. If you live on-campus, contact staff in the Office of Housing & Residence Life, (808) 739-4648, or the RA On-Call and they can assist you in getting help from a medical provider and may call 911 for you. If you live off-campus, call 911 if you have:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone
Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Self-Care & Prevention
If you experience any COVID symptoms, you should take the following steps:
- Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren’t better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.
- If you have any severe symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. You should contact your healthcare provider directly or call 911. If you are a student living in the campus residence halls, you should contact your RA.
- You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
- Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
- You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
- When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.
- Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.
- If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.
- Let your professors and supervisors know if you will miss class or work. Students may also reach out to [email protected] if assistance is needed in contacting faculty.
Resources
- CDC: Respiratory Virus Guidance
- CDC: Preventing Spread of Respiratory Viruses When You are Sick
- MAYO Clinic: Self-care tips during COVID-19 pandemic
- NAMI: Taking Care of Yourself
Support
Your well-being is our priority. Here are several resources available to community members year-round:
- Students and employees may contact the Counseling Center at (808) 735-4845 or [email protected].
- Staff and faculty may access counseling services through the university’s Employee Assistance Program. Details are available on Northwestern Mutual’s site. You can also call 1-888-893-6585 for more information.
- Pastoral support is available for all members of campus through our University Chaplain, Fr. Marty Solma, at [email protected], or the Campus Ministry team at [email protected].