MSU COVID Directives

Fall

Italicized text below was excerpted from the Together We Will website on 8/13/21. Visit the COVID directives website  and FAQs for the most up-to-date information.

Face Coverings/Masks

Individuals with COVID-19 are highly infectious for up to two days before the onset of symptoms. Thus, face coverings are a crucial public health measure and help protect others by reducing exposure to droplets if someone is unknowingly infected with COVID-19. Wearing a face covering, whether [or not] you feel ill or have been diagnosed with COVID-19, is critical to maintaining everyone’s health and safety.

[F]ace coverings must be worn by everyone indoors (including all faculty, staff, students, vendors and visitors) while you are on property owned or governed by MSU or while participating in MSU-related or MSU-sponsored activities. If you have a medical condition that may prevent you from safely wearing a face covering, you should contact MSU’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to begin the accommodation process. From the APUE (8/20), individuals “must receive documents attesting to their exemption from the mask mandate before entering an MSU building without a mask.”

Students should “refrain from eating or drinking during class to avoid having to remove their masks. If they do consume food or drinks inside, they should remove the mask only to take a sip of beverage or a bite to eat, and they must replace the mask properly between each bite and sip.”  (from the APUE (8/20/21)

Face coverings should:

  1. be non-medical grade to maintain supplies for health care use,
  2. fit snugly against the side of your face,
  3. cover your nose and mouth,
  4. be secured with ties or ear loops, and
  5. allow for breathing without restriction.

Cloth face coverings should only be worn for one day at a time, and they must be properly hand washed or laundered with soap/detergent before subsequent use. Face coverings may vary (for example, disposable non-medical masks are acceptable).

If you refuse to wear a mask even after being asked, you will be asked to leave the classroom for disruptive behavior. Non-compliance with the mask requirement [causing] disruption in the classroom will result in the initiation of disciplinary action, which could lead to removal from the university.

Self-Monitoring

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Using whichever tools and processes are made available by the university, pay attention for the appearance of possible flu-like symptoms, including:

  • 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

This list may not include all possible symptoms. Public health officials, including the CDC, will continue to update the list as they learn more about COVID-19. If you begin exhibiting symptoms, stay home and contact the Olin Health Center’s 24-hour nurse line at (517) 353-5557 or your personal health care provider.

Do not come to class if experiencing COVID symptoms!

Exposure

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. If you believe you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should self-quarantine and monitor your symptoms. If feeling ill, students should contact MSU’s COVID-19 hotline at 855-958-2678 or contact their health care provider.

MSU will test any faculty, staff, or student who becomes symptomatic after returning to campus. You may also get tested through the State of Michigan Coronavirus Testing Hotline. Call (888) 535-6136 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and press 1 to be connected to an operator who can help you find a nearby location and schedule an appointment. Or, visit Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest to find locations near you. There are many locations where you can get tested at no cost.

Positive Test for COVID-19

“Anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 should isolate from others for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear and for 24 hours after fever has subsided without the use of fever-reducing medications and other related symptoms are improving.  If you tested positive for COVID-19 but showed no symptoms, you should isolate for 10 days after your positive COVID-19 test.” (from the APUE, 8/20/21)

Adherence to Public Health Guidance and Cooperation with Public Health Authorities

For the protection of the entire community, MSU expects all faculty, staff, and students to follow all applicable state and public health guidance and cooperate with public health authorities, including, but not limited to, participating in contact tracing efforts.

Adherence to Signage and Instructions

To protect yourself and others, faculty, staff, and students must (a) look for instructional signs posted by MSU or public health authorities, (b) observe instructions from MSU or public health authorities that are emailed to your “msu.edu” account, and (c) follow those instructions.