Campus Health Reminders for This Fall

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As fall classes have already begun, Pat Walker Health Center would like to remind our campus of some key health and safety tips regarding general health precautions, heat-related illnesses, COVID-19 reminders and things to keep in mind with Influenza (flu) season approaching. With the recent E. coli outbreak in the area, it's also a good time to review safety precautions regarding E. Coli. 

GENERAL HEALTH PRECAUTION REMINDERS 

• If you are sick, get medical assistance at PWHC, if needed.  

• Stay home, avoid social gatherings and shared living spaces and wear a mask. 

• Treat symptoms with over-the-counter medications. Consult with your doctor as needed. 

• Students in on-campus housing who are too ill to go to the dining hall can request to use the sick tray process, which permits a friend or a roommate to pick up on their behalf. 

• Contact your instructors and/or supervisors by phone or email to advise them of absence(s) due to illness. 

HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS REMINDERS 
With record-breaking heat indices last week, knowing a little more about common heat-related illnesses, their symptoms and what to do if you experience these symptoms is a must to prevent heat-related illnesses. 

Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Heat exhaustion can lead to a heat stroke, which is when your body gets really hot and cannot cool itself down. Heat cramps, sunburn and heat rashes are also heat-related illnesses that can be prevented. 

To learn more about the warning signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, view the Centers for Disease Control's infographic.  

COVID-19 REMINDERS 
COVID-19 isolation guidelines from the CDC have not changed, and testing and vaccine appointments remain available at the PWHC. Furthermore, the COVID-19 page is among several communicable disease pages on the health center's website that provides our community with information about symptoms, testing, isolation, vaccination and more.  

In-person and telehealth appointments for the Primary Care Clinic can be made via the Patient Portal, by calling 479-575-4451, or there are limited walk-in appointments available as well. Patients wishing to schedule a TeleVisit must be in the state of Arkansas at the time of their televisit to be eligible. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Information
The Pat Walker Health Center offers on-campus COVID-19 vaccine appointments for U of A students, employees and spouses of students/employees. The health center offers the bivalent (booster) Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. Currently the FDA has not approved an updated booster for COVID-19; the health center plans to offer the Pfizer booster vaccine when it becomes available. Please check the COVID-19 page and Arkansas News for updates and further vaccine information. To schedule an appointment, go to the Patient Portal or call 479-575-4451, option 1. 

As a reminder for students, Pat Walker Health Center does not provide class excuses. Because of federal health care privacy regulations, the health center cannot release protected health information (including dates and times services performed). A positive home COVID-19 test does warrant class or work absence due to isolation guidelines, even without a class excuse from a provider (which cannot be provided). Students and faculty may find it useful to use the Absence from Class Form as a means to have appropriate communication about class absences. 

INFLUENZA (FLU) REMINDERS
One of the most common illnesses on college campuses is the seasonal influenza (flu) virus. Although preventable, the flu is a contagious respiratory illness that can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. 

The first and most important step to prevent getting the flu is to get a flu vaccination each year. Pat Walker Health Center offers the flu vaccine injection on-site for the U of A community. You can make an appointment on the Patient Portal or by calling 479-575-4451. For more information about the flu and the flu vaccine, visit the flu page on the health center's website.  

E. COLI PRECAUTION REMINDERS
The Arkansas Department of Health is investigating an E. coli outbreak in Northwest Arkansas. The latest updates on the outbreak include an article in the Arkansas News from Monday, Aug 28, a video interview with the Arkansas Department of Health from Friday, Aug. 25, as well as the initial notification to the campus community which includes symptoms to be aware of and precautions to help mitigate the spread. For more information, visit the E. coli page on the health center's website.