Frequently Asked Questions - Health and Safety

Congratulations and thank you for doing your part to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19! For at least the remainder of the semester, everyone on campus is asked to follow current guidelines regardless of vaccination status. With only a minority of individuals in Wisconsin who have been vaccinated, it is important for everyone to continue to exercise the safety guidelines in place, including mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. Per the CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated people should still watch for symptoms of COVID-19, especially following an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. If symptoms develop, all people — regardless of vaccination status — should isolate and be clinically evaluated for COVID-19.

As a reminder, once fully vaccinated, all members of the Marquette community must still complete the daily COVID Cheq. Please remember that completing the daily COVID Cheq survey remains a key mitigation tool for campus. Learn more about COVID Cheq and see FAQs.

The Recovery Team is reviewing guidelines for the summer and fall terms, and we will share any updates in Marquette Today and on this website.

NOTE: Marquette is encouraging all in the Marquette community to get the vaccine now that anyone age 16 and older in Wisconsin is eligible. See where you can get the COVID-19 vaccine near campus.

The Marquette Medical Clinic hopes to hold regular vaccine clinics on campus; watch Marquette Today for up to date information on availability and timing. In addition to the on-campus clinics, there are vaccines available in the Milwaukee area; see where you can get the COVID-19 vaccine near campus.

On Jan. 22, 2021, the university changed its alert level from “High” to “Moderate.” Read more about this change on Marquette Today.

Here are four steps that you should take now in order to provide a safe transition home for winter break:

1. Identify and limit your social circle.
   In his radio address on Nov. 5, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers suggested limiting social interactions to a circle of five. By specifically identifying your social circle and limiting gatherings to this circle, you limit potential spread, provide better ability for contact tracing and protect yourself, your family and your friends when you return home for break.
2. Wear a mask and physically distance at all times.
   It’s easy to fall into the mindset that masks and distancing protocols aren’t necessary when you’re with close friends. However, in order to keep your friends, your families and our community safe, we must all do our part by following mask and physical distancing protocols, no matter who we’re with.
3. Stay home whenever possible.
   Consider virtual visits with friends and family, use telehealth when possible for doctor’s visits, use grab-and-go or delivery options for food when possible and limit trips to the store for essential items. The more you stay home, the more you limit potential spread.
4. Stay home when ill and get tested.
   If positive, complete the self-disclosure form. It is important to provide your close contacts to further decrease transmission on campus.

Yes, any student - including graduate students - can get a free test for COVID-19 on campus. The Marquette University Medical Clinic is currently testing symptomatic students and their close contacts. If you are currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please call the Clinic at (414) 288-7184 to schedule a free test on campus. The City of Milwaukee also provides community testing in areas around the city. More information is available on their website at https://www.impactinc.org/impact-2-1-1/testing/.

The Marquette University Medical Clinic is currently testing symptomatic students and their close contacts.
The university also expanded its COVID-19 testing at the beginning of the spring 2021 semester. In addition to on-campus testing for symptomatic students and close contacts, Marquette provides weekly mandatory COVID-19 tests for selected students. This free testing is often called “surveillance testing” and up to 500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students will be required to get tested each week. Read more about this process on Marquette Today.

If you are currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please call the Clinic at (414) 288-7184 to schedule a free test on campus. The City of Milwaukee also provides community testing in areas around the city. More information is available on their website at https://www.impactinc.org/impact-2-1-1/testing/.

COVID-19 is spreading in our state and in our community. It is possible that you have been exposed and are experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19. If you are off-campus at the time you become sick, do not return to campus. Stay where you are and seek medical evaluation by calling your health care provider or your local health department.

If you are a student, and you become sick while at your permanent residence, stay home and seek medical advice by contacting your health care provider or your local health department. If you are in a residence hall or a campus apartment, stay in your room and seek medical advice by calling MU Medical Clinic at 414-288-7184. Do not go to class, work, or other public spaces until you receive advice regarding testing and isolation.

If you are an employee, stay home. Notify your supervisor and seek medical advice by calling your health care provider or your local health department. In Milwaukee County call 211 or visit the Impact 211 website for more information. Do not go to work until you receive advice regarding testing and isolation.

If at any time you are experiencing severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, bluish lips or face, or any other emergency call 911.

If the person was asymptomatic, then it is 10 days after a positive test. If the person had symptoms, then it is 24 hours fever free without fever reducing medication, improvement of symptoms and at least 19 days have passed since the onset of symptoms.

Marquette University’s testing strategy for SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, focuses on the need to provide efficient and reliable onsite testing to identify and isolate infected individuals and quarantine their close contacts to decrease transmission within our community. The university’s priority is to test symptomatic students and their close student/faculty/staff contacts and to encourage other symptomatic faculty/staff to get tested.

Developed by the Marquette Medical Clinic based on the best available epidemiological evidence, Marquette’s testing strategy rationale is summarized as follows:

• Testing symptomatic students and their close student/faculty/staff contacts is the most effective and efficient way of identifying infected individuals and decreasing the transmission of the virus in the campus community. The university will use high sensitivity nucleic acid (NAAT) and PCR tests for diagnostic viral testing, which provides high accuracy results for symptomatic individuals.
• While surveillance testing will not be routinely performed, there may be a need or desire at some point to routinely test certain asymptomatic individuals or groups to understand the prevalence of infection and/or prevent asymptomatic spread.
• Currently, the medical team does not recommend mass surveillance testing of all students and/or faculty and staff upon return to campus. Mass testing gives one a measure of incidence at a certain point in time. However, one’s status can change rapidly within hours to days, so frequent repeated regular testing would be needed to truly identify and reduce incidence on campus.
• Current state and national testing supply shortages present a challenge to providing the projected need of diagnostic tests and a barrier to the university’s ability to conduct any sort of mass testing.
• Tests with lower sensitivities, such as antigen tests, are not the best options for diagnostic testing but could potentially play a role in mass surveillance testing if such testing is desired.
• Specimen sources used for SARS CoV-2 testing show varying sensitivities due to the amount of virus at the site. Nasopharyngeal swabs are the gold standard and provide best specimen source for testing. Nasal swabs can be used with some methods of testing but may show a slightly lower sensitivity.

COVID-19 is spreading in our state and in our community. It’s possible you might be exposed to someone with the disease. Public health contact tracers will notify you when this is the case. It is important to take their call so you can help prevent others from getting the disease. Marquette University will also be contacting those who have been exposed on campus by email and telephone.

If you have been exposed, you may be asked to quarantine for 14 days. This is important even if you have no symptoms due to asymptomatic spread of the virus. If you are not on campus at the time you learn of your exposure, do not return to campus. If at all possible, stay where you are for 14 days.

• Stay home. This means do not go to work, school, or public areas. If you live with others, stay in one specific room and away from others in your home. You should use a separate bathroom if available.
• Faculty, staff and students are asked to complete this form to voluntarily disclose whether they have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are presumed positive or have been exposed to the virus. This will aid in earlier identification of cases and allow efficient contact tracing and therefore decreased transmission.
• Avoid sharing personal household items and eating, drinking, and cooking utensils
• Monitor your symptoms. Check your temperature twice per day
• If you develop symptoms:
• Call your healthcare provider and tell them you were exposed and now have symptoms
• In Milwaukee County call 211 or go to the health department website
• If you are a student, call Marquette University Medical Clinic at 414-288-7184
• If you have trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, bluish lips or face, or any other emergency call 911
• If you must leave your home briefly, e.g. errands such as food, supplies, or essential medical appointments, wear a mask, keep 6 feet from others, avoid touching your face, wash your hands frequently, and avoid public transportation
• If you live with others
• Stay in one specific room and away from others in your home. You should use a separate bathroom if available
• Avoid sharing all personal household items as well as eating, drinking, and cooking utensils
• Sanitize your living space frequently
If you do not develop symptoms, quarantine can end when it has been 14 days since the last day you were exposed. If you do develop symptoms and you are advised to isolate, the length of the isolation period will depend on when your symptoms improve including resolution of fever

Some people are more likely than others to become severely ill with COVID-19 which can include hospitalization, intensive care admission, and ventilator support. People at increased risk include older adults and those with underlying medical conditions which include heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, sickle cell disease, hypertension, obesity, liver disease, or a weakened immune system. Certain prescription medications can also increase your risk. If you are taking any prescription medications by mouth or injections, discuss whether you are at increased risk with your health care provider.

A weakened immune system can result from an organ or bone marrow transplant, HIV, immune deficiencies, or medications used to treat other illnesses such as inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, psoriasis and others. If you have a weakened immune system or take prescription medications, discuss your risk with your doctor so that a specific plan is in place if you are exposed or become ill with COVID-19. This plan would also include how you can contact the medical office that takes care of your specific medical condition.

If you are unsure if your medical condition or prescription medications increases your risk of serious infection, call your doctor’s office to discuss your risk. Also review what you can do to reduce your risk of exposure. In general, the more people you interact with, the more closely you interact with them, and the longer that interaction, the higher your risk of getting COVID-19.

Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. Your chances of getting COVID-19 while traveling also depend on whether you and those around you take steps to reduce the risk. Airports, bus stations, train stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces. If it is necessary to travel, take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

• Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when in public settings
• Avoid close contact by staying at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from anyone who is not from your household
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol)
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Do not travel if you are sick
• Do not travel if you have had a positive COVID-19 test in the last 10 days or if you are still sick
• Do not travel if you have been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19 and you have been advised to quarantine

• The university expanded its COVID-19 testing at the beginning of the spring 2021 semester. In addition to on-campus testing for symptomatic students and close contacts, Marquette provides weekly mandatory COVID-19 tests for selected students. This free testing is often called “surveillance testing” and up to 500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students will be required to get tested each week. Read more about this process on Marquette Today. 
• All faculty, staff and students will be required to answer a series of daily screening questions prior to coming to campus using an online tool called “COVID Cheq.”
• An on-campus testing center to provide free testing for symptomatic students and their close contacts is located in Coughlin Hall. The testing center is managed by the Marquette University Medical Clinic in coordination with the Marquette Department of Clinical Laboratory Science. As required by law, test results will be provided to the Milwaukee Health Department and State of Wisconsin.
• For students living in residence halls, Marquette has identified rooms in residence halls and near campus to isolate infected students, and to quarantine close contacts, as needed. Students living in off-campus housing will be able to request quarantine or isolation space from the university if their current living situation does not allow for such space. Families are encouraged to discuss their plans in case of quarantine or isolation of the student is required.
• Faculty, staff and students are asked to complete this form to voluntarily disclose whether they have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are presumed positive or have been exposed to the virus. This will aid in earlier identification of cases and allow efficient contact tracing and therefore decreased transmission.
• To provide transparency around the number of faculty, staff and student COVID-19 cases on or near campus, the university has launched a coronavirus dashboard that is updated weekly, consistent with local government updates.
• Free COVID-19 testing is currently available to employees (and their families) who are enrolled in Marquette’s medical insurance plan through UMR. There is also testing available for those who do not have Marquette’s medical insurance. Specific details regarding testing, including which tests are covered and how to request a test, is available on the COVID website.

In addition to the various health and safety measures already in place to mitigate the risk of COVID-19, and out of concern for our campus community, all faculty, staff and students will be required to answer a series of daily screening questions prior to coming to campus using an online tool called “COVID Cheq.” The tool will also be utilized to help with contact tracing.

It is essential that we all make it a priority to complete a daily COVID symptom check, which includes taking your temperature and answering the COVID Cheq questionnaire before coming to campus. Both actions will help with early detection and reduce the spread of the virus on campus. When you complete the daily symptom check, you are being the Marquette difference — protecting yourself and others on campus.

For questions about COVID-19, please contact your health care provider or call 211 for the Milwaukee Health Department. If you still have questions, you can call the MU Medical Clinic at 414-288-7184.

For students living in residence halls, Marquette has identified rooms in residence halls and near campus to isolate infected students and to quarantine close contacts, as needed. Students in quarantine will remain so for 14 days. Those in isolation must remain until symptom free for 24 hours and at least 10 days since the onset of symptoms have passed.

On average, an infected individual remains in isolation for 2 to 4 weeks. Local students may choose to return to their family’s home to quarantine or isolate. A process has been developed with the Office of Residence Life and University Apartments for such cases and to ensure students receive meals and counseling or spiritual services.

Students living in off-campus housing will be able to request quarantine or isolation space from the university if their current living situation does not allow for such space. Families are encouraged to discuss their plans in case their student is required to quarantine or isolate and space is not available on campus.

Faculty and staff needing quarantine or isolation would not be housed on campus, rather they would quarantine or isolate at home.

More detailed information on quarantine and self-isolation is available in the Step Four Recovery Plan.

For students living in residence halls, Marquette has identified rooms in residence halls and near campus to isolate infected students, and to quarantine close contacts, as needed. Students living in off-campus housing will be able to request quarantine or isolation space from the university if their current living situation does not allow for such space. Families are encouraged to discuss their plans in case of quarantine or isolation of the student is required.

For immediate response to a gathering (10 or more), please call the Marquette University Police Department non-emergency line at (414) 288-6100. Please note, MUPD does not respond to calls of one or two people not wearing masks. The Marquette University Police Department has created an educational flyer that will be distributed when officers are dispatched to a party or gathering, and the officers will have additional masks on-hand that will be distributed to attendees. Students who host these parties are in violation of the Marquette Student Code of Conduct, and they will be subject to disciplinary action based on that policy.

There is a public dashboard on the COVID-19 website that shows total cases and weekly results on/near campus.

We will expect all members of our community to commit to the Community Pledge and Community Standards that outline a new social contract we are all expected to follow to keep each other safe. Mask wearing is a part of that. We hope our students help each other reinforce the need to wear cloth face coverings or disposable masks to stop the spread.

All students living locally, whether on-campus or off, will receive a welcome back kit that will include a mask, a thermometer and hand sanitizer.

All students will also be required to complete an online COVID-19 education module before the start of the semester. This applies to students who have already been back on campus for instruction or student employment.

To supplement employees’ personally owned cloth face coverings or disposable masks, the university will provide a Marquette logo cloth face covering to all faculty and staff.

Symptom checks will be administered each day before an employee comes to campus. Temperature checks will not be administered upon entry to each building.

Yes, faculty will be expected to follow Marquette and City of Milwaukee guidelines and to wear a cloth face covering or disposable mask while in any indoor public space.

Face shields cannot be used in lieu of a cloth face covering or disposable mask. It does not contain a cough or sneeze and does not protect others.

We will expect all members of our community to commit to the Community Pledge and Community Standards that outline a new social contract we are all expected to follow to keep each other safe. Mask wearing is a part of that. We hope our students help each other reinforce the need to wear cloth face coverings or disposable masks to stop the spread.

All students living locally, whether on-campus or off, will receive a welcome back kit that will include a mask, a thermometer and hand sanitizer.

All students will also be required to complete an online COVID-19 education module before the start of the semester. This applies to students who have already been back on campus for instruction or student employment.

To supplement employees’ personally owned cloth face coverings or disposable masks, the university will provide a Marquette logo cloth face covering to all faculty and staff.

Any student who is ill will have access to speak to a nurse if needed. We will also work with Residence Life RAs and Hall Directors who can offer assistance.