Campus News
Health reminders as we start the new school year
As fall quarter begins, Campus Medical Director Christina Rincón shares reminders for preventing illness, recovering safely, and supporting community health.
Dear UC Santa Cruz community,
As we begin fall quarter, I’m glad to have the opportunity to connect with you. I’m Dr. Christina Rincón, interim campus medical director, and part of my role is helping our campus community stay healthy and well. With the new academic year starting, I wanted to share a few timely reminders about taking care of ourselves and one another.
This time of year, we tend to see an increase in respiratory illnesses such as colds, influenza, COVID-19 and RSV at the start of the academic year. With more people back on campus and interacting in shared spaces — classrooms, offices, residence halls, and beyond — this is a good time to keep our health and well-being in mind.
If you are feeling sick
Common symptoms of respiratory illness include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, or significant fatigue. If you’re experiencing any of these, please stay home, both to give yourself time to recover and to avoid exposing your roommates, classmates, and coworkers.
- Stay home: Take the time you need to recover before returning to class or work.
- Test: If you test positive for COVID-19, let your instructors, professors, and/or supervisor know, as applicable. If you test negative but symptoms continue, retest daily for 2–3 days.
When you can return to class or work
You can generally return to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours:
- Your symptoms are improving overall; and
- You have been fever-free without using fever-reducing medication.
Take extra precautions when you return
After returning to your normal activities, please continue wearing a mask indoors around others for 10 days from when your symptoms first began or you tested positive. Consider taking additional measures to reduce the chance of spreading illness to others. This is particularly important when you are around individuals who may be at higher risk for serious illness. Some simple things you can do include:
- Wear a well-fitting mask when indoors around others.
- Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer.
- Cover coughs and sneezes.
- Improve ventilation when possible.
- Give others a little extra space.
- Consider testing for COVID-19, particularly before being around someone at higher risk for serious illness.
If you begin feeling worse again or develop a new fever after returning to class or work, stay home again until your symptoms are improving and you have once again been fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication.
A few ways to help stay healthy this fall:
- Stay up to date on recommended vaccinations, including influenza and COVID-19.
- Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Clean frequently touched shared surfaces.
- Consider masking in crowded indoor spaces.
- Prioritize sleep, hydration, nutrition, and taking time to recover when you aren’t feeling well.
For more details, see the CDC’s guidance on precautions to take when sick.
Thank you for helping us start the quarter healthy, and for taking care of yourselves and each other. That care is what makes it possible for all of us — students, faculty, and staff alike — to thrive together this year.
In community,
Christina Rincón, M.D.
Interim Campus Medical Director