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Holiday Season COVID Information for Faculty and Staff

November 20, 2020

This message was sent to Bryn Mawr College faculty and staff from Donald Abramowitz, Environmental Health and Safety Officer and COVID-19 Officer, on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.
 
Dear Faculty and Staff,

I'd like to offer the following info as we head into the holiday season with the surge in COVID cases the entire country is now facing.

If you have COVID symptoms or are closely exposed to someone who has symptoms or has a positive test result, please notify your supervisor or department chair promptly. Supervisors, please get in touch with me as soon as possible with this information*. We've had instances where this critical step was overlooked, but it is essential to get this information to me quickly so that we can advise our employee(s) how to proceed. The protocol for quarantine, accounting for missed working hours, and when to return to work are somewhat complex and they can vary based on individual circumstances. We also need to reach out to fellow employees quickly if there are potential workplace exposures.

* Supervisors should contact me at dabramow@brynmawr.edu or 610-526-5166. Outside of regular business hours, a prompt email or voicemail here is still the best way to reach me, as I check on these regularly when awake. Please provide a call-back number after hours.

Please note that our Daily Symptom Check does not function as a real-time means of communication. There is no mechanism that gets your replies to questions to anyone quickly.  Please continue to fill it out but remember that the primary purpose of the Daily Symptom Check is to serve as a reminder to pay close attention to one's own health and whether one has been exposed to anyone who may be contagious.

Lastly, I'd like to offer information on how to get a COVID test, should you or your family need one. The following is not a comprehensive list, and testing availability is changing rapidly, but these resources have been effective for several of our staff members:

1)  Your primary care doctor:  Practices vary, but it is usually a good idea to check with your primary doctor's office to see if they can get you tested.  Some can arrange testing or direct you to a facility within their network, and others simply cannot. Insurance will usually cover the cost of a test if you need one because you have symptoms or were exposed to someone who has COVID.  They do not typically pay for tests requested for other reasons, such as travel.

2) Urgent Care Facilities: The various networks of urgent care centers in our area have different approaches to COVID testing.  Some offer tests readily, others do not.  Note that the link below for Delaware County (Item No. 5) has within it links to testing information at AFC, Vybe, Patient First, and ChesPenn Health Centers.

3) Montgomery County Department of Health:  The county has several walk-up testing sites throughout the county.  The nearest one is on Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore.  These tests are free to anyone who lives or works in the county.  An appointment is required, and they only make same-day appointments, which fill up fast, so it is important to call or go on their website when they open at 8:30 a.m. to book an appointment.

All of their information is available here.

4) Philadelphia has the following info. There are several options, including various health department centers. 

5) Delaware County offers public test sites at two locations, and this link provides information on these and other test sites in the area, including urgent care facilities.

6) CVS Pharmacies: They are drive through only, and they are free by using your health insurance. They have a lot of locations. Appointments are required, and because they are busy, your appointment may be several days later.

7) Rite-Aid Pharmacies offer a similar service, but they have far fewer sites in our area where testing is offered.

If you have questions or need help with finding a test site, please be in touch and I'll try to assist you.

Don

Donald Abramowitz, CIH
Environmental Health and Safety Officer
Bryn Mawr College
101 N. Merion Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
(610) 526-5166