How to Stay Healthy at Home
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 23, 2020) — Hey Wildcats! As you leave campus to complete the remainder of the semester virtually, we want to remind you to continue health safety measures at home over the break.
Here are seven easy ways to help keep you and your loved ones healthy at home.
- Get a COVID-19 test before traveling. Community members should receive a test as close to departure as possible, while still allowing time to receive results. For this reason, UK recommends 3-4 days.
- Continue your daily screening. Make sure you are completing your daily screening Monday-Friday. This allows Health Corps to continue to support students even while they are on break.
- Get your flu shot. UK medical experts say that there has never been a more important year to get your flu vaccination. This is required for all UK students and is provided on campus at no cost. For more information, or to schedule a flu shot, visit: go.uky.edu/flushot.
- Make plans with your loved ones in mind. If community members are planning to see high-risk family members over the break, quarantining for 14 days before departing would be ideal, according to UK medical experts. Everyone, however, should remain very focused on reducing any exposures through distancing and masking before they head home.
- Share your plans with your family. Talk with your loved ones about how you, and they, plan to stay safe and vigilant during the time you are away from campus.
- Think carefully about safety precautions while traveling. Note the recent travel advisory issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html. Airlines have ramped up safety requirements, but individuals should nevertheless remain very cautious in the terminals and in getting to and from the airport. If you plan to drive with anyone else, remember that the inside of a car can be a very high-risk environment for catching the virus if another passenger is infected.
- Continue making good decisions while you are away. Keep practicing the healthy behaviors that have kept the UK community safe throughout the semester. Wear a face covering. Wash your hands. Avoid large gatherings. Stay updated on guidance from local, state and federal public health officials.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.