As the parents and families of our Wolverines, you know firsthand how important it is to help them stay safe and healthy. This fall, it is more vital than ever that your student takes proper care of themselves and other Wolverines.
In addition to the Starter Health Kit, there are many ways to ensure that we reduce risks on campus as your student continues to live and learn in the COVID pandemic environment. There are many simple practices that you can encourage your student to follow that can help prevent COVID-19, flu, colds, and more.
- Monitoring symptoms and staying home when your student feels sick: They will be able to call UHS at 734-764-8320 for an assessment, and telehealth options will be available.
- Maintaining 6 feet or more of distance between others: Observing physical distancing can lower the risk of spreading infection.
- Getting vaccinated against the flu: This will help your student stay healthy and will also protect their peers, professors, staff, and health care providers.
- Wearing a mask or face covering that covers their mouth, nose, and chin: This can help reduce the risk of your student becoming infected or infecting another person from respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
- Washing hands: This should be done with soap and water, or hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t readily available.
- Following physical distancing guidelines: The University is implementing many helpful guidelines for classes, meetings, and more. Your student can contribute to this effort by meeting outdoors when possible and remembering that the smaller the size, the safer the event.
- Avoiding or limiting alcohol and other drug use to maintain good decision-making, to support your student’s immune system, and to protect your student and the U-M and broader community.
- Checking in with oneself and others. How is your student feeling, not just their temperature, but in all dimensions of their well-being?
Even before your student is back on campus, you can help them by familiarizing yourself with the University resources at their fingertips, like University Health Care (UHS), the Well-being for U-M Students site, and Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS).
We’ll have a starter care kit ready for them, but before you send your student to campus, make sure they’re ready to go with enough masks, face coverings, and other supplies, like a personal thermometer, to last through the term.
What your student does matters, and together, we can all help take care of one another.