COVID-19 Symptoms and Testing

If you feel sick, please stay home and seek medical care (see the next section for detailed instructions). 

Common symptoms of COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If you’re showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

If you’re feeling sick, the trained medical staff at Student Health Services and our partners at Ochsner Health are here to help you! The Student Health Services staff includes trained Registered Nurses (RN) and Nurse Practitioners (NP) who can offer guidance. 

Students who are feeling symptoms of COVID-19 should call Student Health Services (SHS) at 504.865.3326, available Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. To help create a safe environment for everyone on campus, no one will be permitted into the Student Health Clinic without an appointment. No walk-ins allowed.

The Ochsner Anywhere Care app also provides 24/7 access to virtual urgent care services via your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Urgent care visits are free of charge for Loyola students, faculty, and staff with the following codes: LUSTUDENT, LUSTAFF, and LUFACULTY

Testing is available by appointment at the Student Health Clinic to students, faculty, and staff who are feeling symptoms of COVID-19 or have been notified of exposure. There are also many testing options available across the city at local urgent care facilities and community testing sites. Use the resources below to find a testing site convenient for you, and make sure you check with the location to determine if an appointment is required. 

Recommended COVID-19 Testing Locations 

At-home COVID tests:

Take-home COVID-19 tests are available at most local pharmacies and online. The United States government is providing free at-home tests to all households. 

Order At-Home Tests

Don’t forget to check the expiration date on your at-home test before using it. You might have a test at home that’s passed its expiration date, but if you call the company or check the FDA website, it may have been extended. Be sure to follow all test instructions and make sure the control line shows up quickly, which is an indicator that the test is still working.

Positive COVID-19 Test Result

If you receive a positive COVID-19 test result, please email covid@loyno.edu for guidance. You can also see the CDC guidance for isolation: COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation | CDC.

Negative COVID-19 Test Result 

If test results are negative, you should follow the recommendations of your health care provider. 

SELF-MONITORING INSTRUCTIONS:

Regardless of your vaccination status, we ask all Loyola community members to follow self-monitoring protocols after potential exposure to COVID-19:

• Take extra precautions for 10 full days following exposure. (The day you are exposed is considered day 0, and day 1 is the first full day or 24 hours following exposure.)
  • Wear a mask inside your home and in public around others.
  • Avoid public places where you are unable to mask.
  • Be extra careful and avoid spending time in-person, within 6 feet or less, with high-risk individuals if possible.
  • Watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and test/isolate immediately if you feel sick.
• Get tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure. (Take a test on day 6 following exposure.) 
  • If you test negative, continue to take precautions for the full 10 days.

If you test positive, isolate immediately and email covid@loyno.edu.

All Loyola community members, vaccinated and unvaccinated, are required to self-isolate following a positive test result. Report a positive COVID-19 test result by emailing covid@loyno.edu. Isolation means remaining in your home or residence with zero public contact due to a positive COVID-19 test, with or without active symptoms. The amount of time in isolation will depend on the length of illness, presence of symptoms, and health care provider’s guidance. 

• Stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom from other household members, if possible
• Don’t share personal household items that can be contaminated, like cups, towels, and utensils
• Wear a mask in the home when around other people if able

Loyola follows the latest guidelines released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for isolation after a positive COVID-19 test result. View the CDC guidelines.

SHS staff will reach out to students in isolation daily to assess symptoms. Students must be cleared by SHS to leave isolation and return to campus.

Have questions about any of these policies? We are eager to help you find the answers you need to feel safe and informed on campus. 

Student Health Services 

Phone: 504.865.3326 

Email: studenthealth@loyno.edu

Public Health 

Phone: 504.865.3757

Email: covid@loyno.edu

Residential Life 

Phone: 504.865.2445 

Email: reslife@loyno.edu

Student Affairs

Phone: 504.865.3622

Email: studentaffairs@loyno.edu

Human Resources (Employees) 

Phone: 504.864.7757

Email: hr@loyno.edu

Anonymous Reporting (Employees) 

Use the Reportline, a toll-free number (855.312.9257) that you can call anytime from anywhere to anonymously report suspected unethical or inappropriate activity, e.g., fraud, waste, abuse, or violations of federal or state laws or Loyola New Orleans policy. Alternatively, you may enter reports anonymously online.