Pictured above: A Crow’s Nest file photo of Residence Hall One from 2019. On March 28, USF St. Petersburg campus residents were notified that a student living in RHO had tested positive for COVID-19.
Emily Wunderlich | The Crow’s Nest
By Emily Wunderlich
A residential student on the USF St. Petersburg campus has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The announcement came from Joseph A. Puccio, executive and medical director for USF Student Health Services, in an email to campus residents shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The student, who was not identified, apparently lived in Residence Hall One and is self-isolating, according to the email.
Due to patient privacy laws, the university could not say on Sunday whether the student was still on campus, but the student did travel abroad, according to Carrie O’Brion, director of marketing and communications.
“We sincerely wish our student, and any others who may be affected, a full and rapid recovery,” the March 28 email said.
The Florida Department of Health is investigating potential direct contact between the student and others around the campus and community.
“FDOH is providing these individuals with guidance and will be monitoring them while they continue their investigation to determine if any other members of the USF St. Petersburg community had direct contact with this individual,” the email said.
Additionally, an external company has been hired to “thoroughly clean common areas of the first floor of Residence Hall One” between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on March 29, the email said.
The email says students who are not physically on campus must stay away from RHO, and students who are physically on campus and live on the first floor of RHO must either stay away from the building or stay inside their rooms.
Elevators in the building will not be accessible while they are being cleaned.
Puccio’s email advises students who think they’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19 to call a health provider for advice and guidance.
These students will likely be advised to self-isolate for seven to 14 days and to monitor their health for the development of any symptoms, including fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
The St. Petersburg Wellness Center can be reached at (727) 873-4422, and the Florida Department of Health, at (866) 779-6121.
If students believe they have been secondarily exposed to the virus — or exposed to someone who may have had direct exposure — they do not need to self-isolate, according to Puccio’s email, but they do need to monitor their health and contact a health provider if symptoms develop.
“The one exception to this advice is for those persons who have underlying health conditions or someone at home who is at risk,” Puccio’s email said. “In this case, a secondarily exposed person should call a health care provider or the Florida Department of Health for guidance.”
The email also warns students that while a negative COVID-19 test could be a source of relief, it is not a reason to “relax your vigilance.”
“Until the (pandemic) is declared over, it is essential that everyone continue to practice good public health measures,” the email said.
Those measures include frequent hand-washing for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the restroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
They also include avoiding close contact with people who are sick and staying home if you do not feel well. The CDC recommends no gatherings of 10 people or more and maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between you and other people.
The university announced on Thursday that students who live on campus must move out of their dorms by noon on April 6 unless they qualify for an exception.
The deadline to apply for exceptions 9 a.m. on March 30, and the application for USF St. Petersburg residents can be found here.
