All NKU students, staff, faculty, and their families can get vaccinated at NKU’s Health, Counseling and Student Wellness office in UC 440 . The vaccine is free, and Kentucky residency is not required. Call (859) 572-5650 or email hcsw@nku.edu for an appointment.
Find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster near you:
Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233. The federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to all people living in the U.S., regardless of their immigration or health insurance status. Additional information can be found on the CDCs Vaccine Webpage.
You can also schedule vaccine appointments with the following organizations:
If you have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine and are unable to work, you must remain home until the side effects subside. During this time, you may:
Please note: If an employee is absent for more than 7 days, they may be eligible for FMLA.
All NKU students, staff, faculty, and their families can get vaccinated at NKU’s Health, Counseling and Student Wellness office in UC 440 . The vaccine is free, and Kentucky residency is not required. Call (859) 572-5650 or email hcsw@nku.edu for an appointment.
Find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster near you:
Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233. The federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to all people living in the U.S., regardless of their immigration or health insurance status. Additional information can be found on the CDCs Vaccine Webpage.
You can also schedule vaccine appointments with the following organizations:
A mask is a covering made of cloth, fabric, or other soft or permeable material, without holes, that covers only the nose and mouth and surrounding areas of the lower face. The mask should fit properly over the nose and mouth to prevent leaks and should contain multiple layers of tightly woven fabric with a nose wire.
Additional guidance on masking can be found on the CDC’s website.
Masks will be optional everywhere in campus with these exceptions:
Please note that masking is no longer required in classrooms or in laboratory settings under this change.
Masks will be optional everywhere in campus with these exceptions:
Please note that masking is no longer required in classrooms or in laboratory settings under this change.
Masks will be optional everywhere in campus with these exceptions:
Please note that masking is no longer required in classrooms or in laboratory settings under this change.
Masks will be optional everywhere in campus with these exceptions:
Please note that masking is no longer required in classrooms or in laboratory settings under this change.
Masks will be optional everywhere in campus with these exceptions:
Please note that masking is no longer required in classrooms or in laboratory settings under this change.
It is important that everyone up their mask game for this variant. Ideally, a personal N95 or KN95 is the strongest protection, but public health experts also recommend a disposable surgical mask combined with a cloth mask as offering similar protection. We have surgical masks available for anyone who needs them. See [Where can I get a mask]?
For additional masking information please visit the CDCs COVID-19 website.
Northern Kentucky University is providing reusable and disposable masks to all faculty, staff, and students. Reusable and disposable masks will be available at the Student Union Information Desk (2nd Floor) during normal building hours using your NKU All Card.
Limited quantities of reusable and disposable masks are available at the Welcome Center, Student Union and University Center Information Desks, Steely Library Distribution Desk, Norse Commons, and Campus Recreation during normal business hours.
Masks will be optional everywhere in campus with these exceptions:
Please note that masking is no longer required in classrooms or in laboratory settings under this change.
There are three types of tests for SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
COVID-19 Testing is available through the Office of Health Counseling and Student Wellness located in the University Center 440. Testing is available by appointment only and is open to all NKU students, staff, and faculty. Call (859) 572-5650 to schedule an appointment. You will need to present an NKU All Card at your scheduled appointment.
As a reminder, if you have insurance, please bring your insurance card, and you must provide a photo ID. Please note that testing that is not medically necessary may not be covered by your health insurance, and you will be responsible for the cost.
The best prevention against serious illness from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. As always, COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters, and flu vaccinations are available by scheduling an appointment with NKU’s Health Services (859-572-5650).
If your test results say DETECTED or POSITIVE, this means you have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. You should follow the CDC’s guidelines if you are sick or caring for someone who is sick.
If your test results say NOT DETECTED or NEGATIVE, then you were probably not infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 at the time your sample was collected. However, a poor sample or a test done too early in an infection may cause a negative result, and you could test positive a few days later. You could also get exposed to COVID-19 after the test and get infected then. This means you could still spread the virus. If you develop symptoms later, you might need another test to determine if you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. But, even if you test negative, you still should take steps to protect yourself and others.
If you test negative for COVID-19 with a Rapid Antigen test and you have COVID-19 symptoms, you may need a PCR test to make sure the Rapid Antigen test result is not a false negative.
If you test positive, please self-report a positive COVID-19 test on the COVID-19 web site
For students: Notify the Director of Health Services (Rose Tempel, APRN, at tempelr1@nku.edu or (859) 572-5650. If you are a student that lives in University Housing, please contact the Director of Health Services as soon as possible. Also, be aware that additional personnel on campus will need to be notified of basic information to assist with setting up an isolation room, meal delivery, and cleaning can be arranged. If you are a student worker at NKU, you will also need to notify your supervisor and self-report as an employee in addition to self-reporting as a student.
All of these procedures are governed by NKU’s Communicable Disease Policy. NKU will follow all HIPAA guidelines regarding protecting personal health information.
All positive COVID-19 test results are required by law to be reported to the district health department associated with your home address. If you are tested on campus, NKU’s Health Services or Gravity Diagnostics Lab will report your positive test results to the state. The Health Department will follow up with contact tracing notifications of relevant persons regarding potential exposure.
If the Health Department has reason to believe that you have been exposed, the department will get in contact with you and advise you of the correct procedures to follow, which may or may not include getting tested for COVID-19 or quarantining. What the Health Department will advise you to do will depend on the unique circumstances of your possible exposure. If there is no reason to believe that you have been exposed, then you will not be notified of any positive test outcomes. These procedures are governed by NKU’s Communicable Disease Policy. NKU will follow all HIPAA guidelines regarding protecting personal health information.
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.
Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their local health department or healthcare provider.
If you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, you should quarantine if you are in one of the following groups:
Someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or a clinical diagnosis) for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). Learn more about close contact, including exceptions to the definition for K-12 schools.
An infected person can spread COVID-19 starting 2 days prior to experience symptoms (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days before the positive specimen collection date), until they meet criteria for discontinuing home isolation.
Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past three months and recovered do not have to quarantine or get tested again as long as they do not develop new symptoms. Those who develop symptoms again within three months of their first bout of COVID-19 may need to be tested again if there is no other cause identified for their symptoms.
In general, reinfection means a person was infected and got sick once, recovered, and then became infected again. Based on what we know from similar viruses, some reinfections are expected.
All individuals, regardless of whether they have had COVID-19 or not, should continue to take preventative measures, including wearing masks over the mouth and nose when in public places or other peoples’ homes, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds and confined spaces, and washing hands frequently.
Fully vaccinated* individuals who have been boosted (if eligible**) do not need to quarantine. These individuals should still watch for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days following an exposure. If they experience symptoms, they should be clinically evaluated for COVID-19, including testing, if indicated.
**BOOSTER ELIGIBLE-Individuals 16 years of age or older who have completed their primary Moderna mRNA vaccine series > 6 months ago, the Pfizer mRNA vaccine > 5 months ago, or the J&J/Janssen vaccine > 2 months ago.
*FULLY VACCINATED-Vaccine recipients are “fully vaccinated” two weeks after they receive their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or two weeks after they receive the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine
Stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days (day 0 through day 5) after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. The date of your exposure is considered day 0. Wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home, if possible.
According to the CDC, individuals with certain conditions may have a higher risk for COVID-19 infection. These conditions may include:
Employees whose health condition falls within one of the above categories may seek a Temporary COVID-19 Workplace Arrangement by using the ADA or Courtesy Accommodation process found on the HR Covid website.
We must balance our obligations to keep employees safe under the Occupational Safety and Health Act with employee privacy rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which restricts employers from sharing personal health information of an employee, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) which protects medical information received through a health plan.
NKU is being proactive if temperature testing uncovers a fever or an employee calls in sick with COVID-19. The employee and his/her information will be kept confidential and there will be additional cleaning and sanitization of the employee’s workspace.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a professional resource for counseling and other consultation. Many services are free of charge. The EAP is available to NKU employees and family members. More information available here.
The CDC also has many resources for managing anxiety and stress during COVID-19.
MyNKU—Located under the ESS tab—Healthy@NKU
You can access MyNKU through your PC or the mobile app.
Based on the employee's answers to the questions in the App, they may recieve a message that states the following, "Due to your response (s), you are NOT permitted to come to campus." If they receive this message they are instructed to stay home and do not report to campus, contact their supervisor, and contact their healthcare provider for further instruction and possible testing.
Please refer your employee to Natalie Gabbard in Human Resources at gabbardn5@nku.edu for guidance on next steps.
You are required to stay home and consult a medical provider. During this time you may:
If you are absent for more than seven (7) days and qualify for FMLA, you may apply for benevolent leave after all leave balances are exhausted.
In order to return to work, you must provide HR with documentation from your medical provider that releases you to return to work.
NKU’s Benevolent Association, in existence since 1994, has provided support to fellow NKU employees during times of special need, such as catastrophic illness or other types of emergencies. The pandemic crisis has affected our employees in adverse ways and we have an opportunity to provide some relief to them as well. There is a $10,000 match on the line for the NKU Benevolent Fund. Faculty and staff have the option to give by monthly or one-time payroll deduction, credit card or by donating vacation or sick time. All funds raised will be used to support NKU employees who have found themselves with unmet financial or medical needs during this challenging time. NKU employees in need of assistance are encouraged to visit the NKU Benevolent Association to learn more.
Donate to the Benevolent Fund here
Additional Financial Assistance Resources:
