In the event of self-isolation or quarantine on campus, students may not have all the amenities of their original housing. 

While students who need to self-isolate will be encouraged to return home and do so, there are limited numbers of quarantine housing units on campus. In such units, students will be checked on daily by Student Health Services as a part of the contact tracing program and will have meals provided through Campus Enterprises, according to the Parents and Families Services website.

To make students more comfortable in case of an unexpected move to a self-isolation unit, parents can send their students off with living essentials.

NC State Parents and Families Services have created a list of items one might put together in a “preparedness pack” for students who are in quarantine. The list can be found on the Parents and Families website and is among many other COVID-19 resources available through Parents and Families Services.

Parents and Families Services Director Kerri Fowler likened the pack to a first-aid kit or other resources to have on hand in the event of an emergency.

“There’s hurricane prep packs, and there’s first-aid packs and things like that,” Fowler said. “This is for parents who have an idea of items to send with their students who may end up self-quarantining by choice or by recommendation and just kind of a little kit for them.”

The list includes everyday items such as toiletries, non-perishable snacks and earplugs. In addition, it lists items that will be helpful to students who become sick with COVID-19, like cough drops, hand sanitizer, wipes and Tylenol packets. 

Preparing the kit is meant to be a way for parents to feel more confident in their child going to campus, according to Fowler.

“This is a nerve-wracking time for everyone, so we want to make sure that [parents] feel as comfortable as they can and their students as well,” Fowler said. “So, this was just another piece of resource for them as a starting point.”

Along with preparing for quarantine, Fowler said students should be proactive and keep the health and safety of themselves and others in mind as the semester begins.

“NC State cares about our students, and we’re doing everything we can to create an environment that is as healthy as possible,” Fowler said. “But, at the end of the day, it’s up to all of us to take that personal responsibility and to have the conversation with your student about the importance of wearing a mask, and taking precautions and doing everything that they can.”

Assistant Director of Programmatic Operations Valerie Oti also stressed the importance of communication between parents, families and students as people return to campus.

“[Parents] have received a lot of information from the University, and I think they have to take that information and have those conversations with their student, in terms of what students can do to make sure that they are healthy, and, of course, they are safe,” Oti said.