Skip Navigation
MarylandToday

Produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications

Subscribe Now
Search

Pre-Winter Break Health Reminders to Prevent COVID: Get Boosted, Stay Masked

By Maryland Today Staff

Dr. Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, University Health Center director, sent the following email to the campus community today:

As we close out the semester and plan to spend the holidays with friends, family and loved ones, I wanted to thank every member of our community for helping keep our COVID-19 cases low throughout the semester. This was aided greatly by our extremely high vaccination rate and diligent mask wearing. Your commitment to both of these actions has helped protect you and other campus citizens.

Like many places throughout the country and the world, we are currently experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases on our campus over the last week. While our overall case counts remain relatively low for a community our size, this increase is a reminder to all of us that we must remain vigilant in our efforts to limit the spread of the virus on our campus.

With your health and safety in mind as we plan for the upcoming winter break, here are some ways to continue to protect yourself and others:

  • If you are experiencing symptoms, stay away from others and get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible. This is especially important in stopping the spread.
  • When gathering with others, wear your KN95 mask. Free KN95 masks are still available at the Stamp Student Union Information Desk or by working directly with a supervisor.
  • In situations where you are unable to wear a mask, such as while eating and drinking, distance yourself from others as much as possible.
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water and/or use hand sanitizer.
  • Finally, get your COVID-19 booster shot. The CDC encourages everyone ages 16 and older to receive a booster shot. A booster increases protection against severe illness from COVID-19 variants, including both delta and the new omicron variant. You can get a booster shot at several state locations and local pharmacies. You can also get it at the University Health Center. Search for a vaccination site.


We wish our students well as they prepare for and take final exams, and we thank everyone in our community for your continued commitment to health and safety.

Have a great, healthy and restful holiday break.

Sincerely,

Dr. Spyridon S. Marinopoulos signature


Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, MD, MBA, FACP
Director, University Health Center
Chief Medical Officer, University of Maryland
He/Him/His

Maryland Today is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications for the University of Maryland community on weekdays during the academic year, except for university holidays.