I hereby introduce the following rules of conduct for foreign students participating in international exchange programs in the case of suspected or confirmed infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus:
Chapter 1
DEFINITIONS
§ 1
For the purposes of this Announcement, the following definitions are introduced:
1) student - foreigner - student / doctoral candidate, completing the period of studies at TUL as a participant of the international exchange program;
2) exchange program coordinator - Head of the International Cooperation Centre of Lodz University of Technology;
3) Vice-Dean for Student Affairs - Vice-Dean for Student Affairs competent for the field of study carried out by the student, participant of the international exchange program;
4) close contact with a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus:
a) being in close proximity (face to face) with a sick person, less than 2 m away for more than 15 minutes,
b) direct physical contact with a person infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus, e.g. handshake,
c) direct, unprotected contact with the secretions of a person with COVID-19, e.g. touching a used handkerchief, exposure to a sick person's cough,
d) being in the same room with the person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes, e.g. lecture room, conference room, office work room;
5) close contact person - a person who has had close contact with a person infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus within 3 days preceding the day of referral for a SARS-CoV-2 virus test in an infected person;
6) quarantine - isolation of a healthy person who was exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is imposed by authorized entities (State Sanitary Inspection);
7) isolation in home conditions - isolation of a person who has been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, imposed by authorized entities (State Sanitary Inspection);
8) self-isolation at home - self-isolation of a person at home due to symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as a result of an order issued by the Coordinator of the exchange program at Lodz University of Technology. Self-isolation at home takes place in the period from receiving the order issued by the Coordinator of the exchange program until the referral / registration for the SARS-CoV-2 virus test;
9) studying with the use of distance learning methods and techniques - learning with the use of methods and techniques using infrastructure and software ensuring synchronous and asynchronous interaction between students and teachers;
10) self-observation - activity consisting in self-observation of one's health condition, in terms of possible symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, by people from close contact who have not been quarantined by the sanitary services.
Chapter 2
PROCEDURE FOR STUDENTS WITH A SUSPECTED INFECTION
§ 2
Student with symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection
1. A student who develops symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection should immediately perform the following actions:
1) immediately inform the Exchange Program Coordinator, if possible without contact (by phone and / or e-mail) about the suspected virus infection;
2) contact a general practitioner/doctor or a night/day medical service doctor within 24 hours at the latest for a telemedicine/consultation/medical visit and to obtain a referral for a SARS-CoV-2 test; current information is available at: https://www.gov.pl/web/coronavirus;
3) if health permits, participate only in classes conducted using distance learning methods and techniques (absence from classes conducted during the period of the exchange programme coordinator's referral for self-isolation will be excused)
2. The coordinator of the exchange program should, in relation to the student referred to in 1 immediately do the following:
1) instruct the student to contact their GP or night/holiday doctor as soon as possible (within 24 hours at the latest) for a telehealth consultation/visit and to obtain a referral for a SARS-CoV-2 virus test; up-to-date information is available at: https://www.gov.pl/web/coronavirus;
2) instruct the student to self-isolate at home and to limit contacts to a minimum (household members);
3) if the student's health condition allows it, order the student to participate only in classes conducted with the use of distance learning methods and techniques.
§ 3
Student referred for SARS-CoV-2 virus test
1. A student who has been referred for the SARS-CoV-2 virus test should immediately perform the following steps:
1) inform the Exchange Program Coordinator by phone and / or e-mail that you have been referred for a SARS-CoV-2 virus test;
2) provide the Coordinator of the exchange program at Lodz University of Technology with information about people from close contact at Lodz University of Technology, with whom he had contact during the 3 days preceding the day of commissioning the test;
3) perform a test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus;
4) stay at home until the test result is received (in the period from the test referral to the test result, the student is quarantined by the sanitary services);
5) if the state of health allows, participate only in classes conducted with the use of distance education methods and techniques (the student's absence during the classes during quarantine will be excused).
2. The coordinator of the exchange program should, in relation to the student referred to in 1 immediately do the following:
1) if the student's health condition allows, order the student to participate only in classes conducted with the use of distance learning methods and techniques;
2) establish, in consultation with the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs, a list of employees/students/doctoral candidates of Lodz University of Technology who are persons in close contact with the student (the list should include names, surnames, contact telephone numbers of the persons indicated);
3) all students, members of a student's/deans's group, and employees of the University who had classes together with the student referred to in 1, in the period of 3 days preceding the symptoms characteristic of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the case of the student referred to, shall be treated as close contact persons and taken into account when establishing the list referred to in 2 (2).
§ 4
Student with positive test for SARS-CoV-2 virus
1. A student who has tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus should:
1) immediately inform the Exchange Program Coordinator by phone and / or e-mail;
2) follow the recommendations of doctors and sanitary services;
3) if the state of health allows, while in isolation at home, participate in remote classes for the period specified in 3 (3), while in the case of extending the period of isolation at home, participate only in classes conducted with the use of distance education methods and techniques (the absence of a student / doctoral candidate during classes conducted during isolation at home will be excused).
2. The coordinator of the exchange program should, in relation to the student referred to in 1 immediately do the following:
1) provide information about a positive test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in a student / doctoral candidate referred to in section 1, to the Crisis Management Centre of Lodz University of Technology at the address office.vrector.students@adm.p.lodz.pl and to the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs appropriate for the study program carried out by an infected student;
2) at the written request of the Crisis Management Centre of Lodz University of Technology, provide the list of contact persons with the infected person to the address office.vrector.students@adm.p.lodz.pl.
3. The Vice-Dean for Student Affairs should, in relation to the student referred to in 1 immediately do the following:
1) notify the immediate superiors at Lodz University of Technology of the persons included in the list referred to in § 3 (2)(2), that they had close contact with a person who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and should follow the guidelines set out in Announcement No. 1/2022 of the Rector of Lodz University of Technology;
2) decide that the classes of the student / dean group, in which, during the 3 days preceding the referral for the SARS-CoV-2 virus test, a person with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 virus infection participated will be conducted only remotely (online) for the period specified in 3 (3) (regardless of the fact whether they were originally planned as stationary or remote). Classes are to be carried out on the dates provided for in the current weekly timetable. In cases where it is not possible to conduct classes using distance learning techniques, appropriate modifications to the timetable should be made by postponing these classes to the period after the deadline specified in 3 (3);
3) instruct staff who teach classes for dean's/students group referred to in 3 (2) to immediately and temporarily change the mode of teaching for the group to a distance/online mode of teaching using distance learning methods and techniques. Changing the mode of classes is valid for a period of 10 calendar days from the date of issuing the instruction.
§ 5
Student with a negative test for SARS-CoV-2 virus
1. A student who tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus should:
1) immediately inform the Exchange Program Coordinator by phone and / or e-mail;
2) resume studying under the current rules.
2. The exchange program coordinator should give the student referred to in 1 an instruction to return to his/her studies under the currently applicable rules.
Chapter 3
CLOSE CONTACT PERSONS - PROCEDURE
§ 6
Students - people from close contact - Procedures
1. If the person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is another student of Lodz University of Technology, Student - close contact person with a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus:
1) conducts self-observation, and in the event of the appearance of symptoms characteristic of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, informs the Exchange Program Coordinator about them and follows the procedure described in § 2;
2) is in quarantine, if it has been imposed by sanitary services (State Sanitary Inspection);
3) participates in remote classes for the period specified in § 4 (3)(3).
2. If the person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not another student of Lodz University of Technology, the Student - a close contact person with a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus:
1) conducts self-observation, and in the event of the appearance of symptoms characteristic of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, informs the Exchange Program Coordinator about them and follows the procedure described in § 2;
2) is in quarantine, if it has been imposed by sanitary services (State Sanitary Inspection);
3) participates in stationary classes, while, when quarantine has been imposed on them, participates only in didactic classes conducted with the use of distance learning methods and techniques (the student's / doctoral candidate’s absence during the classes carried out on the premisses of the university during the quarantine will be excused).
§ 7
Procedure for the Exchange Program Coordinator in the case of students - close contacts
1. If the person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is another student of Lodz University of Technology, the Exchange program coordinator should:
1) immediately inform the student - a person from close contact, about the obligation to conduct self-observation, and in the event of symptoms characteristic of infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus, about the need to immediately inform about this fact;
2) in the case of reporting information about the symptoms characteristic of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in case of a student - close contact person, order the student to follow the procedure described in § 2;
3) order the student - a close contact person to participate in remote classes in the period specified in § 4 (3)(3).
2. If the person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not another student of Lodz University of Technology, the Exchange program coordinator should:
1) immediately inform the student - a person from close contact, about the obligation to conduct self-observation, and in the event of symptoms characteristic of infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus, about the need to immediately inform about this fact;
2) in the case of reporting information about the symptoms characteristic of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in case of a student - close contact person, order the student to follow the procedure described in § 2;
3) order the student - a person from close contact, to continue participation in classes, and if the student has been quarantined, order the student to participate only in classes conducted using distance learning methods and techniques (the student's absence during class activities during quarantine will be excused).
Chapter 4
FINAL PROVISIONS
§ 8
In other circumstances, not covered in this announcement, related to the suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection, in particular with regard to the organization of teaching activities and work of the employees of Lodz University of Technology, the rules set out in the Announcement No. 1/2022 of the Rector of Lodz University of Technology apply.
§ 9
The Announcement comes into force on January 26, 2022.