Recommendations for COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Illnesses

Test Kits | Living on Campus with a Respiratory Illness including COVID-19 | COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements

As of March 2024, the CDC has created universal recommendations for all viral respiratory illnesses including COVID-19, RSV, influenza and other common viral upper respiratory infections. The current CDC guidance is the basis of Swarthmore College’s recommendations for managing respiratory illnesses including COVID-19. 

Test Kits

We encourage you to keep a couple of COVID-19 antigen test kits at home or in your dorm room so you have them on hand if you develop symptoms of a respiratory illness.  Test kits are available to purchase at local pharmacies and the Campus Community Bookstore. The health center has the ability to perform COVID-19 testing in the context of a medical appointment when medically indicated.

The College does not require any routine testing. Please review the CDC recommendations regarding testing to help you make a more informed decision.   

 Living on Campus with a Respiratory Illness including COVID-19

If you test positive for COVID-19 and/or are experiencing a respiratory illness: 

- Monitor your symptoms and treat symptoms with appropriate over the counter medicine. If symptoms become severe or you have other medical conditions that weaken your immune system, you should seek care with a medical clinician. If you have questions about managing your illness, you can make an appointment at the health center to meet with one of our clinicians.

- Wash hands often and wear a mask when around others. There is no mandatory isolation anymore. You should refrain from any unnecessary exposure to others until you are fever free for 24 hours without the use of anti fever medicine.

-The College no longer requires a mandatory period of isolation for those with respiratory illnesses in most circumstances. The College recommends students follow the guidance from the CDC on ways to prevent transmission of any respiratory illnesses found here. 

If you have a respiratory illness and have health related questions, you may call the Student Health Center at 610-328-8058 during our clinic hours for advice or to schedule an appointment.  If you need medical advice or are experiencing severe symptoms outside of our routine business hours, you may call the Team Health Nurse on Call service at 610-328-8548.

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements

Consistent with CDC guidelines, the College will accept vaccination with the following FDA approved or World Health Organization (WHO) recognized COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca-CoviShield, Sinopharm-VeroCell, and Sinovac-Coronavac.   The vaccine requirement includes a complete initial series (one or two doses depending on brand) PLUS one booster dose with mRNA vaccine. If you received a COVID-19 vaccine after September of 2023, the initial immunization series is not necessary.