2020_06_22_salud-prepara2

More than 11,000 students from Degree and Master's Degree will return on September 1 to the campus of the University of Navarra in Pamplona, San Sebastian and Madrid, and nearly 6,000 professionals will return to their jobs at work. How is the University preparing for the start of the new academic year after the Covid19 health crisis? For the last three months, the professionals of the Health & Safety Office, Cleaning, management of Spaces, and Works and Maintenance Services, among others, have been working to put in place internship more than twenty prevention and hygiene measures to protect the entire university community: employees, students, visitors and suppliers.

The plan designed by the University of Navarra is divided into four blocks ranging from the care of people, the adequacy of facilities and spaces; diagnosis and treatment; and ongoing communication. The academic center has set up a virtual medical office to deal with all health queries and a specific healthprotocol to know how to proceed in case of infection.

In addition, the University is finalizing a special health care plan to be implemented at the beginning of the next academic year, on September 1.

"Our priority, since the beginning of the health crisis, has been to look after people's health; first with the cessation of all class activity at the University and since then working to determine all necessary hygiene and prevention measures for the start of the course. Our goal is to be prepared and make our campus safe. These measures will help us to reduce the probability of infection among members of the university community," says Sara Martínez Solchaga, director of the University of Navarra's Health & Safety Office Joint Service.

Student health insurance

For the next academic year, Acunsa offers students an insurance policy that covers Covid19 treatment at the Clinic, as well as diagnostic tests (PCR, serology) when performed at enquiry in emergencies and with acute symptomatology. The period of coverage is established from its contracting until August 31, 2021. Included in the insurance policy are consultations, day hospital, hospitalization, dental insurance, travel insurance attendance and repatriation insurance, in the case of international students.

The protocol of the Service of Health & Safety Office contemplates measures such as the limitation of the capacity to guarantee the minimum interpersonal distance of 1.5 meters, the mandatory use of masks, provision of alkogel and disposable paper, as well as disinfection packs with wipes and liquid disinfectant in common areas of work , classrooms and meeting points, so that teachers and students can clean keyboards, mice, pointers and other surfaces.

It also addresses the diagnostic process, with PCR or other tests authorized by the authorities being performed on all school employees and students at the beginning of the school year. "From then on, random tests will be performed every week with the goal to detect cases, attend to them medically, isolate them by monitoring their health status, investigate who their close contacts have been and follow them up. Priority will be given to performing PCR tests on symptomatic cases and close contacts at partnership with the Public Health System", explains Sara Martínez.

All these prevention and hygiene measures can be translated into figures. It is planned to replace the air dryers with paper dispensers in the 312 restrooms in the buildings, and pedal garbage cans will be placed in each restroom to prevent tampering. There will be 380 spray cans of disinfectant, so that all workers can clean their area at work; there will be another 20 disinfectant dispensers in the cleaning warehouses, to refill the sprays distributed throughout the common areas and for daily disinfection; and 20 alkogel dispensers in the janitorial rooms, to refill the cans distributed throughout the common areas and spaces recommended by the Service of Health & Safety Office; 550 cans have already been distributed. In addition, 40 alkogel dispensers will be placed at all entrances for the use of visitors, employees and students. So far, 140,000 disposable surgical masks have been purchased.

The University's plan includes permanent communication at all campus and a signage plan has been designed for all buildings with the aforementioned measures.

Reinforcement of the cleaning and disinfection protocol

In total, 113 professionals from the Cleaning Service will work in a specificprotocol to guarantee the disinfection of all the buildings of the campus in Pamplona, Madrid and San Sebastian. At the end of each workshop, the enclosures used will be disinfected to leave the facilities ready for the following day. The protocol classifies the different areas of work according to their risk level, which will determine the frequency of their cleaning.

In terms of ventilation, the contribution of outside air in the air conditioning systems will be increased by increasing air renewal in classrooms, laboratories, workshops and all building spaces. Priority will be given to the renewal of direct outside air by opening windows and skylights.