Effective Health Screenings for Campuses with Visitu

With many schools and businesses starting up again, it is important to look at which ways are the best when it comes to screening for COVID-19.

Visitu was one of the first software options for schools and businesses, operating during COVID-19, for implementing wellness checks for their staff and students. We have been able to work with many campuses on optimizing their process in order to help keep them free of COVID.

This article will share the pros and cons of different health screening methods that campuses are using to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Three main ways campuses for checking for Covid-19: Temperature checks, manual calling, and wellness checks. Here are the pros and cons of each:

Temperature Checks

Campuses have implemented manual and automated temperature checks for everyone who steps on campus.

Pros:

• Process simple; easy to implement
• Cost-efficient
• Automated checks leave employees less at risk 

Cons:

• CDC does not recommend this as an accurate method for checking for COVID-19
• Discovering high temperatures on campus is a high risk for other staff and students near them
• Lengthy process that will hold up entry onto campuses

Manual Calling

Manual calling is when staff calls individual households to conduct a wellness check for each person stepping on campus.

Pros:

• Keeps employees less at-risk by calling each family instead of them entering campus first
• Cost-effective 

Cons:

• Lengthy process, very time consuming, might not able to execute daily or even weekly
• Not all will answer the phone calls, might not have the correct number on file
• At times, you might have to call the same household more than once if students are on different campuses

Wellness Checks

Wellness Checks are self-reporting online where staff and students complete a survey before arriving on campus.

Pros:

• Done before anyone arrives on campus
• Reduces staff from completing surveys for many employees and students
• Realtime Dashboard helps with tracking complete surveys and allows to send out automated reminders
• Very cost-effective compared to thermal scanners and other lengthy measures

Cons:

• Requires adoption to new technology
• Sometimes involves parents helping students to complete their surveys

Which health screening method is proving most successful?

Wellness checks seem to be the most effective and accurate health screening method available for campuses looking to reopen or stay open. Possible COVID-19 cases are identified before students arrive on campus while eliminating the extra manpower it takes to operate successfully. 

Visitu SafeCampus platform helps campuses stay in compliance with recommendations from the CDC, as well as state mandates requiring daily health checks. All who enter a school building should be screened for COVID-19 exposure and symptoms, in order to limit the risk of COVID-19 contamination throughout campus.

Tips for an effective wellness check screening:

Customizing your own wellness screening.

Ask students, staff, visitors about their recent travel and current state of health prior to arriving on campus or during the check-in process with the Visitu wellness screening/survey tool.  Once wellness screening is complete, there will be a green or red indicator on the Mobile badge for swift touch-free check-in. Your staff can be alerted if a high-risk person might be entering your campus and action can be taken per your organization’s protocol.

Having the option for touch-free check in.

Safe, secure, and super simple, the Visitu system allows you to set up your front desk check-in kiosk to be completely touch-free upon entrance. Students, staff, visitors easily check in by facial ID or by scanning their quick badge or employee badge and finish the check-in process using the Visitu mobile app.

Accurately tracing all students, staff, and visitors and their exact location during a specific time.

Contact tracing is a critical component of safely staying open and remaining open. If someone has attended your campus and tests positive for COVID-19 at a later date, the Visitu system allows you to easily trace when they were in the building, using accurate visitor records and time-stamping in the web dashboard.

Creating digital agreements for your students, staff, and visitors.

You can easily require signatures regarding policies at your campus with the digital agreements feature. Simply upload your agreement and check the required signature box for visitors to acknowledge before they may proceed with the check-in process.

Managing capacity with a waitlist.

Ensure only a set amount of visitors may be on campus at a time. When that limit is reached, visitors will be added to a waitlist. They may remain in their vehicle, outside, or other designated space. Once you are ready for them to enter your campus, Visitu will send them a notification instructing them to proceed with the check-in process.

Keep safe and in compliance with the Visitu SafeCampus Platform.

With daily wellness screening, your campus can actively screen for COVID-19 indicators instead of relying on temperature checks, which are less effective because children under 18 are less likely to exhibit symptoms, according to the National Academies of Medicine. Visitu helps you survey your staff, students, and visitors for COVID-19 exposure and symptoms.  Our pre-screening health tools will make the process of health screening easy for you and your campus community. Download our quick list of guidelines and recommendations to help your school stay open safely.

Improving your school’s safety protocols begins with a conversation. Please contact us at 813.591.4800 or schedule a demo today to get started.

Tags: Safety, Technology