If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you can be tested at one of these local medical providers.
TrustCare or Baptist Medical Clinic
Call before going to the clinic. Take your insurance card with you.
You can also schedule drive-through testing with MSDH in partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
If you have no COVID-19 symptoms, you can be tested on campus at no cost.
If you would like to be tested, follow this link to set up an appointment: https://mccovidtestingcenter.
This is a “swab and go” test. It will take approximately 15 minutes. Wear your mask, arrive on time, and have your MC ID to check-in. If you start to develop symptoms, please go to TrustCare or the Baptist Medical Clinic for testing. MC only tests asymptomatic people on campus.
If you have any specific questions about this testing program, contact covid19@mc.edu.
Mississippi State Department of Health Guidelines
If you are sick, know or think you may have COVID-19, stay home until:
- At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms began (or since your positive test, if you have no symptoms), and
- It has been at least 24 hours since you last had a fever, without using fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen), and
- Your symptoms have improved.
Source: MSDH
Notify Mississippi College.
COVID-19 Self-Reporting
601-925-3030
M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
covid19@mc.edu
Please notify Mississippi College.
COVID-19 Self-Reporting
601-925-3030
M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
covid19@mc.edu
You can be around others after:
- 10 days since your positive test and
- 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
- Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving*
*Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation​
Source: MSDH
Please notify Mississippi College.
COVID-19 Self-Reporting
601-925-3030
M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
covid19@mc.edu
Stay home until 10 days have passed since your positive test.
If you develop symptoms after testing positive, follow the guidance for “I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptoms.”
Source: MSDH
Close contact is defined by CDC as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.
Source: CDC
If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, follow the steps below to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community.
- Stay home except to get medical care.
- Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home without medical care. Do not leave your home, except to get medical care.
- Do not visit public areas.
- Take care of yourself. Get rest and stay hydrated. Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.
- Stay in touch with your doctor. Call before you get medical care. Be sure to get care if you have trouble breathing, or have any other emergency warning signs, or if you think it is an emergency.
- Avoid public transportation, ridesharing, or taxis.
- Separate yourself from other people.
- As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home.
- If possible, you should use a separate bathroom.
- If you need to be around other people or animals in or outside of the home, wear a cloth face covering.
- Monitor your symptoms. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, or other symptoms.
- Follow care instructions from your healthcare provider and local health department. Your local health authorities may give instructions on checking your symptoms and reporting information.
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.
Isolation is used when you have COVID-19, whether or not you have symptoms. Isolation separates people who are infected with the virus from others, even in their home.
Here is a short CDC video.
We are now living in a COVID-19 environment so assume that it is present most places. It is especially important for people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and those who live with them, to protect themselves from getting COVID-19.
The best way to protect yourself and to help reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 is to:
- Limit your interactions with other people as much as possible.
- Take precautions to prevent getting COVID-19 when you do interact with others.
- If you start feeling sick and think you may have COVID-19, get in touch with your healthcare provider within 24 hours.
Remember... seemingly healthy, asymptomatic individuals may be carriers of COVID-19, especially ones who feel fine and are well enough to engage in unsafe behaviors. These are the individuals who will bring the virus into contact with others. When you are sick or feel sick … stay home! It is the ones who are feeling well that present the greatest risk to us all.
You should isolate yourself while you wait for test results.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19:
- While waiting for the results of your test, your household contacts should stay at home. (If household contacts are healthcare workers, they are encouraged to contact their employer. They may still be allowed to work while wearing a mask).
- Stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home to the extent possible. Use a separate bathroom, if available. Household members can consider staying in a separate location, if available, to decrease their risk of exposure.
- For more information, see the CDC's guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19 at home.
- If you must leave home, such as to seek medical care, wear a surgical mask if available.
- If your results are positive, you will need to isolate for 10 days from the time your symptoms started.
Guidance for your household contacts
- While waiting for the results of your test, your household contacts should stay at home if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
- They should not go to work or school and should avoid all public places.
- If your results are positive, your household contacts should immediately quarantine themselves for 14 days.
- Household contacts should monitor for fever, cough and shortness of breath and contact their healthcare provider with symptoms. If they need medical assessment, they should call the health clinic or hospital before they visit.
If your results are negative (or not detected)
Continue to reduce your risk of illness:
- Isolate yourself until fever-free for at least 48 hours (if fever was present)
- Practicing social distancing
- Wash your hands
- Avoid non-essential outings
Source: MSDH
Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses.
There are some key differences between flu and COVID-19. COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer. Another important difference is there is a vaccine to protect against flu. There is currently a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, but supply will increase in the weeks and months to come. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. More information about the differences between flu and COVID-19 is available in the different sections below.
Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis. Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two.
While more is learned every day, there is still a lot that is unknown about COVID-19 and the virus that causes it. This page compares COVID-19 and flu, given the best available information to date.
Source: CDC
