Testing Positive or COVID Exposure (updated 3/1/24)
If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with a person with COVID-19, seek health care promptly for testing and/or treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness; treatment may help lower your risk of severe illness.
If you test positive for COVID-19:
- Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren’t better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.
- You may return to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
- Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
- You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
- When you return to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as practicing good hygiene, wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors.
- Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.
- If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.
- Learn more about the CDC’s Respiratory Virus Guidance.
- Contact your faculty and supervisors if you will miss class or work due to illness. Students may also reach out to [email protected] if assistance is needed with contacting faculty.
COVID Exposure
If you have been exposed and test negative for COVID, and you are not experiencing any respiratory virus symptoms, there is no need to stay home. It is recommended that you take precautions, such as practicing good hygiene, wearing a mask, and practicing physical distancing.
Here are the steps that you can take to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, regardless of your vaccination status or if you have had a previous infection.
- Practice good hygiene by covering your coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing your hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.
- Learn and use proper handwashing technique.
- Teach children the correct way to wash their hands.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces, such as countertops, handrails, and doorknobs regularly.
If you have been exposed and test positive for COVID-19, follow the guidance offered at the top of this page.