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ISOLATION & CLOSE CONTACT INSTRUCTIONS

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This guidance does NOT apply to healthcare personnel in settings covered by AFL 21-08.9.

UCI employees and student workers who test positive for COVID-19 on a laboratory test or home test, and those who are close contacts to cases will follow the instructions below. These instructions are consistent with current California Department of Public Health and Orange County Health Care Agency health officer orders.

Do not wait to be contacted by Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services to begin isolation.

For information on campus testing resources, visit the testing page.

Definitions

Isolation: separates people infected with a contagious disease from those who are not infected. Isolation is a proven public health intervention fundamental to reducing COVID-19 transmission. Isolation processes are in place to slow the spread of the virus.

Quarantine: restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease in case they become infected.

Exposure: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) defines close contact as:

  1. In spaces of 400,000 or fewer cubic feet per floor — sharing the same indoor airspace for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during an infected person’s infectious period.
  2. In indoor spaces greater than 400,000 cubic feet per floor — within 6 feet of the infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the infected person’s infectious period.

ISOLATION AND POST EXPOSURE-TESTING AND RELEASE REQUIREMENTS

Employees and student workers will need to be cleared for release to return to work by Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services.

Isolation Instructions
Everyone who tests positive, regardless of vaccination status, will:*

  1. Stay home if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, until you have not had a fever for 24 without the use of fever reducing medication AND other COVID-19 symptoms are mild and improving.
    • If you do not have symptoms, you should follow the recommendations below to reduce exposure to others.
  2. Wear a well-fitting mask around others indoors for a total of 10 days from start of symptoms (or after date of first positive test if no symptoms).
    • After ending isolation, cases may remove their mask sooner than Day 10 if they have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart. HOWEVER
  3. Employees and student employees are required to wear a mask in the workplace through Day 10, regardless of testing.
  4. Avoid contact with people at higher-risk for severe COVID-19 for 10 days. Higher risk individuals include the elderly, those who live in congregate care facilities, and those who have immunocompromising conditions that put them at higher risk for serious illness.
  5. Seek Treatment. If you have symptoms, particularly if you are at higher risk for severe COVID-19, speak with a healthcare provider as soon as you test positive. You may be eligible for antiviral medicines or other treatments for COVID-19. COVID-19 antiviral medicines work best if taken as soon as possible, and within 5-7 days from when symptoms start.
  6. After you have ended isolation, if your symptoms recur or worsen, test again with an antigen and if positive, restart isolation at Day 0.

Notification of Close Contacts
 Let others who you have been around in the last two days before your symptoms started (or two days from before your positive test result if you have no symptoms), know that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Those that are UCI employees or student workers should follow exposure instructions on the UCI Working Well site. Students or others should follow California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance for exposure.

*This guidance does not apply to employees in Student Health Services or the Counseling Center. Please contact UCI Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services for guidance at contacttracing@uci.edu or call 949-824-2300.

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status.*

Your exposure does not require you to quarantine. You can continue to attend work and socialize.

  • If you have new COVID-19 symptoms, you should test and mask right away. Symptoms include:
    • Fever or chills
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    • Fatigue (or tiredness)
    • Muscle or body aches
    • Headache
    • New loss of taste or smell
    • Sore throat
    • Congestion or runny nose
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea
  • If you do not have symptoms, and are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection and would benefit from treatment, you should test within 5 days.
  • If you do not have symptoms and have contact with people who are at higher risk for severe infection, you should mask indoors when around such people for 10 days. Consider testing within 5 days after the last exposure date (Day 0) and before contact with higher-risk people.

*This guidance does not apply to employees in Student Health Services or the Counseling Center. Please contact UCI Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services for guidance at contacttracing@uci.edu or call 949-824-2300.

REPORTING A COVID-19 CASE

If you tested off campus at a testing site, or tested positive on a home antigen test, report your case. If you need assistance, contact UCI Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services at 949-824-2300 or contacttracing@uci.edu.