Exposure and Isolation

In order for the UC San Diego Campus to provide the best possible care when you test positive for COVID-19, review and abide by the health information below.

If you have symptoms: Stay home. Do a COVID-19 PCR or rapid antigen test, which can be found at campus test kit vending machines. Isolate yourself while waiting for the results.

Positive result: As soon as you receive a positive COVID-19 test result, isolate yourself in a separate bedroom if you can or mask and distance yourself from others as best you can. You may only leave the isolation space for medical care, personal hygiene needs or to pick-up food. Mask whenever you leave the isolation space. If you receive a positive result (from either a COVID rapid antigen test or a PCR test done outside of UC San Diego), please report it to the UC San Diego Public Health Team at ucsdcovidadmin@health.ucsd.edu, and include "Secure: COVID-19 test" in the email subject line. Alternatively, you can call (619) 543-5722. Include your name, your phone number, and student ID in your message. The UC San Diego Public Health Team will reach out to you. Please answer calls from (619) 543-5722.

Student employees will also need to follow Campus Employee Isolation and Return to Work Guidance described below.

Medical care information

For COVID-19 care, a Student Health COVID team member is available seven days a week between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To contact the UC San Diego Student Health team, go to MyStudentChart, click on Messages, then choose "COVID questions." Make sure your phone number is up-to-date in MyStudentChart. Answer when Student Health calls, and monitor your MyStudentChart messages.

If you have a medical condition that places you at higher risk for complications of COVID-19, you may be a candidate for medical therapy. Please contact the Student Health COVID team to discuss treatment. If you need more urgent assistance please contact Student Health at (858) 534-3300, or for severe symptoms, please go to the emergency room or call 9-1-1.

Unless you are having chest pain, trouble breathing or you are unable to keep fluids down, most symptoms of COVID can be treated at home and do not require a doctor's visit.

• Continue with plenty of rest, fluids, and hydration.
• Continue eating foods high in vitamin C, D and zinc such as fruits and dark leafy green vegetables.
• Please continue the over-the-counter medications that have been helping you, especially acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin) for those symptoms.
  • Please follow dosage instructions: MAKE SURE TO TAKE IBUPROFEN WITH FOOD, NOT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
  • Take acetaminophen 1000 mg every 6 to 8 hours as needed for pain/fever/discomfort.
  • You may alternate ibuprofen 600 mg every 6 to 8 hours as needed for pain/fever/discomfort in between acetaminophen doses. For example, if you take acetaminophen at 12 pm, then you may take ibuprofen dose at 3 pm. The next acetaminophen dose would be at 6 pm, and the next ibuprofen dose would be at 9 pm, etc.
    

If you are having chest pain, trouble breathing or you are unable to keep fluids down, you should be seen at SHS urgent care or your local urgent care or hospital emergency room.

Additional recommendations to receive care on weekends or during off hours:

• UC San Diego La Jolla Urgent Care
  Open 7 days a week, 8 am to 8 pm
  8910 Villa La Jolla Dr
  La Jolla, CA 92037
  (800) 926-8273
  
  
• UC San Diego Health Emergency Room
  Open 24 hours every day
  9434 Medical Center Dr.
  La Jolla, CA 92037
  858-657-7600

Isolation housing information

All campus residential students must contact the UC San Diego Public Health Team to discuss their isolation plan. Email the UC San Diego Public Health Team at ucsdcovidadmin@health.ucsd.edu, and include "Secure: Isolation Assistance" in the email subject line.

Alternatively, you can call (619) 543-5722. Include your name, your phone number, and where you are living in your message. The UC San Diego Public Health Team will reach out to you. Please answer calls from (619) 543-5722. The Public Health team will work with Housing and Dining Department to coordinate your move to campus isolation.

Failure to respond to Public Health communications may result in referral to Student Conduct.

Isolation housing is available at a nearby hotel, but extremely limited.

• Students living on campus: Depending on clinical and living situations, you may need to isolate in place or you may be moved to isolation housing. If you are isolating in place and sharing a bedroom with another individual, you will need to mask at all times within your bedroom and the common rooms. If you are isolating in place and do not have a roommate, you may remove your mask in your bedroom, but will need to mask when using the bathroom. When isolating in place, you cannot utilize the common living areas. You may only leave the unit to pick up food or receive medical care and must remain masked at all times.
• Students currently living off campus: If you are able to isolate safely off campus with your family, please email the Public Health Team at ucsdcovidadmin@health.ucsd.edu. You must leave campus in a private vehicle. You cannot take public transportation.

Food resources for those isolating on campus

Undergraduate housing food resources: use the Triton2Go mobile ordering application.

• Please wait until you receive a notification in the app that your order is ready for pick up.
• You must double mask, or wear a kn95/N95 mask, before exiting your living space to pick up your order.
• Upon arrival, please use the hand sanitizer dispenser located at the entrance of each HDH Dining location.
• Be prepared to share the last four digits of your order number with our staff when picking up your meal.
• Return directly to your bedroom to enjoy your meal.
• For questions, contact Dining Helps at 858-534-4216 or dininghelps@ucsd.edu.
  • Winter break hours: daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Winter quarter hours: daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Graduate housing food resources

• If you want to bill groceries to your housing account, contact Dining Helps and we will arrange for groceries to be delivered from an HDH Market. You may call 858-534-4216 or email dininghelps@ucsd.edu between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., seven days a week. During the Winter Break, the hours are modified to 11am to 3pm daily.
• If you have concerns about covering the cost of meals and groceries while you are isolated in your apartment, contact Nydia Lopez from Basic Needs at nydia@ucsd.edu or visit basicneeds.ucsd.edu for more information and to develop a plan.
• You may also order groceries from an outside grocery delivery service such as Ralphs, Vons or Instacart or meals from an outside meal delivery service like Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. These options require you to pay the service directly, and you will not be able to bill these services to your housing account.

Isolation Instructions

• STAY HOME except to get medical care.
• Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.
• Call ahead before visiting your provider.
• ISOLATE away from other people and animals.
• MASK whenever you need to leave your bedroom.
• CLEAN surface areas of common areas such as shared bathrooms.
• DO NOT repeat a PCR nasal swab test for 90 days from your positive test date (This includes the self-administered tests available in UC San Diego vending machines).
• STOP filling out your UC San Diego daily symptom and exposure screening.

Academic Support During Isolation

If you are an undergraduate student and your COVID-19 diagnosis and isolation has prevented you from meeting academic requirements, we encourage you to contact your Dean of Student Affairs for support. If you are a graduate student, please contact the Assistant Dean of Graduate Student Affairs.

Counseling and Social Support During Isolation

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) are available by calling (858) 534-3755. You may also find more information on their website at caps.ucsd.edu. 

Ending Isolation

You may come out of isolation on DAY 11 (10 full days after the start of symptoms or your positive test if you never had symptoms) if:

1. You have not had a fever and have not been using fever reducing medications for the last 24 hours of this period AND
2. Your symptoms have significantly improved
   1. You can leave isolation on Day 11 even if your rapid antigen test was positive on day 10.
   2. Message SHS COVID team through MyStudentChart if you are immunocompromised for detailed instructions.

You may qualify to end your isolation early, on DAY 6 (5 full days after the start of symptoms or your positive test if you never had symptoms) if:

1. Your positive test was done prior to Day 5 AND
2. A rapid antigen test is negative Day 5 or later AND
3. You have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving AND
4. You have not had a fever and have not been using fever reducing medications for the last 24 hours of this period AND
5. You agree to continuously mask for an additional 5 days anytime you're around others (including those in your home).

Student athletes who meet the criteria above for early isolation release may exercise masked and alone on campus in all areas except the aquatic centers. Student athletes may attend indoor team meetings if everyone is masked and may attend outdoor meetings continuously masked.

Do not report early release rapid antigen test results that are negative to the COVID team unless directed by UCSD COVID Public Health Response Team. If you have questions regarding testing call 619-543-5722.

NOTE: The Rapid Antigen test used to determine early isolation release is not the same as the PCR tests. Both types of tests can be obtained from the UC San Diego Vending machines. Rapid Antigen tests can be done at home. They can also be purchased at retail locations such as CVS, Target or Walgreens.

If you live in graduate housing or off campus, you can request a rapid antigen test be mailed to you from UC San Diego by placing an order through this form.

For international students with F-1 or J-1 status, please notify the International Students & Programs Office (ISPO) within 24 hours of this information by logging into iPortal.ucsd.edu and submitting the "Health Reporting Form for F-1/J-1 Students."

If you are a medical student, notify the medical school by emailing MS-COVID-Notify@health.ucsd.edu  with the date you tested positive and the date your symptoms began. You should also notify your course director or clerkship director, and your dean. Your return to school/rotation will depend on resolution of symptoms and is based on this Isolation Timeline.

If you are a pharmacy student, P1- P3s should email Jenna Bastear at jbastear@health.ucsd.edu, P4s should email Ezra Blaize at eblaize@health.ucsd.edu with the date you tested positive and the date your symptoms began. You should also notify your course director or clerkship director, and your dean. Your return to school/rotation will depend on resolution of symptoms and is based on this Isolation Timeline.

After Completing Isolation

• Patients who have had COVID-19 can continue to shed virus particles intermittently for 3 months although they are NOT infectious. For this reason, please DO NOT get a UC San Diego PCR screening COVID-19 test within 3 months of your initial positive result. PCR tests may remain positive for longer than you are infectious; PCR tests are different from the rapid antigen testing used to determine if you can leave isolation early after Day 5. Once you have completed your COVID-19 isolation period, you will be exempt from required testing for University compliance for 90 days. Exceptions are if you are requested to test due to wastewater monitoring on campus or a healthcare provider recommends a repeat test. You can resume your UC San Diego daily symptom and exposure screening.
• If you develop any symptoms that could be COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, fatigue, or loss of taste or smell, contact Student Health Services or your provider for an in person evaluation. If it has been more than 30 days after having COVID, you can do a COVID rapid antigen test to see if your symptoms are due to a recurrent COVID infection.
• You should be vaccinated and boosted regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. Experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. We recommend vaccination despite prior infection. You may receive your booster as soon as you have completed your COVID-19 isolation. The only reason to delay vaccination is if you were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma. If that is the case, you should wait 90 days before getting a vaccine for COVID-19. Given your current COVID-19 infection, you will be exempt from the booster mandate for 90 days from the date of your positive test.

Instructions for campus employees who test positive for COVID

1. If you used a rapid antigen test from a campus vending machine or tested outside of the university, please report your test result by logging into MyUCSDChart > Menu > Questionnaire > UCSD EMPLOYEES ONLY - REPORT COVID HOME SELF-TEST. Answer the questions and upload a photo of your home test. This will also trigger COEM to provide the return to work clearance when appropriate. Per mandate of the County of San Diego, all positive test results are reported to the County of San Diego Public Health Department.
2. Report your positive test result on your daily symptom and exposure screener.
3. If you are onsite, inform your supervisor that you must leave the worksite.
4. Follow the isolation instructions below.

How to Isolate

Upon receiving a diagnosis/positive test for COVID-19, you must isolate:

• Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency care immediately.
• Stay separated from other household members.
• Use your own restroom and sleep in a separate bedroom, if possible.
• If sharing a restroom, be sure to disinfect after each use.
• Don’t share personal items or food with anyone else.
• Ventilation (e.g., open a window) will help mitigate transmission.
• Only leave your room and house in case of an emergency.

Returning to Work

If you have symptoms and test positive for COVID:

• Five full days have passed since your symptoms first started AND
• Your symptoms have improved since you first became sick AND
• You have been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever medications AND
• You have tested negative after Day 5 since you became positive AND
• You have uploaded your negative test to MyChart AND
• COEM has sent you a Return to Work Clearance note

• Ten full days have passed since you developed symptoms AND
• Your symptoms have improved since you got sick AND
• You have been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever medications AND
• COEM has sent you a Return to Work Clearance note

If you have symptoms or were exposed and test negative for COVID:

• If testing due to symptoms, you may work onsite but must wear a mask until symptoms resolve.
• If testing due to exposure, you may work onsite but must wear a mask until 10 days after the presumed exposure date.
  • If your exposure is part of a documented outbreak, you must follow the instructions provided by your supervisor.
• You do not need to have a Return to Work Clearance note from COEM.
  

If you don't have symptoms but test positive for COVID:

You can come back to work when:

• Five full days have passed since your positive test result AND
• You have tested negative after Day 5 since you became positive AND
• You have uploaded your negative test to MyChart AND
• COEM has sent you a Return to Work Clearance note

OR

• Ten full days have passed since your positive test result AND
• COEM has sent you a Return to Work Clearance note

Instructions are available for supervisors and managers to support team members who test positive for COVID-19. This includes guidance for employees on how to report their positive test, how to get cleared to return to on-site work, and how to submit a Potential Workplace Exposure Notification.

• Campus supervisors and managers: help employees who have tested positive
• Health Sciences and Medical Center supervisors: help employees who have tested positive
• Guidance for supervisors and managers in Spanish

Supervisors and managers play a key role in ensuring that campus employees are consistently completing the daily symptom and exposure screening. Questions about your role in symptom and exposure screening, how to manage notification emails, what to do if an employee fails the screening and more can be found on the Human Resources FAQ page here.

If an employee refuses to complete the daily symptom and exposure screening, information can be found here.