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COVID Positive

If you have tested positive for COVID19, complete the COVID19 Positive Survey to notify the COVID Response Center.

  • What To Do Now: Stay home and contact a healthcare provider or UCM Student Health Services (students only) if you have questions concerning care.

    • Individuals at high risk of serious disease can benefit from early treatment of COVID-19 with medication.  Reach out to a healthcare provider for available treatments.

    • *Monitor your symptoms.  If you experience severe symptoms, including trouble breathing, seek emergency medical care immediately by calling 911 or by going to your local emergency room.*

  • Per the California Department of Public Health guidelines, you are required to isolate for a minimum of 5 days but possibly up to ten days or longer regardless of vaccination status, previous infection, or lack of symptoms. (Day 0 is the date symptoms began or if without symptoms, the date of positive test).

  • Isolation can end on Day 6-10:

    • If symptoms are not present or your symptoms are improving AND

    • You are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Continue to wear a well fitted mask for a total of 10 days.

    • Masks may be removed sooner than 10 days ONLY if you have two negative COVID antigen self-tests 24 hours apart after Day 5.

      • If you continue to test positive, you must keep your mask on until you have two negative tests 24 hours apart, which may extend past Day 10 of your isolation period

      • *Per Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations, employees (including student employees) must wear a face covering in the workplace for a total of 10 days regardless of two negative tests.  Employees should wait for clearance from the COVID Response Center before returning to work.*

 

  • Isolation should continue through Day 10:

    • If your symptoms are not improving or you continue to have a fever, isolate until your symptoms start improving and you are fever free for 24 hours without use of medication.

    • If you had moderate illness such as shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing, isolate through Day 10.

    • If you had severe illness, were hospitalized or are immunocompromised, continue to isolate through Day 10 and consult your doctor before ending isolation.

 

You should NOT complete a PCR test for COVID-19 for 90 days following the date of your positive, as persistent or intermittent positive PCR tests do not correlate with symptoms or infectiousness. If you develop new symptoms within the next 3 months, COVID antigen testing is recommended instead (two tests, 48 hours apart).