Faculty/Staff COVID-19 Protocol

  1. Employees can protect themselves and their communities from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The CDC provides guidance on addressing risks from a range of common respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which can cause significant health impacts and strain on hospitals and health care workers.
  2. If an employee has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they may return to work if the following criteria are met:
    • for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall and
    • if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.
  3. Once employees return to work, they are encouraged to take additional prevention strategies for the next 5 days to curb disease spread, such as taking these additional steps:
    • wearing a well-fitting mask,
    • keeping a distance from others,
    • getting tested for respiratory viruses.

Active recommendations on core prevention steps and strategies:

  • Staying up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. This includes flu, COVID-19, and RSV if eligible.
  • Practicing good hygieneby covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
  • Taking steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in more fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors.

Please review CDC guidance on COVID-19 in the workplace:

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0301-respiratory-virus.html