Students, staff, and faculty have responded with remarkable understanding, patience, and flexibility to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting changes to our campus operations. With the arrival of the Fall 2020 Semester, it will take all of us, working together, to reduce health risks and ensure that this academic year is successful.

What the U is doing:

• Asking all students, staff, and faculty to complete a health training and agree to follow campus guidelines.
• Requiring the use of face coverings and physical distancing on campus.
• Cleaning high-use spaces and high-touch surfaces frequently.
• Installing clear plastic barriers at most customer-service counters.
• Providing hand sanitation stations inside main building entrances and near the doors to classrooms and labs.
• Increasing the number of air changes in buildings and using high-efficiency air filters to provide good ventilation.
• Creating traffic flow patterns to limit bottlenecks at entrances, exits, and in hallways.
• Reducing occupancy in residence hall rooms.
• Adopting protocols to limit capacity in common spaces such as the libraries, computer centers, and the Student Life Center.
• Preparing a fall schedule that includes shifts to online courses to reduce the potential spread of coronavirus.
• Working closely with U of U Health and state officials to ensure we have the latest data and expert advice.

What the U asks you to do:

• Complete the online health training.
• Follow health guidelines to wear a face covering, practice physical distancing, wash hands frequently, and follow other basic hygiene protocols.
• Stay home or in your residence hall unit if you have a fever or other symptoms associated with COVID-19.
• Fill out a self-reporting form if you have COVID-19 symptoms, are being tested for the disease because of symptoms, or have had exposure to someone who is positive for COVID-19/been diagnosed with the disease.
• Limit in-person meetings to 20 or fewer people.
• Continue to telecommute if feasible given your work duties.
• Treat each other with respect and kindness during this unprecedented and challenging time.

• The university is asking students, faculty, and staff to stay home if they are sick. Additionally, follow university employee exposure guidance. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, chills, new or worsening chronic cough, runny nose, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, muscle/body aches, or difficulty breathing/shortness of breath.
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• You should only come to campus if ALL of the following are true:
  • At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.
  • You do not have any other flu-like symptoms (for example, cough, or shortness of breath).
  • You have had no fever for at least 24 hours (that is one full day of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers).
  • You have not had contact with anyone who is COVID positive (including the five days before they were positive) for 14 days.

At the University of Utah, the health and well-being of students, staff, and faculty are top priorities. A team led by public health experts at U of U Health has developed a plan to test, trace, and monitor campus for cases of COVID-19, as addressed in the FAQ below.

The evolving nature of the pandemic and the university’s focus on reducing risk to the extent possible means that university operations must be flexible, nimble, and informed by public health, state, and federal guidance. The U’s health experts and administrative leaders are tracking a number of indicators to gauge the impact of COVID-19 on campus as well as in the community. Some of the most important metrics are the following:

• Weekly number of new COVID-19 cases on campus and in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, and the state of Utah
• Stress on our hospitals measured by in-patient and ICU bed capacity
• Testing and contact tracing capacity
• Quarantine and isolation capacity for students living in on-campus residence halls
• Impact of COVID-19 on our campus workforce

These metrics will inform senior leaders’ decisions about campus operations. The university also is working on a system to monitor wastewater, which U researchers have shown can serve as an early indicator of a coronavirus outbreak. In mid-September, the university began a voluntary asymptomatic random testing program to help determine prevalence of COVID-19 on campus and identify any outbreak hotspots.

Here are details about the university’s plan to test and track coronavirus, which may be adapted throughout Fall 2020 as/if new procedures or methods are validated and become available at the U.

In what circumstances is the U performing tests to screen for COVID-19?

The U performed an initial test of all students living in residence halls upon their arrival in August. The U also will test students living on campus if they travel during the two-week move to online-only classes Sept. 27-Oct. 11 and following other breaks.

What is the asymptomatic random testing program?

On Sept. 18 the university began an asymptomatic random testing program (ART)  to help determine the prevalence of COVID-19 on campus and identify any outbreak hotspots. The first phase is focused on students who live on campus or fraternity and sorority houses.

On Oct. 12, the program will expand to staff and faculty working on campus and students who have at least one in-person class. The second phase of the program will continue to the Thanksgiving Break.

The first phase of the ART program testing, for students living on campus, is taking place in the Learning Lab at Kahlert Village. In the second phase of the ART program, which begins Oct. 12, testing will include the Saltair Room in the Union Building.

Individuals randomly selected to be tested will be notified by email to schedule a day and time for them to be tested. This program is using the saliva test. Participants will need to have a MyChart app account to receive their test results.

Why is the U conducting an asymptomatic random testing program?

Individuals may be carriers of coronavirus, which can lead to COVID-19, but have no symptoms. Asymptomatic individuals may be able to spread the virus to others. This program will help gauge prevalence of asymptomatic individuals and identify potential hotspots on campus.

Where can students who will live on campus get tested?

Students living in residence halls were initially tested at the Officers Club in Fort Douglas, located on campus, upon their arrival. Students who are symptomatic or have been contacted about a possible exposure may be tested at the student clinic in the Madsen Health Center.

What about testing of other campus community members?

The U is asking anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or who has had recent close contact with a known COVID-19 case to stay home and get a coronavirus test. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, chills, new or worsening chronic cough, runny nose, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, muscle/body aches, or difficulty breathing/shortness of breath.

Campus community members—students living off campus, staff, and faculty—can call 801-587-0712 for help determining if they need to be tested. They will be directed to their existing health care provider or a community testing site as necessary, based on symptoms of COVID-19.

The U also offers student testing at the Madsen Health Center that is available as an additional resource to perform tests for students who are symptomatic or have a referral based on contact tracing.

University of Utah Health is offering testing at these locations.

Who pays for the tests?

The university covered the cost of an initial test for students moving into residence halls. Subsequent tests, as well as tests for non-residential students, staff, and faculty, should be submitted to each individual’s health insurance provider.

For the ART program, the university is covering the cost of tests for students, staff and faculty.

How long will it take for test results to come back?

The timeframe for test results to be returned is 24 to 96 hours.

How are positive tests recorded?

Students living in residence halls have completed a consent form that allows test results to be shared with Housing & Residential Education (HRE). In the event of a positive test, HRE will notify the student by telephone and engage in contact tracing protocols. Negative results will be sent by email.

Students living in HRE facilities who test positive for COVID-19 should complete this self-report form.

All other students and staff and faculty are asked to self-report all COVID-19 tests using this form, which will help the U track case counts, conduct contact tracing, and enact cleaning protocols for affected campus spaces.

Will HRE test students living in residence halls again if they subsequently develop COVID-19 symptoms?

Students living in residence halls will be asked to isolate in rooms set aside for this purpose if they develop symptoms of COVID-19. They will be required to get a new test, which should be submitted to the student’s health insurance provider.

Does the U expect students, staff, and faculty to quarantine until they receive test results?

Students living in residence halls will not have to quarantine while awaiting initial test results, though HRE staff will encourage them to limit their activities and engagement with others until the results are back.

Students living in residence halls who are tested a second time due to symptoms or contact with others who have tested positive for COVID-19 will quarantine.

Other students, staff, and faculty who seek a test based on symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to quarantine while awaiting results.

What if my ART test result is positive?

Participants who receive a positive test result will be asked to isolate and will be contacted by public health workers to identify any contacts, including fellow students, faculty or staff who may need testing.

Is the U conducting contact tracing?

Yes. Upon receiving a positive test report, trained interviewers employed by U of U Health will work with the individual who is positive for COVID-19 to build a contact list. The interviewers will then reach out to individuals who have potentially been exposed to the virus and ask them to get a coronavirus test and quarantine.

Where will people who have possibly been exposed to coronavirus be tested?

Faculty, staff, and students who are informed they may have been exposed to coronavirus will be directed to contact their primary health care provider for a test. Students may also be directed to the Madsen Health Center's student clinic. HRE staff are supporting these efforts for students who live in residence halls.

All campus community members should quarantine while awaiting test results.

I think I have symptoms of COVID-19. Who can I reach out to for advice and guidance?

The university has established the Health and Testing Questions Hotline to answer questions about symptoms, testing, and contact tracing of COVID-19. That number is 801-587-0712. Other questions related to COVID-19 impacts on-campus operations may be directed to the General Campus Questions Hotline at 801-213-2874.

• Face coverings (covering with two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric) are required inside university buildings and in outdoor public settings where physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
• Face coverings must cover both the nose and the mouth. Plastic face shields do not meet this requirement but may be worn in conjunction with a cloth mask.
• Wash your face coverings often.
• All personnel must complete the online returning to campus safely course on Bridge (login with your uNID).

• Maintain at least 6 feet of separation as often as possible. If this is not possible, face coverings must be worn.
• Minimize face-to-face contacts and avoid large gatherings.
• In-person interactions should be limited to fewer than 20 people while maintaining 6 feet of separation at all times.

• Wear a face covering. Homemade and purchased cloth face coverings and disposable face coverings are acceptable and should be worn whenever inside buildings and outside when 6 feet of physical distancing is not possible. The covering should fully cover your mouth and nose and fit snugly against your face without gaps.
• Wash cloth face coverings after every use using regular detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting. Disposable masks should only be used for one day and placed in the trash after use.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When inside campus buildings, maintain 6 feet of physical distance (about two arm lengths) between you and other people.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing, or touching your face. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the inside of your elbow (if you don’t have a tissue) when coughing or sneezing. Used tissues should be disposed of in the trash. You should immediately wash your hands or exposed elbow with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects daily. Wipe down tables, workstations, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, telephones, cellphones, keyboards, etc. Items such as keyboards and mice can be sanitized with 70% alcohol wipes to avoid damaging electronics.
• Avoid using someone else’s equipment. Don’t use other individuals’ phones, desks, offices, work tools, and equipment when possible. Clean and disinfect them before and after use.
• Monitor your health daily. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19. Take your temperature if you develop symptoms.

COVID - 19 SYMPTOMS

• Remote work should continue to be encouraged.
• Whenever possible, temporary work adjustments should be made for employees in high-risk categories.
• Take steps to minimize the number of individuals in the office at any given time, such as rotating shifts and staggering schedules.

More information from human resources