UTMB Employee and Student COVID-19 Information

COVID - Employee/Student Guidelines

• Exposed Employees and Students

  Tracking exposures and ensuring timely testing are essential to protecting our workforce, students, patients and visitors. The following requirements apply, regardless of vaccination status.  

  • Summary of testing/isolation requirements

  1. Employees and students who have a high-risk COVID exposure (i.e. both infected and exposed person are unmasked) at home, or at work (as determined by Infection Control staff using a workplace exposure assessment), may work on-site as follows:
  • Regardless of vaccination status:
  • The individual may continue to work while self-monitoring for symptoms for next 10 days.
  • They must wear a fit-tested N-95 mask, well-fitting KN95 mask or double medical masks.
  • They should not have any unmasked exposure to anyone at work, including during meal breaks.
  • No COVID test is required if the individual remains asymptomatic.
  • If the person becomes symptomatic, they must isolate at home. A COVID molecular test must be performed immediately, and they may not return on-site unless the test result is negative. If result is positive, above conditions for return-to-work for an infected health care worker will apply.
  2. Low-risk exposures for employees and students: Low risk exposure is when both the infected person and the exposed person are masked during their interaction. Such exposures do not require follow up from Infection Control unless symptoms develop.
  • Exposed individuals should self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days and may remain on-site while asymptomatic.
  • All exposed individuals, if they become symptomatic, must have a rapid molecular test performed and not remain on-site until the test result is available.
  3. Employees who test positive—regardless of job duties or symptoms—are not permitted to work on-site until they satisfy the ‘return on-site’ conditions as below.
  4. Students who test positive must self-isolate and contact Student Health immediately.
  5. Cluster exposures and follow up recommendations are determined by Infection Control and will be communicated to local leadership as necessary.
  6. Please note that results of home tests do not meet the requirement. See the Testing webpage for information on how to schedule the appropriate test.

  Updated 9/30/22

• Return On-Site After Infection

  The following protocols help ensure the safety of our workforce, students, patients and visitors, and are consistent with the most recent guidelines from the CDC.

  Employees and Students Providing Direct Patient Care or Directly Supporting Health Care Operations

  These individuals are required to self-schedule a COVID antigen test for Day 5 after symptom onset if symptomatic, or Day 5 from first positive test date if asymptomatic. (See this information for self-scheduling instructions.)

  • If the antigen test is negative, or if the antigen test is positive and the employee or student is asymptomatic at the time of the test:
    • Students must be cleared by Student Health
    • Employees should notify their supervisor and return to work immediately. Employees do NOT need to notify Employee Health for clearance in this case.
    • These employees and students must adhere to the following additional precautions while at work for an additional 5 days.
      • Must use a KN95 mask, N95 mask or double medical masks
      • Must take breaks alone in a separate room and cannot have any unmasked interactions
      • Antigen-positive individuals cannot care for immunocompromised patients or directly with patients within the neonatal ICU units (Galveston and CLC). They may:
        • Schedule a repeat antigen test at day 7 and return to work if negative, symptoms have improved and they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
        • Those who are antigen-positive at both 5 and 7 days may return to work at 10 days without an additional test if symptoms are improved and they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
  • If the antigen test is negative and the employee or student remains symptomatic:
    • Return to work if symptoms do not interfere with work duties.
    • Follow the masking, isolation and work safety precautions outlined above.
    • Employees should contact their manager to discuss their return to work situation.
    • Students should contact Student Health to discuss their situation.
  • If the antigen test is positive and the employee or student is symptomatic:
    • Notify the supervisor and Employee Health by email at emphlthc@utmb.edu or Student Health Services at stdwappt@UTMB.EDU.
    • Continue to isolate at home and return to work/campus after 10 days, if without fever for 24 hours and symptoms have improved.
    • A repeat antigen testing is not required prior to return-to-work/campus after 10 days of isolation.
    • Severely immunocompromised employees and students who have improved should return to work after 10 days of home isolation and must adhere to above safety precautions for an additional 10 days.

  Employees and Students Who Do NOT Provide Direct Patient Care/Directly Support Health Care Operations

  These individuals can return to work/campus 5 days after their first positive COVID test for those without symptoms OR after onset of symptoms if there has been no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, and other symptoms are improving.

  • Students must be cleared by Student Health.
  • Employees should notify their supervisor and return to work immediately. Employees do NOT need to notify Employee Health for clearance in this case.
  • Use KN95 or double medical masks at all times while in UTMB facilities, for 5 days after returning on-site.
  • You cannot have any unmasked interactions with others for 5 days after returning on-site. This includes taking breaks alone in a separate room and not eating in the presence of others.

  Employees and students who have not improved or still have fever at Day 5 must remain at home and not report to work or classroom on site for and additional 5 days. Employees and students must notify their supervisors or Student Health (if they are a student) if unable to return at Day 5.

  Severely immunocompromised employees and students who have remained asymptomatic or have improved should return to work after 10 days of home isolation and must adhere to above safety precautions for an additional 10 days.

  Updated 1/25/23

• Sick Employees and Students

  Many COVID symptoms are also associated with allergies, colds and other minor conditions. During a surge in COVID cases, it is important to consider COVID as a possible cause of these or other symptoms.

  Do not come to work, clinicals or class on-site if you are unwell for any reason. Go home if you become ill while on-site. Do not dismiss symptoms—even mild ones—until COVID infection is ruled out. Common symptoms seen in individuals who test positive for COVID are:

  • Persistent headache lasting longer than 48 hours
  • Runny nose
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion
  • Sneezing
  • Muscle aches
  • Gastrointestinal distress
  • Loss of sense of smell and/or taste
  • Fever
  • A new cough

  Testing is recommended at the onset of any of these symptoms, regardless of vaccination status or lack of a known exposure. 

  Updated 9/30/22

• Testing

  Screening/Diagnostic Testing After Exposure or Onset of Symptoms

  There are several options for obtaining an acceptable COVID test. 

  If you do not schedule through UTMB clinics or Employee Health or Student Health, provide a copy of the results via email to employeehealth@utmb.edu or studenthealth@utmb.edu. Results of home tests are not acceptable. . A negative antigen test must be confirmed by a molecular test. Positive antigen tests are acceptable.

  • Self-schedule online
  • Use MyChart to schedule online.
  • Scheduled COVID testing is available in all UTMB urgent care ;locations 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week (holidays hours may differ).
  • UTMB Employees: Contact Employee Health at (409) 747-9172 emphlthc@utmb.edu.
  • UTMB Students: Call Student Health: (409) 747-9508 stdwappt@utmb.edu.

  Return-to-Work/Campus Antigen Testing

  UTMB employees who provide direct patient care or directly support health care operations should self-schedule a back-to-work antigen test for Day 5 as soon as they test positive to ensure ability to get the Day 5 test in a timely manner.

  • Self-schedule online on UTMB MyChart by selecting "UTMB Employee Covid-19 screening" in the appointment scheduling section.
  • If an appointment time is not available for Day 5, some walk-in times and locations for Employee Back-to-Work antigen testing are available:
  • Angleton Urgent Care, 2309 West Mulberry Street, Monday through Sunday 9 a.m.-Noon
  • League City Campus Urgent Care, Medical Plaza One, 4th Floor, Monday through Sunday 9 a.m.-Noon  
  • Galveston Campus Primary Care Pavilion, 400 Harborside Drive (park behind the building), Entrance C, Suite 110, Monday through Sunday 7:30 a.m.-Noon

  UTMB students engaged in direct patient care or supporting health care operations should contact Student Health Services at (409) 747-9508 stdwappt@utmb.edu to schedule the antigen test.

  Important Note: Tests performed at home are not acceptable for return-to-work/campus. However, copies of antigen test results from external qualified laboratories or clinics will be accepted. Send copies to Employee or Student Health. Molecular tests, if negative, are acceptable; however, a positive repeat molecular test will require an antigen test.

  Updated 9/30/22

• COVID Positive

  • All employees and students with COVID-19 infection MUST immediately report the COVID diagnosis to their supervisor, and Employee Health (409-747-9172) or Student Health  (409-747-9508) for guidance on returning to work/school on-site.
  • Employees testing positive outside of UTMB MUST email a copy of their results to Employee Health at emphlthc@utmb.edu. Employee Health will notify Infection Control of the positive result.
  • Students testing positive outside of UTMB MUST email a copy of their results to Student Health at stdwappt@utmb.edu.
  • Infection Control staff will collaborate with Employee Health and Student Health to identify positive staff and employees.

  Updated 9/30/22

• Compliance

  Employees

  An employee who does not schedule the required COVID test within the recommended time frame after exhibiting symptoms OR has been instructed to be tested as part of a workplace cluster outbreak investigation and reports to work without being tested:

  • Will be presumed positive and removed from on-site duty for at least 5 days, even if they feel well OR have been fully vaccinated; AND
  • Will use personal sick/vacation accruals (or leave without pay if accruals are not sufficient) for the 10-day period, unless they are able and authorized to work from home (scheduled leave will not be granted to any employee who does not follow the required testing process for exposed individuals); AND
  • Will be subject to disciplinary action for failure to follow instructions and adhere to safety protocols.

  Students

  All students, regardless of vaccination status, who are exposed or have symptoms MUST contact Student Health as soon as possible. Any student who does not schedule the required COVID test within the recommended time frame, as determined by Student Health, after a known exposure OR who exhibits symptoms and reports to school without being tested:

  • Will be presumed positive and placed on isolation and not allowed to participate in their academic program in person for at least 5 days, even if they have no symptoms and even if they have been fully vaccinated; AND
  • Will be subject to disciplinary action for failure to follow instructions and adhere to safety protocols up to and including dismissal.

  Updated 9/30/22