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