COVID-19: How to Isolate and Notify Close Contacts for Health Care Workers

Do not go out, except for emergencies or when recommended by a medical professional. If you must leave your home, try to do so during off-hours and avoid places where people are congregating. Additionally:

• Maintain distance (~ 6 feet or 2 meters) from others. If you must pass through a common space in your home, wear a mask and try to avoid common spaces if others are present.
• Arrange for groceries, items from a food pantry, or take-out food to be delivered to you.
• Consider laundry and dry-cleaning services that have contact-less drop-off.
• If possible, seek out someone who can assist you with getting packages or other deliveries from the lobby.
• Partners and spouses should not have shared sleeping arrangements during isolation or quarantine.
• If sharing a bathroom, the person who is isolating should clean and disinfect the frequently touched surfaces in the bathroom after each use.
• Do not use public transit.
• If you have a pet, be sure to have supplies and care for them too. Arrange for friends or professional services to walk your dog for you.

If you MUST go outside:

• Wear a well-fitted, non-cloth face covering at all times.
• Maintain distance (~ 6 feet or 2 meters) from others.

Isolating in On-Campus Housing

If you are living in an on-campus apartment, you should stay in your private bedroom as much as possible. Wear a mask when entering shared spaces and wipe down high-touch areas with disinfecting wipes frequently.

Contact housingservices@cumc.columbia.edu if:

• You are a resident of 50 Haven.
• You have concerns about your ability to safely isolate.  

You will want to have the following personal items:

• Enough clean clothes and bedding for at least 10 days
• Your cell phone, laptop, and any chargers
• Self-care kit
• Any toiletries you use
• Eyewear (glasses, contacts)
• Any prescription and non-prescription medications
• Food and supplies for your pets

Create a self-care kit that contains:

• Digital thermometer (for daily use)
• Hand sanitizer (for times you can’t wash)
• Disinfecting wipes (for cleaning, as needed)
• Refillable water bottle (stay hydrated!)
• Daily Temperature and Symptom Log

Keep track of any symptoms and watch for these symptoms in particular:

• Fever (above 100.4°F)
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Monitoring Your Symptoms

Please take your temperature twice daily and record your symptoms on the Daily Temperature and Symptom Log.

If your symptoms are mild and you have no underlying health conditions that put you at higher risk for more severe illness, please continue to isolate, monitor your symptoms, and reach out to Medical Services at 212-305-3400 (option 1 during buisness hours and option 8 after hours) or your medical provider if you need assistance.

If any of the following applies to you, please schedule a telehealth appointment with Medical Services via the Student Health Portal as soon as possible:

• You are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccination or have never been vaccinated. Individuals who are unvaccinated or not up to date may be at higher risk for more severe illness.
• You have an underlying health condition that puts you at higher risk for more severe illness.
• You have severe or concerning symptoms.

If you are experiencing serious or critical symptoms (e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, etc.), call 911 immediately. 

If you have questions or an urgent concern and Student Health on Haven is closed, please call our after-hours service by dialing 212-305-3400, option 8 for medical concerns, and option 7 for mental health concerns.

A close contact is defined as someone who has been within 6 feet for at least 10 consecutive minutes OR within 6 feet for at least 15 cumulative minutes over a 24-hour period of someone with a confirmed positive COVID-19 test during that person’s infectious period.

If you have been in close contact with anyone during your infectious period, you should notify these close contacts immediately, so that they are aware and can take appropriate next steps. 

If the close contact is ASYMPTOMATIC, regardless of vaccination/booster status:

• They do not need to quarantine.
• Testing is recommended no sooner than 5 days after they were last exposed. Asymptomatic close contacts can schedule testing with any facility that offers COVID-19 testing or use at an at-home antigen test. If they test positive, they should immediately isolate.
• Antigen testing does not definitively rule out the possibility of COVID-19 infection; read more about the FDA recommendations for serial antigen testing to improve test accuracy.
• Continue to wear a well-fitting mask anytime you are around others and in indoor public spaces for at least 10 days

If the close contact is SYMPTOMATIC, regardless of vaccination/booster status:

• They should schedule a COVID-19 test or take an at-home antigen test as soon as possible and isolate while waiting for their results.
• Reinfections are possible with new COVID-19 sub-variants, so if a close contact develops new symptoms after recent COVID-19 infection (within the last 90 days), they should obtain antigen testing and begin isolation if they test positive.
• Symptomatic contacts can schedule testing with any off-campus facility that offers testing or use an at-home antigen test. CUIMC students can schedule a telehealth appointment with Medical Services through the Student Health Portal.
  • If their test is positive, they should isolate for at least 5 days. Day 0 is the day of their positive test.
  • If their PCR test is negative, they may return to work and class when their symptoms subside and should mask indoors where required and in crowded spaces outdoors and continue to monitor symptoms over the next 10 days.
  • If their first at-home antigen test is negative, they should test again in 48 hours. If their second test is also negative, they may return to work and class when their symptoms subside and should mask indoors where required and in crowded spaces outdoors and continue to monitor symptoms over the next 10 days. Antigen testing does not definitively rule out the possibility of COVID-19 infection; read more about the FDA recommendations for serial antigen testing to improve test accuracy.

Please reach out to your school or program leadership to help you plan for how to navigate your academic and research obligations during isolation.

After you have completed 5-10 days of isolation, you are not required to have proof of a negative test prior to returning to campus activities and/or living on campus.

Clinical students concerned about exposures in clinical spaces should reach out to their program supervisors or preceptors for additional guidance in discerning close contacts that should be notified.   

Although each person reacts differently to stressful situations that require changes in location or behavior, especially in isolation or quarantine, some common reactions include:

• Anxiety, worry, or fear related to your health status or that of others
• Anger or resentment at the inconvenience
• Worry about not having your things with you or not doing your usual routine
• Uncertainty or concern about how long you will need to remain in this situation
• Relief at having some alone time to rest and catch up on reading
• Loneliness or feeling cut off from life experiences
• Boredom and frustration
• Sadness or depression
• Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder

For support during this challenging time, please reach out to CUIMC Counseling Services at 212-305-3400 (option 7), available 24/7. We offer our full range of services, including individual and group sessions, virtually to all CUIMC students in isolation. 24/7/365 counseling support via chat and phone is also available through TELUS Health Student Support (formerly My SSP).

If any of the following applies to you, please contact Medical Services to schedule a telehealth appointment via the Student Health Portal as soon as possible:

• You are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccination or have never been vaccinated against COVID-19. You may be at higher risk of more severe illness.
• You have an underlying health condition that puts you at higher risk for more severe illness.
• You have severe or concerning symptoms.

If you are experiencing serious or critical symptoms (e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, etc.), call 911 immediately. 

If you have questions or an urgent concern and Student Health on Haven is closed, please call our after-hours service by dialing 212-305-3400, option 8 for medical concerns, and option 7 for mental health concerns.

Read more about New York City-sponsored resources for residents impacted by COVID-19.