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Positive Diagnosis or Exposure during COVID-19

About This Policy
Effective Date: July 9, 2020
Last Updated: February 17, 2022
Responsible University Office: Human Resources
Responsible University Administrator: Chief Inclusion and Human Resources Officer		 Policy Contact:

Human Resources
clarksonhr@clarkson.edu

Applies to

This Policy applies to all Faculty and Staff across all University departments, Institutes, Centers and Schools. 

Purpose

To ensure that University processes and protocols are in place to address different potential scenarios with the objective of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure safety of our employees and the Clarkson community. 

Definition of Terms

Isolation: Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19 and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay home until it is safe for them to be around others. In the home, anyone sick or infected should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom (if available).

Quarantine: Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others**.** Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. Based on their vaccination status, people in quarantine may be required to stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department. Quarantine is a strategy used to prevent transmission of COVID-19 by keeping people who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 apart from others.

Length of Isolation & Quarantine: Click here for latest NYS guidance on isolation & quarantine.

Fully vaccinated: For persons 18 and older, a primary series consists of a 2-dose series of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine (Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine). Please see CDC Guidance for more details. CDC recommends that people remain up to date with their vaccines, which includes additional doses for individuals who are immunocompromised or booster doses at regular time points. As per the quarantine guidelines, individuals are required to quarantine if not fully vaccinated, or fully vaccinated and eligible for a booster but not yet boosted. The CDC has also issued guidance on people who are vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines that are not currently approved in the U.S.

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot: According to CDC, a “booster dose” refers to another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who built enough protection after vaccination, but then that protection decreased over time (this is called waning immunity). CDC now recommends that individuals 12 years and older are now eligible to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot, and individuals 18 years and older are eligible to receive the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. Get more information and read COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots | CDC.

**Close Contact: **The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) defines close contact as someone who was less 6 feet away from an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). An infected person can spread SARS-CoV-2 starting 2 days before they have any symptoms (or, for asymptomatic people, 2 days before the positive specimen collection date). Please see CDC link for more information (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/appendix.html#contact).

Procedures

To ensure the continued safety of all employees and to prevent the spread of COVID 19, employees must notify Human Resources immediately if issued by a government entity to quarantine and/or isolate or if they come down with symptoms of the coronavirus. 

Human Resources is the first point of contact and as needed supervisors will be updated. Please contact Human Resources  by calling 315.268.6497 or email clarksonhr@clarkson.edu.

Protocols for different scenarios are explained below:

Employee has been tested positive with COVID -19

Employee has been in close contact with someone who is symptomatic or tested positive.

Who do they report to?

  • Employee to notify Human Resources immediately.

Next Steps:

Human Resources contacts the Supervisor as needed. 

  • Employees must self-isolate or self-quarantine as per NYS guidelines. Must be symptom free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and have improvement of other symptoms before returning to work.

    • Isolation after positive test: People who are confirmed to have COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19 need to isolate regardless of their vaccination status. Individuals are required to isolate for 5 days, where day 0 is the day of symptom onset and/or the day of a positive test result. Isolation ends after 5 full days if the individual is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and other symptoms have improved. Those individuals should continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for an additional 5 days.
    • Quarantine after exposure: individuals who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated or are eligible for a booster but have not yet received must quarantine for 5 days – where day 0 is the last day of exposure – provided symptoms do not appear. Those individuals should continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for an additional five days. If symptoms develop, get tested immediately and isolate until test results arrive. If test result is positive, follow recommendations laid out for Isolation.
    • Quarantine after exposure: individuals who are fully vaccinated and boosted (if they are eligible) are not required to quarantine but should wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days. Anyone who has had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (tested positive using a viral test, e.g. antigen or PCR) are also not required to quarantine but should wear a mask around others for 10 days.
    • DOH recommends that quarantined individuals obtain a PCR or antigen test on day 5 after their exposure. If test is positive or if symptoms develop, individuals are recommended to isolate from other people and follow isolation guidance. Anyone who had COVID-19 within the last 90 days and has since recovered and remained symptom free, does not need to get tested after close contact with someone with COVID-19.
  • If isolating or quarantining, individuals must submit the Affirmation of Isolation Form or the Affirmation of Quarantine Form, or any additional documentation received from the issuing authority to Human Resources. Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps. 
  • Employees should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation.
  • Inquire if NYS Paid Leave Options for COVID-19 are available if applicable.
  • Authorized personnel will perform the tasks of cleaning and disinfecting all potential contaminated areas. Please also refer to the Cleaning and Disinfecting during COVID-19 policy.

Employee is symptomatic upon arrival at work or becomes sick during the day at work.

Who do they report to?

  • The employee needs to notify Human Resources immediately. 

Next Steps:

  • Employee should be separated from other employees and must go home immediately.
  • Human Resources informs the supervisor as needed. 
  • Employee should monitor for symptoms and if they experience any of the specified COVID-19 symptoms, they should first contact their physician or healthcare provider. If they are diagnosed with presumptive or confirmed COVID-19 at any time, they should self-isolate. At least 24 hours should have passed since recovery, which is defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in other symptoms before returning to work.
  • If they are unwell due to non-COVID-19 related illnesses/symptoms, they are required to follow Clarkson University’s sick policy as per the Operations Manual (OM 8.3.5 Sick Leave – Administrative, Supervisory, and General Staff).
  • Employees sick with COVID-19 should follow CDC-recommended steps. 
  • Employees should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation.
  • Inquire if NYS Paid Leave Options for COVID-19 are available, if applicable.
  • Authorized personnel will perform the tasks of cleaning and disinfecting all potential contaminated areas, as required. Please also refer to the Cleaning and Disinfecting during COVID-19 policy.

What if an employee does not self-report, but the employer notices the employee exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19?

  • Supervisor informs Clarkson Human Resources immediately at 315-268-6497 / clarksonhr@Clarkson.edu.
  • Employee self-isolates or quarantines, if required as perNYS guidelines. Must be symptom free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and have improvement of other symptoms before returning to work.
  • Inquire if NYS Paid Leave Options for COVID-19 are available if applicable.
  • Authorized personnel will perform the tasks of cleaning and disinfecting all potential contaminated areas, as required. Please also refer to the Cleaning and Disinfecting during COVID-19 policy.

What should an employee do if they suspect a co-worker of being ill and reporting to on-campus work?

  • Employees who suspect another employee is ill should notify their supervisor of the situation and the supervisor will follow required guidelines. 
  • Employees who are presumed sick with COVID-19 may be asked to follow the potential exposure protocol for COVID-19, which is self-isolating or quarantining as per NYS guidelines.

Please note that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, fully vaccinated or not, should isolate themselves from others, be evaluated by their Health Care Provider for COVID-19 and get tested, if necessary.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html

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