FAQ
Testing Positive and Isolation/Close Contact Quarantine
Testing Positive and Isolation/Close Contact Quarantine
Testing Positive
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Immediately isolate. Isolation usually lasts 10 days and possibly up to 14 days. You'll stay in your room or home for the duration of your isolation (with the exception of evacuating the building for a life-threatening emergency).
You can also begin making a list of potential close contacts for use during the clinical intake process. (A “close contact” is defined by the CDC as “any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes.”) Although you may feel concerned for your possible close contacts, please don’t start reaching out to those on your list. Take care of yourself and leave it to the experts to decide who needs to be called.
HUHS will call you; please answer their call promptly and questions truthfully. If you do not hear from them, call 617-495-5711.
You will not be testing during isolation. An individual who tests positive will not be tested again for 90 days following the positive results.
At the end of your isolation period, HUHS will notify you of your release date and time.
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The patient, HUHS, and HBS are notified of a positive case at the same time. This information is considered confidential, and shared only on a need-to-know basis (e.g., to provide support to the patient). We will not share the names of those who have tested positive with the HBS community.
Only those who have had close contact with the patient will be contacted by HUHS or the Department of Public Health. If you aren’t contacted, you are not deemed to have an increased risk of exposure to the patient.
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At this time, HBS does not plan to have its own version of the University-wide COVID-19 Dashboard. Protecting the privacy of individuals who test positive is paramount. Because of the relatively small number of students at each school, providing school-specific info can create the potential for individuals to be identified, which we seek to avoid. Any HBS community members who might need to quarantine because of clinically-defined contact with someone who tested positive will be contacted as part of the HUHS contact tracing protocol.
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The anonymity of those who test positive is paramount. If you learn their identity from them or through friends, please respect their privacy so they can focus completely on their health.
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Hybrid classrooms are configured to meet rigorous air exchange specifications and so that all individuals are 6 feet apart and wearing masks. Being in a classroom together would not constitute close contact unless individuals moved to within 6 feet of each other for 15 minutes or more.
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A close contact is defined by the CDC as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. Indoors or outdoors, mask or no mask has no bearing on someone being a close contact. Time and distance are the relevant values Harvard University Health Services considers when determining close contact.
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No. The positive result is a confirmed diagnosis. An individual who tests positive will not be tested again for 90 days following the positive results.
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The Broad and Color haven't released data on the false positive rate. The PCR test for COVID-19 works by detecting genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The genetic material from SARS-CoV-2 is unique and cannot be confused with the genetic material from other viruses, so the COVID-19 diagnostic test is highly specific. This means it almost never gives a false positive.
The positive result is a reliable diagnosis and retesting is not clinically indicated. A negative retest is not an indicator of a false positive result and will not change your positive case status or shorten your isolation period.
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See above. The PCR test for COVID-19 works by detecting genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which means a positive test will occur very soon after infection.
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Yes. A person who tests positive will not be tested again for 90 days following the positive results.
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After contacting the person who tested positive, HUHS clinicians begin the contact tracing investigation in accordance with DPH guidelines. They work with DPH to reach out to close contacts within the Harvard community and refer to external DPH agencies for contacts outside of our community.
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The contact tracers decide who is a “close contact” and will reach out to those individuals. If you are not contacted but believe you meet the criteria of "within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes," you should feel free to return home and can contact HUHS at (617) 495-5711 to discuss your situation.
You may also log into Crimson Clear and answer that you have been in close contact with a COVID positive person. A clinician from HUHS will call you to follow-up.
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Follow the guidance provided by the contact tracer, which is usually asking you to return to your residence immediately and begin quarantine. HUHS will provide clinical monitoring and SAS will provide support for the duration of your quarantine period. Feel free to contact SAS at 1-617-495-6087, 8am-5pm, Mon.-Fri., or sas@hbs.edu for support. During your quarantine period you may not leave your residence unless authorized by HUHS. Do not move around or come to campus or attend any in-person activities.
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The contact tracers work from 8am to midnight each day. When they are notified of a case, they contact the patient and begin the investigation (this is why it is important that, if you are determined to have a positive test, you respond to the call from HUHS). You will be contacted by HUHS if you are deemed to be a close contact.
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You won’t know unless you’ve been contacted – but contract tracing will be completed as expeditiously as possible as part of a comprehensive public health strategy that seeks to inform and isolate positive cases and their close contacts quickly.
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You should answer the Crimson Clear questions honestly, which likely will result in a message asking that you call HUHS at 617.495.5711. They will discuss with you what your next steps should be.
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The HU COVID-19 testing dashboard reports the current caseload across the University; it is not reported by individual school.
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In an effort to protect the patient’s privacy, there will be no school-wide, section-wide communication, or individual faculty communication. Instead, those deemed close contacts will be reached out to individually.
Isolation and close contact quarantine
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No, only an HUHS clinician can release you from isolation or close contact quarantine. End dates are determined by CDC and DPH guidelines and are not negotiable. Traveling during isolation or quarantine, even if you are asymptomatic, poses a risk to others given your confirmed positive diagnosis or exposure.
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Yes, because all students are in private rooms, those living in HBS residence halls may stay in their room. Others who live in apartments or off-campus settings may isolate while living with others. Refer to handout for more information.
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No. An individual who tests positive will not be tested again for 90 days following the positive results.
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According to the US CDC, typically, a person develops symptoms 5 days after being infected, but symptoms can appear as early as 2 days after infection or as late as 14 days after infection. Clinicians from HUHS will determine your quarantine and isolation discharge date for your wellness and the wellness of the community.
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HUHS takes a clinical approach to the community and will not discharge someone from quarantine or isolation if they pose a risk to the community. The anonymity of those who test positive is paramount. If you learn their identity from them or through friends, please respect their privacy so they can focus completely on their health.
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If you live in the residence halls, kits will be delivered to you so you can test at home and then drop your kit off at a designated collection point. If you live off campus, you’ll pick up your kit, test in a private area, and drop it off at a collection point.
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The clinicians from HUHS will monitor your health during your isolation or quarantine period daily and will discharge you according to their protocols. You may not end quarantine or isolation until you are discharged by HUHS.
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This information is considered confidential, and shared only on a need-to-know basis (e.g., to provide support to the patient). We will not share the names of those who have tested positive with the HBS community and will not notify faculty of cases in their classes.
You will only be notified if you are deemed a close contact (as defined above). Hybrid classrooms are configured to meet rigorous air exchange specifications and so that all individuals are 6 feet apart and wearing masks. Being in class together would not constitute close contact unless individuals moved to within 6 feet of each other for 15 minutes or more.
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If you live in the HBS residence halls, meals will be delivered to your doorstep for the duration of your quarantine or isolation period. Contact Housing at 617-495-6017 to initiate the process, and order meals through CaterTrax.
If you need other items, we encourage use of delivery services or online retailers. OSS will deliver the items to your doorstep during your quarantine or isolation period.
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Isolation usually lasts 10 days and possibly up to 14 days. You'll stay in your room or home for the duration of your isolation (with the exception of evacuating the building for a life-threatening emergency).
At the end of your isolation period, HUHS will notify you of your release date and time.
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Individuals asked to isolate or quarantine as part of contact tracing efforts are not permitted to come to campus until they have been released from quarantine/isolation by HUHS.
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During your quarantine period you may not leave your residence unless authorized by HUHS. Do not move around or come to campus or attend any in-person activities.
If you live in the residence halls, kits will be delivered to you so you can test at home and then drop your kit off at a designated collection point. If you live off campus, you’ll pick up your kit, test in a private area, and drop it off at a collection point.
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If you live in a residence hall, you should do Crimson Clear when you pick up or drop off test kits. Otherwise you should be staying in your room or home so you don’t need to do Crimson Clear.
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No, quarantine is required.
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Separate yourself from others to keep your germs from spreading.
- If your symptoms change or worsen, call your health care provider and tell them if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
- If you need to see your health care provider, do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares to get to your appointment and be sure to wear mask. Consider riding your bike or walking instead.
- Stay at home and use a separate bedroom and bathroom if possible.
- Stay at least 6 feet away from other people in the house, and wear a mask while when outside of your room.
- Do not come to campus, go to work or run errands.
- Do not have any visitors during this time.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Do not share eating or drinking utensils with anyone.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
- Clean surfaces that you touch every day with a household disinfectant.
- Make a list of everyone you have been close to (within 6 feet of for at least 15 minutes) since you first got sick, be available by phone and cooperate with contact tracers.
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If the circumstances do not allow you to quarantine or isolate at home (e.g., you have a high-risk roommate or family member) contact SAS at 1-617-495-6087, 8am-5pm, Mon.-Fri., or sas@hbs.edu.
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We are here to support you. Contact SAS at 1-617-495-6087, 8am-5pm, Mon.-Fri., or sas@hbs.edu.
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According to the CDC, isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick, while quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. HUHS will provide detailed instructions depending on which you are required to do.
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The key difference is that a close contact quarantine is monitored by HUHS, who will discharge you according to their protocols. A travel quarantine is self-monitored.
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Clinicians from HUHS will determine your quarantine and isolation discharge date, so please follow their instructions and guidance. HUHS clinicians set quarantine and isolation discharge dates in accordance with CDC and Public Health guidelines. End dates are not negotiable and may change based upon your clinical presentation. Close contact quarantine typically lasts around 14 days* and isolation period is determined by when exposure likely occurred. Please note that these are both different from travel quarantine.
*Close contact quarantine may be shortened to at least 10 days, provided all of the following are satisfied:
- You have not had, and do not have, any symptoms;
- you are tested on day 8 of your quarantine period or later using a molecular diagnostic test (such as Color) to detect the presence of the virus;
- you receive a negative test result; and
- you monitor yourself for symptoms for the full 14 days. If you develop symptoms you should contact your health care provider and be re-tested.
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If you have previously tested positive for COVID-19, you are still subject to the HBS travel quarantine protocol before returning to campus. Although you will not be required to test until you pass your 90-day window, you should quarantine in your residence for 7 days. If you experience any symptoms during this time, please contact HUHS.
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