Current Health Issues

What to do if you test positive for COVID-19

 If you have COVID-19 symptoms and need a COVID-19 PCR test, or if you have tested positive:

• Employees: notify your manager and call Employee Health (508-793-6400)
• Students: call Student Health (508-334-2818).

Anyone with symptoms should have a PCR test; negative at-home rapid tests may not be relied upon to rule out COVID-19 infection.

 Clinical employees (residents and dually employed physicians) with symptoms do not need to contact Employee Health to obtain a COVID-19 PCR test. They should report their symptoms in the clinical self-reporting tool and may order a COVID-19 PCR themselves (see HUB for details).

 For UMass Chan employees:

 If your COVID-19 PCR test is NEGATIVE, you may return to work if you meet all of the following conditions:

• No fever in the last 24 hours without having taken acetaminophen/Tylenol, aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen
• No diarrhea or vomiting
• No persistent cough

 If your COVID-19 test is POSITIVE, you may return to work without waiting for a call from Employee Health and without taking a second COVID-19 test if you meet all of the following conditions:

• It has been more than 5 days since your positive test. The day you take the COVID-19 test is Day 0. Your earliest return to work is Day 6. For example, if you test positive on Feb. 1, you could return to work on Feb. 7.
• No fever in the last 24 hours without having taken acetaminophen/Tylenol, aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen
• No diarrhea or vomiting
• No persistent cough
• You are fully vaccinated and boosted

 In addition, the following steps must be taken following a positive test:

 On days 6-10, you must wear a KN95 or N95 mask while in any Medical School facility. During this time, you may only remove your mask briefly (15 minutes or less) while eating and should consume any food while alone or at least 10-feet from others. Departments should order their own supplies of KN95 or N95 masks as needed, through BuyWays. Please note: in hospital/clinic spaces, a surgical mask remains the minimum requirement.

UMass Chan employees should inform Employee Health when they have returned to work by sending an email with their name and date of birth to Employee_Health_COVID-19_mailbox@umassmemorial.org.

Abstain from COVID-19 PCR testing for 90 days after onset of symptoms or a positive test, if asymptomatic. This test may remain positive for a long time and does not indicate that you are infectious. You are also excused from weekly surveillance testing for 90 days. If you should develop symptoms of COVID-19 during that time, please contact Employee Health or Student Health.

For UMass Chan students

 UMass Chan students should email Phillip Fournier, MD, for clearance to return to campus regardless of their COVID-19 PCR result. For those who have had a positive COVID-19 PCR test, when they have been symptom free (as described above) for 24 hours or, if asymptomatic, on Day 5 after a positive test, they would be eligible to receive clearance to return to campus. Email Dr. Fournier at Phillip.fournier@umassmemorial.org and cc: studenthealth@umassmemorial.org.