COVID-19 frequently asked questions

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing respiratory illness in people and others circulating among animals. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can evolve and infect people and then spread between people. Previous coronavirus outbreaks have included severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Community transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to increase locally, in our region and in the United States. Please follow the guidance later in these FAQs on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The Washington State Department of Health has created a Coronavirus call center: 1-800-525-0127. And UW Medicine has created a Coronavirus Information Line where you can hear additional information: 206-520-2285.

Transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) primarily occurs through close person-to-person contact (within about 6 feet) through:

• Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks
• Those respiratory droplets landing in the mouths, noses or eyes or being inhaled into the lungs

COVID-19 can also be spread by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes.

It is important to remember that COVID-19 may be spread by an infected person who is not showing any symptoms and therefor does not know they have the virus.

Scientists and health-care providers are still learning about COVID-19, including how the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 infection are fever, cough and shortness of breath. These can be symptoms of other respiratory illnesses, as well as COVID-19.

Symptoms of COVID-19 infection include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Chills
• Loss of taste or smell
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If you have any of these symptoms, stay home. Contact your health-care provider for medical guidance and to discuss getting tested. You can also contact the Environmental Health & Safety Department Employee Health Center, which can help facilitate testing through UW Medicine.

Please do not show up at a clinic, urgent care, emergency room or other health-care facility without contacting them first. Your provider will need to take special measures to protect other people in the clinic. Telemedicine may also be available, enabling you to consult a provider from home.

Refer to the FAQ “What do I do if I feel sick?” for additional information.

We understand that some community members are concerned. If you would like to talk with someone, support is available to students through campus mental health services:

• Bothell students: Counseling Center
• Seattle students: Let’s Talk, the Counseling Center and Hall Health
  Mental Health
• Tacoma students: Counseling & Psychological Services
• Employees: CareLink

You can help prevent the spread of colds and other viral ailments by doing the following:

• Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and immediately dispose of the tissue.
• Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.

Additionally, physical distancing is vital to slowing the COVID-19 outbreak – don’t gather in groups and maintain 6-feet of distance from other people when you have to be in public.

For current information about this evolving public health situation, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus page.

The Washington State Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus is spread, or what to do if you have symptoms, please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

For local information, visit the following online resources:

• Public Health — Seattle & King County’s blog
• Questions and answers about a novel coronavirus in Washington:
  • Blog
  • 關於華盛頓新型冠狀病毒的問題和解答 (Chinese, Traditional)
  • 关于华盛顿新型冠状病毒的问题和解答 (Chinese, Simplified)
  • Preguntas y respuestas sobre un nuevo coronavirus en Washington (Spanish)
• Tacoma-Pierce County Public Health Department’s Human Coronaviruses page
• Snohomish Health District Novel Coronaviruses page

UW Medicine has also created a Coronavirus Information Line where you can hear additional information: 206-520-2285.

Many of us are concerned about what the people in our communities may be experiencing, including possible stigmatization or discrimination based on racial bias or appearances. Please help others understand that the risk of coronavirus is not at all connected with race, ethnicity or nationality.

As President Ana Mari Cauce wrote, “Our common humanity calls on us now to offer support, empathy and understanding to those most affected by this virus. … All of us, as individuals and as a community, are responsible for treating each other with kindness and empathy. We are best equipped to deal with any threat to health when we work together.”

Stigma doesn’t fight the illness and will hurt innocent people, but sharing accurate information during a time of heightened concern is one of the best things we can do to keep rumor and misinformation from spreading. Public Health — Seattle & King County has compiled resources for combating stigmatization, bias and xenophobia that can be used to prevent and respond to incidents of discrimination. If you know of incidents of bias related to the novel coronavirus, please use the appropriate bias reporting tool to notify the UW:

• UW Bothell Public CARE Report
• Seattle and Health Sciences Bias Reporting Tool
• UW Tacoma Bias Report Form

If you are sick with any potential illness, you must stay home.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 infection are fever, cough and shortness of breath. The CDC also maintains a list of possible COVID-19 symptoms that you should review. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you need to take additional steps to take care of yourself and protect your loved ones:

1. Contact your doctor and ask if you should be tested for COVID-19. UW employees and students can also contact an Employee Health Center, which can help you get tested through UW Medicine. To protect the health of others, do NOT visit a doctor’s office, urgent care clinic or other health facility unless you’ve talked with them in advance about possibly having COVID-19.
2. Notify a UW Employee Health Center as soon as your healthcare provider confirms or suspects COVID-19.
   • UW students, staff, and faculty and other academic personnel from Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma: Contact the EH&S Employee Health Center: covidehc@uw.edu or 206.685.1026.
   • UW Medicine personnel: Contact your site’s Employee Health Center:UWMC – Montlake at 206.598.4848, UWMC – Northwest at 206.668.1625, or Harborview Medical Center at 206.744.3081.
3. Follow public health guidelines to help you recover and protect loved ones from getting sick. These actions include staying home and physically separate from anyone who lives with you, wearing a face covering if you have to be around people, and being stringent about hygiene. Our FAQ, “What do I do if I have confirmed or suspected COVID-19?” has more information about steps that you’ll need to take. You can also learn more from Public Health — Seattle & King Countyand the Washington State Department of Health.

Health contacts by campus

• UW employees, including staff, faculty and other academic personnel: Contact your primary care provider or a  Hall Health Center also offers medical care to faculty and staff.
• UW Seattle students: contact Hall Health Center.
• UW Bothell students: contact your usual health-care provider or a UW Medicine facility.
• UW Tacoma students: Contact your usual health-care provider or Franciscan Prompt Care at St. Joseph.

UW Medicine offers COVID-19 testing for UW employees and UW Medicine patients. UW Employees can contact the Environmental Health & Safety Department Employee Health Center to facilitate testing through UW Medicine. Hall Health Center also offers COVID-19 testing for students, faculty, staff and alumni. A list of free testing locations is available from Public Health — Seattle & King County.

If you have symptoms or questions about whether you are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, talk with your health-care provider about what you can do to minimize risk for you and your loved ones.

COVID-19 testing is recommended for individuals who:

• Are experiencing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 infection, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, chills, loss of taste or smell, headache, muscle aches, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea
• Had close contact with a person who has COVID-19, such as being closer than 6 feet for about 10 minutes, living with or caring for someone with COVID-19, or sharing utensils, kissing or being coughed or sneezed on by the person.

Your health-care provider needs to order COVID-19 testing. There are two types of tests:

1. PCR test (nasal swab): This test checks for a current COVID-19 infection.
2. Antibody test (blood draw): This test checks for antibodies to the virus that causes COVID-19, which your immune system produces in response to infection. If you have been ill, the test is administered at least two weeks after recovery from fever or other symptoms. Read the FAQ “What is an antibody test? for more information.

Multilingual information about COVID-19 testing is available on the Washington State Department of Health Testing for COVID-19 page. You can also contact the Washington COVID-19 Call Center at 1-800-525-0127 or texting 211-211.

If you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19, or your doctor thinks that’s the likely cause of your illness, stay home and notify a University Employee Health Center.

If you have COVID-19, you must take the following steps to protect other people and help you recover:

• Stay home from work, school and all other places except for necessary medical care.
• Rest as much as possible.
• Physically isolate yourself from any people or pets who live with you.
• Wear a face covering if you have to be around other people. Ask other people to wear coverings around you, as well.
• Avoid public transit, taxis, carpools and ride-share services.
• Call your doctor if your symptoms get worse.
• Continue to wash your hands often, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and follow good hygiene.
• Clean high-touch surfaces every day, including counters, doorknobs, cell phones and keyboards.

If you begin to have trouble breathing, or your fever climbs above 103 degrees, call 911 and let them know that you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

You need to stay home and away from others until your symptoms improve, your fever is gone for three full days, AND it’s been at least at least 10 days since your symptoms started. Whether you’ve been tested or not, you’ll need to talk with your doctor and a UW Employee Health Center about when it might be safe to be around other people.

Please notify an Employee Health Center as soon as your health-care provider confirms or suspects COVID-19. This helps us track the UW’s case count and start any contact tracing to help other campus community members minimize their risk of becoming sick and spreading the virus.

• UW students, staff, and faculty and other academic personnel from Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma: Contact the EH&S Employee Health Center: covidehc@uw.edu or 206.685.1026.
• UW Medicine personnel: Contact your site’s Employee Health Center:UWMC – Montlake at 206.598.4848, UWMC – Northwest at 206.668.1625, or Harborview Medical Center at 206.744.3081.

You generally need to have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 to become infected. That means you’ve had prolonged exposure, like living with or caring for someone who has a confirmed diagnosis. You’ve also had close contact if you’ve been within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for around 10 minutes, or if you’ve shared their utensils, kissed them or been coughed or sneezed on by a person with confirmed COVID-19.

Whether or not you have symptoms, you’ll need to stay home for at least 14 days after the last date that you spent time with the ill person. You should also get tested for COVID-19. Notify your doctor and a UW Employee Health Center, which can arrange for testing through UW Medicine.

While you’re staying home, watch for COVID-19 symptoms, which may include a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher, shortness of breath, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, headache, muscle pain, chills, loss of taste or smell, and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If you develop symptoms, keep staying home and contact a University Employee Health Center.

If you’re worried about close contact, you can learn more from Public Health – Seattle & King County and the Washington State Department of Health.

At the UW, you must wear a face covering indoors wherever other people are present. This includes wearing one in common areas such as hallways, stairways, restrooms and elevators. You must also wear a face covering outside whenever it may not be possible to stay 6-foot away from other people. As a reminder, only employees with unit approval may work onsite at this time.

When you wear a face covering, you’re helping to protect other people in your community from COVID-19 and other viruses that can spread through coughs, sneezes and speaking. They can be helpful when you use them along with good hand washing, staying 6 feet or more from other people and staying home whenever you feel sick.

In addition to face coverings, your job may have specific personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements based on factors like how much you interact with other people. If you are a supervisor or unit administrator, EH&S has guidelines to help you determine your team’s needs.

It’s okay to take off your face covering when you’re alone in a private office or work area, or when you’re outside away from other people. Whenever you do wear a face covering, be sure to wash your hands before and after putting it on. Touch only the straps or ties to remove it. Wash your face covering every day that you wear it.

Additional Resources:

• University of Washington COVID-19 Face Covering Policy
• Refer to the University’s Guidance on Facemask Use and Facemasks Focus Sheet for information on the selection, care and use of face masks.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19 includes instructions for making a homemade cloth face covering.
• Public Health — Seattle & King County Directive strongly urges King County residents to wear face coverings in most public settings.
• Public Health — Seattle & King County face covering poster and protect your workers poster
• Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plans and guidance

Hall Health Center remains open. Hall Health Center provides medical and mental health care to current UW students, as well as medical care to UW faculty, staff and alumni.

Medical care

Please call 206.685.1011 to schedule an appointment for medical care, including video visits. Please do not drop in without calling first.

COVID-19 testing at Hall Health Center

COVID-19 related care, including testing, is available at Hall Health Center by appointment only. Please do not drop in without an appointment.

COVID-19 testing is available at a health care provider’s discretion, based on state and federal guidelines. Testing is limited, and not everyone needs to be tested.

There are two types of tests available through Hall Health Center:

• A swab of the nasal cavity, known as a PCR. This test checks to see if you have a current COVID-19 infection. In most cases, Hall Health Center providers order this test for people who have symptoms. If you are currently having symptoms, please call Hall Health Center at 206.685.1011 to schedule a video or phone visit. If your provider thinks it is needed, they will arrange for testing at Hall Health Center clinic or a convenient drive-through testing site, depending on your needs.
• Antibody test, a blood draw. This test looks for antibodies to the virus that causes COVID-19 illness, which your immune system produces in response to infection. It usually takes 1-2 weeks for your body to produce these antibodies after you get sick. The test is not administered until at least two weeks after you have recovered from fever or other symptoms. If you believe you may have had a COVID-19 infection from which you have recovered, please call 206.685.1011 to schedule a video or phone visit. If your provider thinks it is needed, they will order an antibody test and then you visit a UW Medicine lab for the blood draw. Hall Health Center has an on-site lab.

Insurance companies are required to cover the cost of COVID-19 related care, including both PCR and antibody tests when you visit a provider who is contracted with your insurance plan.

To schedule an appointment for a video or in-person visit at Hall Health Center, please call 206.685.1011.

Learn more about Hall Health Center services.

Medical advice for students

Students can access nurse advice by phone by calling 206.616.2517.

Pharmacy

The pharmacy at Hall Health Center remains open. You may arrange for curbside pick-up for prescription medication if desired by calling the pharmacy at 206.685.1011.

Lab

The lab at Hall Health Center also remains open. You need a lab order from a health-care provider prior to coming in for testing. Call Hall Health Center at 206.685.1011 to arrange for an appointment to get a lab order.

Mental health

Mental health services, including crisis support, individual counseling and group therapy, are available to current UW students.

For mental health appointments, contact 206.543.5030 to schedule. Mental health services are available by video or phone, including for students who are self-isolating.

Let’s Talk offers drop-in counseling support for students via video during certain hours. This service is offered jointly by the UW Counseling Center and Hall Health Center.

An antibody test, also known as a serological test, looks for antibodies in the blood that indicate whether a person has been exposed to an infection. Antibodies are generated by a person’s immune system when fighting off infections.

Antibody tests may be useful in understanding if someone was infected in the past, because a positive test can indicate that a person’s immune system has reacted to the virus that causes COVID-19 illness.

Because it may take two weeks or more for antibodies to develop after a person is ill, it is important to remember that antibody tests are not used to diagnose a person who is currently having COVID-19 symptoms.

What are the possible results I may receive from antibody testing?

You may receive a positive or negative result from this test.

• Positive result: If your test result comes back positive, it means you likely had a previous COVID-19 infection. There are some false-positive test results, meaning the test result is positive in someone who did not have COVID-19.
• Negative result: If your test result comes back negative, it means you likely have not had a COVID-19 infection. There are some false-negative test results, which may happen when the test was performed too soon after infection to show antibodies. Also, sometimes immunocompromised individuals don’t have an antibody response.

Does a positive antibody test result mean I am immune to COVID-19?

Scientists don’t currently know how much immunity or protection from reinfection (if any) a person may have after having a COVID-19 infection, or how long that protection might last. Thus, at this time, antibody tests should not be used to make clinical decisions about your risk of COVID-19.

A positive test does not mean you are safe to continue daily activities without taking the recommended and required precautions to prevent transmission of the virus.

How can I get an antibody test?

Contact your health-care provider about getting an antibody test. Students, staff, faculty and alumni may contact Hall Health Center or a UW Medicine facility.

More information is available from Public Health — Seattle & King County.

In general, people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are advised to stay home and away from public places except for essential activities (such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy) per public health guidance.

If you fall into any of the categories listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or Public Health-Seattle King County, you are considered at increased risk of severe outcome from COVID-19 infection.

Anyone who has questions about whether their condition puts them at risk of severe illness from a COVID-19 infection should talk with their health-care provider. Your health-care provider can also help you assess your current medications and conditions to help you think about actions that can minimize risk to you and members of your household.

Consistent with Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 20-46 High-Risk Employees – Workers’ Rights, UW Human Resources has developed guidance, which describes accommodation and leave options available for high-risk employees and explains how the University will respond to requests.

If you are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, it is extra important for you to take actions to reduce your risk of getting sick:

• Stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.
• Avoid crowds as much as possible. If you must go out, keep at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others.
• Stock up on food and supplies.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched services.
• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel.

In addition, review the Washington State Department of Health guidance to help you during the COVID-19 outbreak.

To protect their privacy, the UW legally is not able to release personal information about any students or University community members who are being monitored or tested for novel coronavirus, including their location.

When a UW community member is diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, the relevant local health department and the UW initiate appropriate protocols to protect the health of anyone deemed to be at risk. UW Environmental Health & Safety maintains a UW count of confirmed COVID-19 cases by campus.

We depend on people to report when they have confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Peoples’ identities are closely protected and disclosed only on a need-to-know basis, such as a public health response, HR actions, and unit management. Once we receive someone’s report, we take the following steps to protect the health and safety of our campus communities:

1. We document the person’s symptoms, where they’ve spent time on campus recently and anyone who’s been in close contact.
2. We conduct a risk assessment, which helps us decide on a specific action plan. Our actions may include any or all of the following:
   1. We help the person understand how to take care of themselves and others by staying home and physically apart from other people.
   2. If needed, we notify the person’s academic and/or work unit and provide information about actions that will be taken to prevent the virus’s spread.
   3. We notify people who were in close contact with the person as far back as 48 hours before they developed symptoms. For more information, see our FAQ: “How does the UW follow up with close contacts of a person who tested positive for COVID-19?”
   4. If the person spent time on campus recently, we evaluate and coordinate enhanced cleaning and disinfection of those areas following CDC guidelines.
   5. If the person spent time in a work space on campus recently, we notify coworkers and others who have also been in that space and share information about steps we’re taking to prevent the virus’s spread.

Questions about the University’s response to COVID-19 can be directed to the Environmental Health & Safety Department at or (206) 543-7262.

When a student or employee notifies the UW about their positive test result, we begin working with them to reduce the risk of other people getting sick. We work backwards to 48 hours before the person developed symptoms and identify any place on campus where they spent time and people who had close contact with them.

If you’re notified that you may have been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, Environmental Health & Safety will help you understand what you need to do, like staying home, monitoring your health for 14 days and getting a COVID-19 test.

UW employees and units are required to report confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 to an Employee Health Center. Peoples’ identities are closely protected and disclosed only on a need-to-know basis, such as a public health response, HR actions, and unit management, and it helps EH&S protect the health of our University communities by acting quickly to trace case contacts.

Additional guidance is available from Public Health — Seattle & King County and Washington State Department of Health.

Questions about the UW’s response to COVID-19 can be directed to the Environmental Health & Safety Department at or (206) 543-7262.

The Institute of Translational Health Sciences maintains a list of Current UW COVID-19 Clinical Research for interested researchers and study participants.

Currently enrolled students at the Seattle campus can access the Student Technology Loan Program, which allows students to borrow laptops, tablets and other equipment for free. Visit their site to see real-time equipment inventory and learn more.

Students at UW Bothell may borrow laptops and other technology via the UW Bothell Laptop and Wifi Hotspot Lending Program.

Students at UW Tacoma may borrow laptops and other technology by contacting the UW Tacoma IT Helpdesk.

In order to continue protecting the health of students, families and the broader community during this unprecedented situation, we plan to honor all of our graduating seniors, graduate and professional students in two ways. The first will be this spring when we will conduct a live, worldwide, interactive webcast on June 13, 2020. Please visit the Bothell, Seattle or Tacoma commencement sites for information specific to your campus.

Graduates of the class of 2020 are also invited and encouraged to fully participate in an in-person commencement ceremony for them on their respective campuses in 2021, where we look forward to recognizing them and the sacrifices they have made. The ceremony will be a well-earned opportunity for members of the Class of 2020 to walk across the stage with their classmates in front of their loved ones. We are still determining whether the Class of 2020 in-person commencement will be included as part of the Class of 2021’s commencement ceremony, or grow into its own separate ceremony if enough 2020 graduates decide to return for the event, as we hope they will. The postponement to June 2021 gives us ample time to work with our graduates on how they would like this event to take shape.

The determination that we could not safely have in-person ceremonies this year was one of the hardest decisions we have made in response to the pandemic. We share the disappointment felt by so many families that COVID-19 has forced us to find new ways to honor our graduates, just as it is forcing so many changes in our society. We are committed to creating experiences that honor and celebrate our graduates’ achievements. We made this decision, in consultation with student leaders, our academic leadership and Regents, and the Office of Ceremonies, based on our commitment to health and safety as well as equity and fairness. We cannot predict when it will be safe or feasible to hold an in-person ceremony for thousands of graduates and guests. Many students and families are managing personal and financial stress and/or have future plans that makes selecting a reasonable date outside of the traditional commencement calendar challenging. Commencement is an event that unites our community and it must continue to reflect our values of inclusivity, diversity and equity.

Additionally, the lead time needed to organize and plan for such large ceremonies is significant and does not provide flexibility for fluid scheduling, given the magnitude of people and resources required.

Any fieldwork that violates University of Washington restrictions, such as on travel or gatherings, or mandates by the governor of Washington state or local health officials, should be canceled. If fieldwork does not violate those mandates, you should be in close contact with your faculty advisor/sponsor as you determine how and whether to proceed. This conversation, with a clear agreement between the parties, should take place regardless of whether the work is funded by a grant/contract or other UW funding procured by the faculty member or the student/postdoc to conduct the work.

Please also carefully review the Office of Research’s guidance on mitigating impacts to research activities.

If you are a doctoral student who will defend your dissertation in winter or spring quarter, the Graduate School has waived the requirement that the Graduate School Representative (GSR) must be physically present during general exams and dissertation defenses. Also, the student no longer needs to be “proctored,” which means that they do not need to be on campus and in a room with a faculty member.

For as long as Washington state’s Safe Start plan is active, public defenses will need to be converted to a livestream format. Even after the order expires, public defenses should take place only if all the health guidelines are in place and that all waivers regarding GSR and proctoring are utilized so that neither students nor committee members need be present.

The community transmission of COVID-19 is continuing locally, in the region, and in the United States. Do your part to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

It’s critical to minimize the number of people who get seriously ill at the same time in order to reduce burden on our health care system. If that happens, people at higher risk for severe illness may not be able to get the care they need.

Students who live in residence halls and communal housing should take these steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Stay calm – Remember that when young adults get sick with COVID-19, they usually have mild symptoms.
• Clean your room and bathroom daily – Use a disinfectant to clean high-touch surfaces regularly, such as door handles, light switches, remotes and phones.
• Practice physical distancing – Maintain a 6-foot distance from others. Avoid parties and get-togethers.
• Wash your hands – Good handwashing hygiene is even more important for people living in close proximity. Use soap and water, scrub for 20 seconds and dry your hands. Repeat often.
• Don’t touch your face. Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands.

The University is following guidance from local health departments and has taken the following steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in residence halls:

• Increased cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces twice each day, with more frequency in the dining facilities.
• Dining facilities are operating consistent with state and local public health orders.
• Fitness centers and maker spaces are closed until further notice.
• All events and programs are cancelled until further notice.

If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 infection — such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, sneezing, runny nose), chills, loss of taste or smell — follow the instructions listed in the FAQ “What do I do if I feel sick?” and contact the UW Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S) Employee Health Center.

While remote instruction eliminates the need to physically stay home from class, illness may cause you to miss a remote class session. You should take steps you normally would when sick, including focusing on caring for your health, contacting your healthcare provider if you feel you need to, and in the event you miss a class session due to illness, working with your instructor on any necessary arrangements for making up coursework.

In general, if you are sick, stay home.

Please see the “What do I do if I feel sick?” question for more information.

Even in a situation involving remote instruction, “Instructors are strongly discouraged from requiring medical or legal documentation from a student for any absences. Requiring such documentation places burdens on all parties involved,” according to the Faculty Council on Academic Standards Syllabus Guidelines. The syllabus guidelines recommend that instructors offer students accommodations, such as makeup exams, alternate assignments, or alternate weighting of missed work. The UW Center for Teaching and Learning offers updated information and resources for technology and pedagogical best practices that can help you and your students in the event of any missed class time.

Using President Cauce’s declaration of “extraordinary circumstances” under Executive Order 27, the Office of Academic Personnel is implementing a provision for automatic eligibility to waive the 2019-20 academic year from the mandatory promotion clock. This is similar to the automatic eligibility to have a year waived from the promotion/tenure clock in the case of the birth or adoption of a child. Automatic eligibility means that the faculty members must request a clock waiver, but upon request it will be automatically approved.

The details for seeking an extension to the promotion/tenure clock through this clock waiver provision are available on the Office of Academic Personnel website.

At the University of Washington, faculty do not formally track paid time off for reasons other than sick time off under the Faculty Sick Leave Policy. Faculty sick leave (i.e., paid sick time) covers: a) your own serious health condition as certified by your healthcare provider; b) temporary disability due to pregnancy, childbirth, or recovery therefrom; or c) care for a family member with a serious health condition.

If you have been directed to self-isolate for up to 14 days, you should continue to follow your unit’s procedure for short-term absences. For example, this might involve informing your supervisor (chair/director/campus dean/dean), who can help you arrange for remote work or with reassignment of responsibilities. And for specific suggestions related to research activities, see the updates from the Office of Research.

If your absence occurs during a time in which you are otherwise entitled to receive a salary from the University, you will continue to receive your salary. If your condition changes and you have a serious health concern, you may be entitled to use up to 90 days of faculty sick leave, using the process outlined by Academic HR. Your Academic HR Business Partners are available to offer guidance by contacting: apleaves@uw.edu.

Additional child care options are also available, and UWHR maintains a page with details. The University is actively working to add additional resources, which will be prioritized for employees essential for campus and medical center operations and who don’t have other child care options.

Under Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan, telework is strongly encouraged for all non-critical personnel, and all in-person work must adhere to all appropriate safety measures and unit COVID-19 Prevention Plans. Supervisors should also work with their employees to maintain employment and pay to the greatest extent possible. Helpful guidance can be found on the HR website. If you have questions about how to assist employees in need, please reach out to your HR consultant.

UWHR has published Working through COVID-19, an online resource dedicated to housing UWHR communications and resources related to the coronavirus outbreak. You can find new support resources and guidance for setting up temporary remote work arrangements with clarity and confidence.

UWHR has published Working through COVID-19, an online resource dedicated to housing UWHR communications and resources related to the coronavirus outbreak. You can find new support resources and guidance for setting up temporary remote work arrangements with clarity and confidence.

Staff and student workers can prepare for the possibility of disruptions by becoming familiar with the technology tools that make it possible to work even when you can’t get to campus. UW Information Technology offers free tools for videoconferencing, chat, collaboration, online storage, and more. Find out what tools you can use in this helpful tech guide for working remotely.

UWHR has organized additional child care options. Please note that some are prioritized for UW Medicine and other employees who are critical to the response to COVID-19.

Eligible staff can take a family care emergency absence when regularly scheduled care plans are interrupted due to a school, camp, facility closure and/or the unexpected absence of a care provider. Family care emergencies apply to both child and elder care situations.

If you are sick, stay home. Staff and student workers should continue to follow their unit’s procedure for requesting sick time off and can find more information on the following webpages about sick time for regular contract covered, classified, and professional staff and for temporary and student hourly employees.

Additionally, President Cauce has authorized expanded use of sick time off to cover situations that may be unique to the risks posed by COVID-19. For example, if your duties cannot be performed remotely and you have a significant health concern that makes you feel unsafe in the workplace. Sick time off can also be used if you have had direct exposure to COVID-19 and you have been directed to complete a 14-day self-isolation. Your HR consultant is available to offer guidance.

The University remains open and critical functions continue. Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan encourage physical distancing, a crucial measure for slowing the spread of COVID-19 by flattening the curve of new diagnosed cases. Our first priority is to keep our community health and safe, which means:

• • • Staff who are sick must stay home.
    • All employees who can telework or work from home without impacting critical operations must be allowed to do so. Supervisors should be documenting telework plans and agreements.
    • Employees who must come to work to maintain critical operations need to adhere to appropriate physical distancing and safety standards.

Because each employee’s circumstances are different, please talk to your supervisor for additional guidance. Your HR representative is also available to discuss concerns.

Additional information about what each phase of the Safe Start plan mean for the UW, please see the Safe Start status page.

We are planning to be back this fall for in-person instruction and expect to provide specific details in mid-June to early July. We are working on many scenarios, and each week provides more public health information to inform our decisions. At this time, we anticipate an autumn quarter that includes both in-person and remote elements. For example, some larger classes could be held online with smaller sections held in-person as long as everyone in the room practices physical distancing.

We will also take measures to protect the health and safety of our community across all campus spaces, including increasing testing and contact tracing to spot any potential outbreaks early in development.

No one can safely say our campuses, state or region will be “back to normal” by the fall. Our public health colleagues describe the approach to physical distancing as a dial that can be turned up and down based on whether the virus flares up again. We will continue to ground our decisions in the best available public health guidance and encourage maximum flexibility to ensure peoples’ health and well-being.

The UW is following a phased approach to our operations, consistent with Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan. You can see what these phases mean to the UW at the Safe Start status page.

As a reminder, our University campuses never close, and our hospitals, clinics, critical research and limited residential operations continued, even after the move to remote instruction for spring quarter.

The University has extensive and thorough emergency procedures and is committed to doing everything it can to ensure the health and safety of our community. Because this is a rapidly changing situation, we need to prepare for a range of possibilities, but since the UW includes health care facilities and other critical operations, it never fully closes. Our residence halls will remain available to students who need to reside on campus. All students who remain on campus will be required to stay in residence halls or apartments with private bathrooms to limit shared hygienic spaces and encourage physical distancing.

For those who do live on or near a campus and wish to access campus services, modified operations will be in place. Telework is strongly encouraged for all non-critical personnel, and all in-person work must adhere to all appropriate safety measures and unit COVID-19 Prevention Plans. Facilities such as libraries, dining services, and many offices will have very limited operations that minimize in-person interaction and/or will be operated remotely.

In the event that a quarantine involving students becomes necessary, we are preparing for a multi-faceted response that would include providing food service and/or moving students off-campus or to sequestered areas of the residence halls. In the event many cases are diagnosed, those who could safely leave the campus would be encouraged to do so, thereby increasing our capacity to assist others who are unable to travel.

As a reminder, the University is coordinating closely with county public health agencies and the Washington State Department of Health on its response, including contingency planning, and will continue to do so.

While much uncertainty remains, each day we learn more about how the economic crisis caused by the pandemic is affecting our state and our University. UW Medicine projects a loss of more than $500 million by the end of summer 2020 due to the steep decline in non-coronavirus procedures and care, and the first wave of lost revenue also impacted UW’s auxiliary units, such as Housing and Food Services, Intercollegiate Athletics and Facilities.

We expect to have more information about the potential for additional federal stimulus funds, fall enrollment and state revenues in the coming weeks. The next state revenue forecast in mid-June will be of particular importance, given the core operating funds that the UW receives from the state of Washington.

UW leadership has already taken preventive action by prohibiting all but essential hiring and reducing spending. We are assessing numerous budget scenarios that include a range of mitigations and reductions. We will do everything possible to avoid layoffs, including actively looking for reassignment options where peoples’ current roles cannot be performed remotely or are reduced due to physical distancing restrictions. If other options are exhausted, we will explore furloughs wherever possible, which are intended to be temporary and allow people to receive unemployment and keep work-related benefits including health insurance. As we face the difficult road ahead, we will continue to prioritize the health, safety and well-being of students, staff, faculty and patients, and the core of our mission: teaching and research.

Restrictions on events are based on the current phase that campus is in under the Safe Start plan. You can learn more about the status for the Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses and what events are allowed in each phase on the Safe Start status page.

At this time, all physical branches of the UW Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma libraries remain closed to the public until further notice, pending the guidance of public health officials and the University. For full details and updates on all locations and available services visit the UW Libraries coronavirus page and see also this message on  Planning for Summer and Fall Quarter. While Libraries buildings are closed, Libraries staff are available to provide a range of remote learning services for students and faculty such as 24/7 chat services, interlibrary loan (for electronic articles and materials only), and research consultations offered through Zoom. For the most current information, visit the UW Libraries coronavirus page and Faculty & Student Remote Services FAQ.

In accordance with Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan, all employees who can perform their work remotely without hampering critical operations must telework. Supervisors should also work with their employees to maintain employment and pay to the greatest extent possible. If you have questions about how to assist employees in need, please reach out to your HR consultant. You can learn more about what the phases of the Safe Start plan mean at the UW on the Safe Start status page.

UWHR has published Working through COVID-19, an online resource dedicated to housing UWHR communications and resources related to the coronavirus outbreak. You can find new support resources and guidance for setting up temporary remote work arrangements with clarity and confidence.

On May 29, 2020, chancellors, deans, vice presidents and other direct reports to President Cauce and Provost Richards received the COVID-19 Prevention Plan and Safe Start Checklist to use as the basis for developing unit-specific plans. These unit plans are submitted to the Executive Office for review and approval.

Updated guidelines include having employees monitoring their health for COVID-19 symptoms and completing daily attestations confirming they don’t have symptoms before they come to work on one of our campuses; requiring students, employees and visitors wear masks on campuses and at UW Medicine facilities; and enhanced cleaning protocols especially in communal spaces and high-touch areas.

Learn more about these and other measures on the Back-to-the-Workplace Task Force page.

The UW Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S) has cleaning and disinfection protocols for campus partners that comply with guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preventing the spread of coronavirus.

The University’s custodial cleaning program follows the cleaning and disinfection protocols to daily clean high touch points such as door handles, banisters, and elevator buttons, public and common area restrooms, and break rooms. In addition, cleaning and custodial staff have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfection activities across campus as an additional preventive measure.

Hand sanitizer dispensers and containers with at least 60% alcohol concentration have been placed throughout each campus in high traffic areas and locations where soap and hot water are not readily available. More dispensers and containers will be added as inventory becomes available.

When a person diagnosed with COVID-19 is known to have been on campus, the specific locations where the person spent time are evaluated for enhanced cleaning and disinfection, in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additional information is available from UW Facilities and Housing & Food Services on how we are responding to the novel coronavirus.

Yes, SafeCampus, confidential advocates, the Office of the Title IX Coordinator, and the offices that investigate reports of misconduct are all still available by email, phone, or Zoom. For immediate support and consultation, or to be connected with a confidential advocate, contact Safe Campus at 206-685-7233. You can also reach a confidential advocate directly by phone or e-mail.

To make an inquiry or report to an investigation office, there are several ways to make a report.

For consultation or any other concerns related to sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or compliance with Title IX, contact the Office of the Title IX Coordinator.

The Office of Research has issued specific guidance for researchers on all three campuses, which is updated regularly and includes a checklist for researchers. This checklist includes:

• • 1. Identify emergency personnel and ensure they know what to do in the event of suspended operations
    2. Remind lab personnel of your communication plan or create one if not in place
    3. Identify priorities in case of restricted access
    4. Ensure remote access to files, data, servers, etc.
    5. Prioritize experiments
    6. Plan for remote proposal submission
    7. Check travel restrictions before making travel plans.

Please refer to the Office of Research’s COVID-19 page for more information. The HHRB and IRB are fully operational; if you need to reach them, you can find more information at the bottom of that page.

No, however both should follow the appropriate guidelines based on the current Safe Start phase and the procedures outlined in your campus, school and/or college’s COVID-19 Prevention Plan. For more information, consult with your PI/faculty sponsor and/or unit leadership, and review the Office of Research’s COVID-19 page.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your labs and other work spaces, please read and implement the following EH&S guidance documents and resources:

• University Requirements for COVID-19 Prevention in the Workplace: This guidance complies with the recent directive from the Washington State L&I Division of Occupational Safety and Health and is required to be implemented in all University work environments. (UW Medical Center personnel should follow UW Medicine protocols.)
• UW Guidance for Symptom Monitoring for COVID-19: This guide is for COVID-19 symptom monitoring for faculty and other academic personnel, staff, students, contractors, visitors, volunteers and other personnel who come to any University work site.
• Notice to Vendors and Contractors: This notice provides information to vendors and contractors working onsite at a University-owned or leased facility to stay home if sick, maintain physical and physical distancing, and practice good hygiene.
• COVID-19 Risk Level and Selection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): EH&S has developed guidance for choosing PPE based on job activities.
• Guidance on Facemask Use for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19: Keeping a distance (at least 6 feet) from other people is our best protection against COVID-19; however, wearing a mask can add another layer of protection.
• Guidance for Conservation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): EH&S recommends measures to conserve PPE while maintaining our commitment to provide a safe and healthy place to work.
• Guide to Business Continuity and Recovery Planning for Laboratories and Research Spaces: Use this guide to supplement your existing business continuity plans. It includes a checklist and is intended to assist faculty, staff, laboratories and research facilities in maintaining research continuity consistent with their own unique needs and circumstances.
• Research Shutdown Checklist: You are not required to keep your research activities open. If you ramp down or shut down, please see the checklist for helpful guidance.
• Physical distancing: Read the guidance for practicing physical distancing in laboratories and other research environments.
• View a complete list of COVID-19 health and safety resources on the EH&S website.

Much like the rest of the University, EH&S is operating with fewer staff members on campus and more working remotely. EH&S is collecting waste, reviewing and responding to research applications, and providing ongoing health and safety support for campus. The Institutional Safety Committees, Institutional Biosafety Committee and Radiation Safety Committee are operational and meeting remotely.

University Facilities staff members are implementing enhanced cleaning of high-touch surfaces to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, tables, computer keyboards, handrails and exercise rooms).

EH&S asks research laboratories and facilities to also implement enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces. This includes switches, benchtops, commonly used hand tools and shared PPE:

• Disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces with an EPA-registered disinfectant, an alcohol solution with at least 70% alcohol or a 10% bleach/water solution.
• It is also recommended that all departments purchase single-use disinfectant wipes for touch points within their work spaces.
• Avoid putting disinfectant gels or liquids on electronics and other equipment, including elevator buttons, unless they have been indicated as safe to use on those devices.
• Additional guidance is available in the EH&S enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols.

If you have any questions about cleaning and disinfecting work spaces or about resources for addressing health and safety issues, please contact EH&S Research & Occupational Safety at labcheck@uw.edu or 206.685.3993.

EH&S has moved some instructor-led classroom courses to an online format and delayed others to occur in July 2020 in accordance with physical distancing guidelines. (For this same reason, Labor and Industries will not cite renewal expirations.) Please check the EH&S Training page for updates on instructor-led courses.

Additional information can be found on the Office of Research’s Mitigating Impacts to Research Activities Due to COVID-19 webpage.

All of the UW Medicine hospitals have protocols in place to assess the risk for someone presenting to an emergency department or clinic with this infection. People with cold- or flu-like symptoms are being asked to wear a mask and also about travel history in the prior 14 days. People who we feel might have the virus are moved out of public spaces and into rooms where they can be taken care of safely. UW School of Medicine faculty and researchers are working on learning more about the virus, creating new tests, and developing possible treatments and even vaccines.

All hospitals and clinics have protocols and systems in place to keep all patients, visitors and healthcare workers safe and so you should not avoid seeking care out of concerns over the coronavirus. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, please contact the clinic or hospital first so they can advise you.

International travel

• All travel outside the U.S. by University of Washington employees and students is restricted until further notice, effective March 20, 2020. Read more about this policy at the UW Office of Global Affairs.
• This restriction is informed by the global “Level 4: Do Not Travel” health advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State.
• Faculty and staff researchers may apply for an exceptional waiver to the current official travel restrictions only if their travel is endorsed as essential by their Dean and by the UW Office of Research. The Provost and the UW International Travel Risk Assessment and Safety Committee (ITRASC) will review applications on a case-by-case basis. Please follow steps outlined here to request a waiver.
• These restrictions do not apply to personal travel. However, we strongly encourage you to avoid travel and review applicable travel warnings.

Domestic travel

• All employees are strongly encouraged to cancel or postpone domestic university travel that is not essential to business, academic or research continuity. Supervisors approving travel for employees should use their best judgement.
• Additionally, to protect and preserve its workforce’s capability to care for patients, all work-related travel for School of Dentistry employees is restricted until further notice with requests for exceptions being considered by the dean.  Previous travel restrictions for UW Medicine, and the schools of Pharmacy and Public Health have expired.
• The University’s clinical care, education and research activities are essential to the health of local communities and to the region’s, nation’s and world’s response to COVID-19. To protect and preserve our health sciences workforce’s capability to identify and care for patients, as well as track and analyze the spread of disease, all work-related travel for UW Medicine and School of Public Health employees is restricted through July 31. Work-related travel for School of Dentistry employees is restricted until further notice. More information is available from UW Medicine, the School of Public Health and the School of Dentistry (login required).

If you are currently outside the United States, please take these steps:

• Connect with the embassy of your nationality (U.S. Embassy – American Citizen Services for U.S. citizens abroad). If you haven’t done so already, sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates directly from the Embassy (you can sign up for STEP even if you are not a U.S. citizen). The U.S. Embassy website may also provide a list of recommended medical providers or hospitals.
• Monitor local news and reputable international outlets for updates.
• Be prepared to “shelter in place.” If you must shelter in place, by acquiring safe food and water supplies to last you several days (ideally two weeks) in case of acute shortages.
• Travelers should expect very long wait times. Bring your own food and personal hygiene items (toilet paper, wipes, hand sanitizer, etc.) if possible to avoid being left without.
• If you have a medical condition that prevents you from sheltering in place, send an email to travelemergency@uw.edu. For urgent matters, call the UW Global Emergency Line at 206-632-0153.
• Download UW emergency contacts directly to your phone. Click this link while on your mobile device: https://www.keynect.us/user/UWGLOBAL
• Monitor updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of State.

Additional information for UW students currently abroad:

• You are still covered by the UW Student Abroad Insurance for the coverage period purchased.
• As a reminder, the UW Student Abroad Insurance through CISI does not cover travel cancellations or delays. Only evacuations that are medically necessary are covered by the insurance. Government (U.S. or foreign government) travel restrictions or border closings do not qualify for an insured evacuation.
• UW Study Abroad students please visit the COVID-19 page for more information and closely monitor your email for updates.

Additional information for UW employees currently abroad:

• You are still eligible for the UW Emergency Travel Assistance.

Due to the widespread, ongoing transmission of the novel coronavirus worldwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instructs travelers to stay home for 14 days from the time you returned home from all international travel.

During this 14-day period, take these steps to monitor your health and practice physical distancing:

• Take your temperature with a thermometer two times each day and monitor for fever. Use this temperature logto record your temperature. Also watch for symptoms, such as cough or trouble breathing, and note them on the log.
• Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school.
• Do not take public transportation, taxis or ride-shares.
• Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet or 2 meters).

Any UW faculty, staff, student or visiting scholar who is having symptoms of COVID-19 infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath) should stay home and not go to work.

First: Contact your health provider in advance. Please do not show up at a clinic, urgent care or other health facility without contacting it first. Your provider will need to take special measures to protect other people in the clinic. Telemedicine may also be available, enabling you to consult a provider from home.

• Students on the UW’s Seattle campus may contact Hall Health Center.
• Students at UW Bothell should contact their usual health care provider or a UW Medicine facility.
• Students at UW Tacoma should contact their usual health care provider or Franciscan Prompt Care at St. Joseph.
• Faculty, other academic personnel and staff should contact their primary care provider or a UW Medicine facility.

Second: Check in with one of the following UW contacts for symptom monitoring.

• UW Medicine personnel should contact Employee Health Services (UWMC – Montlake at 206-598-4848, UWMC – Northwest at 206-668-1625, or Harborview Medical Center at 206-744-3081).
• All other UW Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma students, staff, faculty and other academic personnel should contact UW Environmental Health & Safety’s (EH&S’s) Employee Health Center at covidehc@uw.edu or 206-685-1026.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to end an emergency waiver put in place earlier this year that responded to the COVID-19 by allowing international students to maintain their visa status while taking only online courses. That guidance will expire at the end of the UW’s summer semester and be replaced with new guidance, which will require international students to take at least one in-person course in order to remain in or return to the U.S. during their institution’s fall term. As President Cauce wrote, at a time when America’s global leadership is under severe strain, during a crisis demanding a spirit of international unity and cooperation, this proposal isn’t just cruel, it’s counterproductive.

The University of Washington is working with our state’s congressional delegation, other key federal officials and higher education associations to try and change this proposal so that it does not harm international students here or across the country. But we also must prepare for the eventuality that this action will stand and plan for how the UW can assist our international students. International Student Services is working on answers to students’ specific questions and will continue to communicate with and provide updates directly to international students as they are available.

Every student’s situation is different. UW’s International Student Services (ISS) office encourages you to review the Final Quarter Checklist to understand your options. If you have additional questions or wish to meet with an ISS adviser, complete the ISS Have a Question form so an ISS adviser can reply to your specific questions.

Contact your host department and ISO. Additionally, we recommend monitoring the news, U.S. travel guidance, and this UW web page for updates.

The University requests that any person who traveled outside the U.S. take the following steps upon arrival:

1. Stay home for 14 days.
2. Monitor your health.

Please see the Travel and Study Abroad section for more guidance. Specifically refer to the question “What should I do after returning from international travel?”

If you are an arriving J-1 exchange visitor, please also contact the following:

1. Your host department
2. International Scholars Operations (ISO)

All J-1 exchange visitors must request a remote check-in by contacting acadvisa@uw.edu as soon as possible upon arrival in the U.S. See J-1 Check-in for more information.

Contact the embassy of your home country for assistance in booking a flight. If you are still unable to return home, contact your host department and ISO. The host department may be able to request a J-1 visa extension. If you are not eligible for an extension, but want to learn about other options for remaining in the U.S. legally, please consider consulting a private immigration attorney. Resources, including low-cost and pro bono attorney options, are available.

Contact your host department and ISO to discuss revising your program dates or other assistance that may be available. We also recommend monitoring the news, airline travel information and this page for updates. Please note that due to the evolving nature of the coronavirus outbreak and associated travel limitations, there is no certainty as to when travel restrictions will be lifted.

Contact your host department and ISO.

This proclamation only affects people who are currently outside the United States and who are trying to enter the U.S. using an immigrant visa. Immigrant visas are in a separate class from the nonimmigrant visas that UW sponsors. Anyone attempting to enter the U.S. using a UW-sponsored nonimmigrant visa, or already in the U.S. on a UW-sponsored visa, should not be affected by this proclamation.