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). The virus that causes COVID-19 continues to spread in our region and in the United States. Please wear a mask, wash your hands, watch your distance and stay home if you’re sick.

You can contact the Washington State COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 800-525-0127 or text “Coronavirus” to 211211. UW Medicine also has a COVID-19 info line at 206-520-2285.

You can spread COVID-19 without having any symptoms, which is why mask-wearing and physical distance are critically important.

COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings while in close contact with another person.

Close contact means being within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes during a 24 hour period (even if you both wear face coverings), living with or caring for someone with has COVID-19, or having direct contact with infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on, kissing, sharing utensils).

COVID-19 can also spread is though small droplets and particles that can linger in the air and infect people who are more than 6 feet away. This seems more likely to happen in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, particularly when the infected person is exercising, singing or doing other activity that caused them to breathe heavily.

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

We can reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 by following the three W’s — wearing masks, washing our hands and watching our physical distances — and avoiding crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation.

For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

COVID-19 symptoms can 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 UW Environmental Health & Safety, which can help facilitate testing through UW Medicine:

• UW Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma students, staff, faculty and other academic personnel should contact the COVID-19 Response Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206-616-3344.
• UW medical center personnel should contact their respective Employee Health Center or ehcovidclinic@uw.edu.

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 or may suggest a telemedicine appointment instead.

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

This is can be a stressful, difficult time for everyone. You don’t have to go through it alone.

Students can access support 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

UW employees can access support through CareLink.

If you’re a Washington resident experiencing stress from COVID-19, you can also call Washington Listens at 1-833-681-0211, M-F from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Washington Listens provides support to people who feel sad, anxious, or stressed due to the pandemic and other factors. Language access services are available, and TTY can be accessed by dialing 7-1-1 or preferred method.

You can help stop the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated when you’re eligible and following public health guidelines for social gatherings, such as meeting outdoors, limiting the number of people, wearing masks, and staying 6 feet apart.

Additionally, you can protect yourself and your community by opting in to receive notifications of potential COVID-19 exposures on your smartphone through the Washington Exposure Notifications – WA Notify app.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updates on the evolving public health situation.

For information about COVID-19 in Washington state:

• State Department of Health coronavirus information
• State coronavirus response resources
• Washington COVID-19 Assistance Hotline: 800-525-0127 / text “coronavirus” to 211211

You can also find information by county:

• Seattle and King County COVID-19 information and COVID-19 resources in multiple languages
• Snohomish County COVID-19 information
• Tacoma-Pierce County COVID-19 information

UW Medicine has updated information on COVID-19 care and services, and COVID-19 info is available by phone at 206-520-2285 or 855-520-2285.

There is no connection between race, ethnicity or nationality and the novel coronavirus.

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 hurts innocent people. Sharing accurate information is one of the best things we can do to keep rumors and misinformation from spreading. Public Health — Seattle & King County has compiled resources for combating stigmatization, bias and xenophobia. If you know of bias or discrimination in our University community related to the novel coronavirus, please report them using the appropriate UW bias reporting tool:

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

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, and the CDC maintains a more complete list of possible COVID-19 symptoms. If you’re symptomatic, you need to take the following steps to protect yourself and your loved ones:

1. If you are enrolled in the Husky Coronavirus Testing program, report your symptoms in your daily symptom survey, and you will receive testing instructions from the Husky Coronavirus Testing program. Stay home while you feel sick and until you receive your test result. Do NOT go to school or work until you receive  your test result, even if you feel better.
   • If your test result is positive, the UW COVID-19 Response Team will contact you. If you receive your test result before hearing from them, please reach out to covidehc@uw.edu or 206-616-3344.
2. If you are not enrolled in the Husky Coronavirus Testing program, contact your doctor and ask if you should be tested for COVID-19. UW employees can also contact the UW COVID-19 Response Team, which can help you get tested through UW Medicine, at covidehc@uw.edu or 206-616-3344.
3. To protect the health of others, do NOT visit a doctor’s office, urgent care clinic or other health facility unless you’ve told them in advance that you may have COVID-19.
4. In any instance, notify the UW Environmental Health & Safety Department as soon as possible if a health care provider says that you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
   • UW Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma students, staff, faculty and other academic personnel should contact the COVID-19 Response Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206-616-3344.
   • UW medical center personnel should contact their respective Employee Health Center or ehcovidclinic@uw.edu.
5. Follow public health guidelines to help you recover and protect loved ones from getting sick. These actions include staying home and physically away from people and pets, wearing a mask whenever you cannot maintain 6 feet of separation from others, 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 County and the Washington State Department of Health.

The following COVID-19 testing options are provided at no cost to you.

1. Husky Coronavirus Testing program: We strongly encourage participation among employees and students who are on a UW campus for any reason or who live in shared housing (e.g., apartments with multiple roommates, Greek housing and residence halls). If you have COVID-19 symptoms or had close contact with a person who has COVID-19, note your symptoms and/or exposure in your daily symptom check-in, and you will receive testing instructions. (UW Medicine clinical employees and UW student-athletes should continue to participate in their respective testing programs.)
2. UW employee testing: If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have had close contact with an infected person and are not enrolled in Husky Coronavirus Testing, you can get tested through UW Medicine by contacting the UW COVID-19 Response Team (covidehc@uw.edu or 206-616-3344).
   • UW medical center personnel should contact their respective Employee Health Center or email ehcovidclinic@uw.edu.
3. Free testing through local public health departments:
   • Public Health — Seattle & King County testing sites
   • Pierce County testing sites
   • Snohomish Health Districts testing sites

Additional testing options

1. Hall Health Center: COVID-19 testing is available by appointment only. Please call 206-685-1011 to schedule an appointment.
2. UW Medicine offers testing for current patients. Visit the patient portal to make an appointment.
3. Some pharmacies offer COVID-19 testing that is billed to your health insurance.
4. Your personal health care provider may be able to arrange testing.

Multilingual information about public and private COVID-19 testing options is available on the Washington State Department of Health Testing for COVID-19 page.

• UW Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma students, staff, faculty and other academic personnel should contact the COVID-19 Response Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206-616-3344.
• UW Medicine personnel should contact their respective employee health services.

The EH&S COVID-19 Response & Prevention Team conducts contact tracing, a critical component of the UW’s COVID-19 response to prevent transmission among UW community members. Follow the instructions of your contact tracer when they call you.

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

• Stay home except for necessary medical care.
• Rest as much as possible away from other people.
• Physically isolate yourself from other people and pets.
• Continue wearing a mask if you have to be around other people. Ask others to wear a mask when near you.
• Avoid public transit, taxis, carpools and ride-share services.
• Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.
• Keep up with good hygiene, such as frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
• Clean high-touch surfaces every day, including counters, doorknobs, cell phones and keyboards.
• Don’t share personal items with anyone, including dishes, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding.

If you begin to have trouble breathing, or your fever is above 103 degrees Fahrenheit, call 9-1-1 and let them know that you have confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

You need to stay home and away from others until:

1. Your symptoms improve
2. You have had at least 24 hours with no fever without taking fever-reducing medication
3. And it’s been at least at least 10 days since your symptoms started (or, if you’ve had no symptoms, since your COVID-19 test date). Stay home for the full 10 days, even if your symptoms are mild or you are fully vaccinated.

EH&S provides helpful guidance on self-isolation and quarantine on their website.

You generally need to have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 to become infected. Being “in close contact” means being within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes during a 24 hour period (even if you both wore face coverings), living with or caring for a person who has COVID-19, or having direct contact with infectious secretions from activities like being coughed on, kissing or sharing utensils.

If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should get tested and stay home and away from other people (quarantine) for 14 days, or as directed by a public health professional. Even if you test negative, you should complete your quarantine in your home.

If you are fully vaccinated, you generally do not need to quarantine after being exposed to a person with COVID-19 if you do not have symptoms. However, you should monitor your health closely, and if you develop any symptoms of COVID-19, get tested, and isolate until you receive your test results. If you test positive, follow the FAQ “What do I do if I have confirmed or suspected COVID-19?”

Visit the UW Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Quarantine and Isolation webpage for more information. If you develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, contact the UW Environmental Health & Safety COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206-616-3344. UW medical center personnel should contact their respective employee health services.

At the UW, you must wear a face covering indoors wherever other people may be present, including in common areas such as hallways, stairways, restrooms, elevators and open offices. You must also mask up outdoors if you cannot stay 6 feet apart from other people. See the frequently asked questions about face coverings for more information.

Masks help protect other people in your community from COVID-19 and other viruses, particularly when used along with frequent hand washing, physical distancing and staying home whenever you feel sick.

Your job may have additional, specific personal protective equipment requirements depending on factors like how much you interact with other people. EH&S has guidelines to help supervisors and administrators determine your team’s needs. As a reminder, only employees with unit approval may work onsite at this time.

It’s okay to remove your mask when you’re alone in a private office or when you’re outside away from other people. Wash your hands, touch only the mask’s straps or ties, and wash them again when you’re done. Wash the mask itself whenever you wear it.

Additional Resources:

• University of Washington COVID-19 face covering policy
• EH&S frequently asked questions about face coverings
• Guidance on face mask use and facemasks focus sheet (choosing, using and cleaning masks)
• CDC’s use of masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 includes instructions for homemade cloth masks
• Washington’s statewide requirement to wear face coverings

The Washington State Department of Health manages the timeline for when different populations are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The University strongly encourages UW employees and students to get vaccinated when they become eligible.

UW Medicine is administering vaccines, including to UW community members, based on eligibility criteria and supplies. You can also receive a vaccine at many local pharmacies and vaccination sites.

• Students and employees who are Washington residents can find COVID-19 vaccination appointments and monitor the Washington Department of Health site for the latest information on vaccine prioritization and availability.
• UW Medicine employees should consult the priority schedule for UW Medicine personnel.
• UW community members currently living outside of Washington should consult your health care provider or the local health department(s).

Hall Health Center is open for medical and mental health care to current UW students, as well as medical care to UW faculty, staff and alumni. Call 206-685-1011 to schedule in-person, video and telehealth appointments.

COVID-19 testing at Hall Health Center

Hall Health offers coronavirus-related care to students, staff, alumni and the greater UW community. Call 206-685-1011. We will ask you about your symptoms, living situation, and job (if any) to help determine whether you need to be tested and where that testing might occur. We will determine whether you need to visit the clinic in-person, talk with a nurse by phone or schedule a video visit. Please do not come to Hall Health without calling first.

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.
• 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.

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.

Learn more about Hall Health Center services.

Medical advice for students

Students can access telehealth nurse advice 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

You need a lab order from a health care provider prior to coming in for testing. Call Hall Health Center at 206-685-1011to arrange for an appointment to get a lab order.

Mental health

If you’re a current UW student and need urgent help day or night, call 866-743-7732 to connect with UW’s partner My SSP.

To schedule an appointment with UW counseling and mental health staff, call 206-543-1240.

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.

If you fall into any of the categories listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you are considered at increased risk of severe outcome from COVID-19 infection and should try to to stay home and away from public places except for essential activities per public health guidance.

Your health care provider can talk with you about whether your situation puts you at higher risk for severe illness and, if so, how to 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.

Yes, the vaccines authorized for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are safe and effective for use against COVID-19.

Read more information about the vaccines on the UW Medicine COVID-19 Vaccines page.

You must be eligible in the current vaccination phase as determined by the Washington State Department of Health to get a COVID-19 vaccination. By April 15, all Washingtonians 16 and older will be eligible. UW Medicine is offering vaccinations to all eligible UW employees and students. You may also choose a different vaccine provider.

Read more about the eligibility phases and learn how to make an appointment on the UW COVID-19 vaccine information page.

If you received a COVID-19 vaccine and are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and do not go to work or class. Get tested for COVID-19. If you test positive, notify the UW Environmental Health & Safety COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206.616.3344. UW medical center personnel should report positive COVID-19 test results to their employee health service. You may want to also consult with your healthcare provider.

Do not go to work or attend class if you are experiencing any symptoms, even if they appear to be immediate side effects from the vaccine. Some people acquire COVID-19 infection even after being vaccinated, so do not assume any symptoms are vaccine side effects.

Visit the UW Medicine COVID-19 Vaccines page for more information about vaccine side effects.

You generally do not need to quarantine after you are fully vaccinated if you have no symptoms. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 after being in close contact with a person who has COVID-19, stay home and do not go to work or class. Get tested and notify UW Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206.616.3344.

Visit the UW EH&S Quarantine and Isolation Guidance webpage for more information.

UW Medicine personnel (and other health care personnel) should follow UW Medicine (or your employer’s) guidance regarding post-exposure quarantine for health care workers.

UW personnel must continue to follow the guidance in the University’s COVID-19 Prevention Plan and their unit’s COVID-19 prevention plan, including wearing a face covering and maintaining a 6-foot distance from other people, even after getting vaccinated. UW Medicine personnel (and other health care personnel) should follow UW Medicine (or your employer’s) guidance for fully vaccinated health care workers.

When you are in a private residence or in public (i.e., not at work), after getting vaccinated you can follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People.

It takes up to two weeks to develop antibodies against the COVID-19 virus. You are considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.

Widespread testing — especially of people who have no symptoms — is one important way to protect our community from COVID-19. That’s why the UW launched the Husky Coronavirus Testing program.

Husky Coronavirus Testing enrollment is open. If you are on a UW campus or facility for any reason, particularly if you plan to be there once or more per week, please consider participating.

The Husky Coronavirus Testing program will conduct testing throughout the pandemic. Finding positive COVID-19 cases through testing is critical to reducing disease spread within the UW community and ending the pandemic.

Anyone who tests positive receives guidance from the UW Environmental Health & Safety COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team regarding care, self-isolation and contact tracing.

Find out more on the UW Husky Coronavirus Testing webpage.

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 work together 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 any close contacts, such as anyone who was within 6 feet of the person for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes during a 24-hour period (even if both people wore masks).
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.

More information about how the UW responds to cases of COVID-19 in the University community is available from UW Environmental Health & Safety.

When a student or employee notifies the UW about their positive test result, the UW Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team begins working with them to reduce the risk of other people getting sick.

The team starts by asking the person who tested positive to identify the UW locations they visited and the UW-affiliated people they had “close contact” with up to 48 hours before symptoms began (or, for people without symptoms, up to 48 hours before the date of their COVID-19 test.)

A close contact is defined as being within 6 feet for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes during a 24-hour period (even if both people wore masks).

If you’re notified that you may have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, EH&S will help you understand what you need to do, such as staying home and away from other people, monitoring your health for 14 days and getting a COVID-19 test.

University employees and units are required to report confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 to EH&S at covidehc@uw.edu or 206.616.3344. (UW medical center employees and units should contact their respective employee health services.) Identities are closely protected and disclosed only on a need-to-know basis, such as for public health response, HR assistance, and unit management. Reporting helps EH&S protect the health of our communities.

Learn more about how the UW responds to cases of COVID-19.

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.

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 work closely 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 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.

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

• Get vaccinated when you are eligible.
• Wear a face covering when outside your bedroom and when spending time with people who don’t share a bedroom with you.
• Clean your room and bathroom daily. Use a disinfectant to clean high-touch surfaces regularly, such as door handles, light switches, remote controls and phones.
• Practice physical distancing. Maintain a 6-foot distance from other people. Avoid parties and get-togethers. If you do want to meet friends, take steps to minimize risk: limit the number of people, stay outdoors, wear masks, and maintain 6 feet of distance between people.
• Wash your hands frequently. 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.
• Don’t touch your face. Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands.
• If you live off-campus, consider adopting a roommates agreement.

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 the Washington State Proclamation for Higher Education.
• Residence halls on all three campuses offer dedicated spaces for isolation and quarantine.

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 health care 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 or 2020-21 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 health care 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.

No. Supervisors should treat vaccination status like any other personal medical or healthcare issue. If you think your team includes positions where vaccination is an occupational health requirement, please confirm with your departmental leadership, health and safety staff, human resources staff, or your designated employee health center before pursuing the issue.

Regardless of vaccination status, all employees who return to onsite work must follow the UW’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines, which include wearing masks, following physical distancing and completing daily attestations. Please see guidance for UW personnel who are vaccinated for COVID-19 article for additional information.

No. Do not treat vaccinated and unvaccinated employees differently as you develop plans for returning staff to the workplace. Regardless of vaccination status, all employees who return to onsite work must follow the UW’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines, which include wearing masks, following physical distancing and completing daily attestations.

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.

For spring quarter, most courses will be offered online, similar to winter quarter, while the UW intends to offer more in-person student services and activities as the quarter progresses.

Those courses held in person will once again largely be clinical instruction, certain labs, and arts- and performance-based courses. These will continue to have appropriate safety measures and physical distancing in place.

We remain dedicated to providing you with an excellent education and look forward to the time when progress in stemming the pandemic means we can return to a more fully on-campus experience. Our faculty, teaching assistants and academic support staff are all committed to your success in your classes. And we’re equally committed to providing as many services — and as much of the college experience — as we can remotely, as well as to providing as many in-person activities and services as health guidelines allow.

The UW is following a phased approach to our operations, coordinated 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 projected 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. State revenue forecasts, made periodically throughout the year, 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 for each campus under the state’s Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan and UW Environmental Health & Safety has created COVID-19 prevention guidelines for UW events.

Events must be organized, sponsored, or hosted by a University unit. You can learn more about the status for the Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses and what events are allowed in each phase on the COVID-19 recovery status page.

Individual Study Space @ the Research Commons are officially open for spring quarter in a limited capacity on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. – 5 pm. and Wednesdays from 1 – 5 p.m. 

Until then, physical branches of the UW’s Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma libraries will remain closed until further notice. Users with an active UW NetID or UW Libraries Borrower’s Card can request physical materials via the Libraries No Contact Pick-Up Service, with options for pick-up at all three campuses. While Interlibrary loan can facilitate requests for electronic resources only at this time, it plans to expand access to physical materials in spring quarter.

UW Libraries offers a wide range of online support for students and faculty such as 24/7 chat services, research and writing consultations, “drop-in” help hours, online workshops and events and more. The Libraries Student FAQ for 2021 and  Faculty Guidance for 2021 provide additional information. For up-to-date information on re-opening plans and available services visit the UW Libraries COVID-19 Update page.

The HUB is open with limited operations as an informal learning space for individual UW community members. Access is limited to UW students, faculty, staff, and non-UW guests with previously scheduled appointments. The HUB is only accessible with a Husky Card during specified hours of operation. There are more than 200 seats available for UW community members to comfortably access WiFi for classes, studying, and work. Learn more about visiting the HUB.

Most HUB offices remain available remotely. Please contact individual offices for information.

In any instances where UW faculty and staff are teaching, conducting research or providing critical services in person, we are committed to ensuring that you can do so with the appropriate protective measures and in sanitized spaces. Employees who can telework without impacting critical operations should be allowed to do so through Sept. 10, 2021, and we remain committed to supporting all faculty and staff with maximum empathy and flexibility.

If you have questions about your specific work circumstances, we encourage you to speak with your chair or supervisor about your unit’s local COVID-19 Prevention Plan.

We also recognize that many faculty and staff have caregiving responsibilities, and President Cauce and Provost Richards commissioned a task force that has provided recommendations on additional measures we can take to support caregivers in our UW community.

At the UW, all on-site work must align with safety measures in the state’s Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery and Campus Reopening Guide, and also follow requirements in the University’s COVID-19 Prevention Plan, as well as the COVID-19 prevention plans of your specific unit.

COVID-19 prevention requirements for on-site work include, but are not limited to:

• Requiring UW personnel to monitor their health for COVID-19 symptoms and complete daily attestations confirming they don’t have symptoms before coming to work on site, regardless of vaccination status;
• Requiring students, employees and visitors to wear face coverings and maintain 6 feet of distance from other people at all University locations, including UW Medicine facilities; and
• Performing enhanced cleaning and disinfection, 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, including in classrooms, 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.

Research will continue as it has been conducted since spring 2020, with all appropriate health and safety protocols for laboratory and field work. 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. If that does not feel like a safe option, you can also contact Environmental Health & Safety directly or submit an anonymous workplace safety concern online.

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 or face covering 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 health care 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.
• On August 6th, 2020 the global travel advisories by the U.S. Department of State and the CDC were rescinded and both organizations are reverting to national level advisories for each country. The UW travel restriction is still in effect.
• Faculty and staff researchers and graduate students may apply for an exceptional waiver to the current official travel restrictions. 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.

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.

Because the novel coronavirus is widespread, you can be exposed to COVID-19 during travel. UW guidance follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel advisories and the domestic travel recommendations quick guide.

The UW strongly discourages non-essential travel at this time.

Before travel

If you must travel during the pandemic, follow CDC pre-travel recommendations, including getting fully vaccinated for COVID-19 when eligible and getting tested 1-3 days before your departure. Keep a copy of your test results with you during travel, and check travel restrictions, requirements and recommendations for your destination.

People who are fully vaccinated are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine, you do not need to get tested before leaving unless your destination requires it.

During travel

Do not travel if any of the following apply to you. Immediately isolate yourself, and follow public health recommendations.

• You were exposed to COVID-19
• You test positive for COVID-19
• You have any symptoms
• You are waiting for test results

If none of the above apply, wear a mask in public places, wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer, keep at least six feet away from other people during all parts of your trip, avoid contact with sick people, do not spend time with others if you develop symptoms, and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Follow all local requirements when you arrive at your destination and provide any required health information to airline or governmental officials.

Follow CDC recommendations and all entry requirements for your destination.

All air passengers (including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people) arriving in the U.S. from other countries are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than three days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months before boarding the return flight.

You may have been exposed to COVID-19 during your travels. You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread the virus to others. You and your travel companions (including children) may pose a risk to your family, friends, and community after your travel; staying home and getting tested after travel is strongly recommended.

If you are fully vaccinated, you have a lower risk of being infected during domestic travel, but you must still take the following steps to protect others after returning from travel:

• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
• Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements.
• If you traveled internationally, get a COVID-19 test three to five days after returning from travel.

If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine and you are traveling internationally, you do not need to quarantine after arriving in or returning to the U.S.

People are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, take the following steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

• Get tested with a viral COVID-19 test three to five days after returning home from travel and stay home and away from other people for a full seven days after returning from travel.
  • Even if you test negative, stay home and away from other people for the full seven days.
  • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don’t get tested, stay home and away from other people for 10 days after travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
• Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements.

The time from exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 to symptom onset (i.e., incubation period) is up to 14 days. Due to the virus incubation period, it is safest to quarantine for 14 days post-travel, if possible. Shortening the quarantine period to 10 or seven days is also acceptable, but it means there is some risk you may expose others to travel-acquired COVID-19, so you should follow all recommended post-travel precautions.

For more information, visit the Quarantine and Isolation Guidance page on the UW EH&S website.

This guidance is not intended for healthcare settings. UW medical center personnel should follow UW Medicine guidance.

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

Refer to the FAQs “What do I do if I feel sick?”  and “I want to get tested for COVID-19. Where can I go?” for additional information.

If you have symptoms, you will need to get tested for COVID-19 and, if you test positive, notify the UW Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S) COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team (covidehc@uw.edu or 206.616.3344). UW Medicine personnel should contact their respective employee health services.

SEVP has communicated temporary changes to F-1 policy and practice through different communications (listed below). ISS continues to use this guidance as we advise students on their F-1 status during COVID-19.

• March 9, 2020 Policy Directive 
• July 14 news rescinding the July 6 SEVP guidance 
• July 24, 2020 Broadcast message, the
• Frequently Asked Questions for SEVP Stakeholders dated August 7, 2020, and

Students can also read COVID-19 Guidance from the government directly on the websites below:

• Department of Homeland Security – Study in the States: COVID-19 Resources
• Department of State guidance for J-1 students – Exchange Visitor Program Information on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

International Student Services will continue to update its information page as details become 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.

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.

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.