Covid-19 Protocols in Campus

Scenarios for Positive Cases

 

In the case of a positive student or close contact with a positive student, he or she must notify their result or exposure through the email c19rastreo@uprm.edu. The Department of Medical Services will take care of managing an excuse for that student and, in collaboration with the Dean of Students, they will inform the professors of the courses in which the student is enrolled. They will also inform when the student can return to the classroom. Dr. Gloribell Ortiz, designated Campus Epidemiologist, will be in charge of interviewing the student, identifying close contacts and following up on the cases. Here are listed possible scenarios:

 

1. Positive student who has NOT been in the Campus in person -> * Student must notify and will remain in isolation for at least 10 days from the date of onset of symptoms or date of the positive test (asymptomatic)

2. Positive student who has been in the Campus in person -> * Student must notify and will remain in isolation for at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms or the date of the positive test (asymptomatic) * All students and the teacher will be considered as close contacts of the positive * Fully vaccinated students / teacher do not have to quarantine. It will be recommended that they be tested for covid between the third and fifth day after the exposure occurred. Symptom surveillance. * Student / teacher who are NOT fully vaccinated (first dose; two weeks have not elapsed after the second dose was administered; religious or medical exception) will have to do a 14-day quarantine and test on the fifth day after the exposure occurred.

3. Student close contact of a positive case not related to the Campus -> student must notify. The following measures will be taken: * Fully vaccinated student does not have to quarantine. It will be recommended that a covid test be done between the third and fifth day after the exposure occurred. Symptom surveillance. * Students who are NOT fully vaccinated (first dose; two weeks have not elapsed after the second dose was administered; religious or medical exception) will have to do a 14-day quarantine and test on the fifth day after the exposure occurred.

In the case of a student returning from a trip, the protocol is similar. If the student is fully vaccinated she does not have to quarantine. If the student is not fully vaccinated, she has to quarantine for 7 days and get tested on the fifth day after returning from her trip. We must put the following into perspective, we do not know who may or may not be infected or who may or may not be a close contact of a positive, we do know that the vast majority of our population is vaccinated and that masks are effective in preventing exposure or contagion of the virus. For this reason it is important that all of us, students and teachers, are wearing a mask that covers the mouth and nose at all times.