| For faculty, staff, and postdocs who are experiencing COVID-like symptoms or have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, we recommend that you submit your Health Check. |
Symptoms
As described by the CDC, people with COVID-19 can exhibit a wide range of symptoms that can vary widely in severity. Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Symptoms commonly appear within 2-5 days after exposure to the virus. In general, symptoms tend to be less severe in those who have recently been ‘boosted.’
Exposure
Exposure to COVID-19 in occupational settings depends on several factors, such as the duration and frequency of work in close proximity to others. Certain work activities inherently require more than one employee to work within close proximity, and additional measures to prevent exposure may be required. Refer to the below dropdown bars for guidance on ‘close contact’ and ‘household’ exposure scenarios.
As symptoms change, faculty, staff, and postdocs may re-submit Health Check for updates to recommended guidelines. Please also take the following actions:
Covid test. We recommend completing a COVID- test. If you test positive during this time, you are required to submit the result via Health Check. Please refer to this webpage for information on obtaining rapid antigen tests.
Wear a high-quality (KN95, N95) face mask. If you test negative for COVID and feel able to work as your symptoms improve, you should wear a face mask on Stanford campuses for at least 10 days from when symptoms began. Please note that there are a number of infectious respiratory viruses actively circulating, including influenza and RSV, and our goal is to also minimize the spread of non-COVID illness.
Contact your personal physician for health care. We strongly encourage you to contact your physician with any questions about diagnosis or medical evaluation and treatment. If you have urgent or critical medical needs, please go to your nearest emergency department. Signs you should seek emergency medical attention, or call 9-11, include:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone
If you have questions about the Health Check guidance, please submit a help ticket.
The CDC defines a close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an individual who tested positive for COVID, masked or unmasked, during their infectivity period, for 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period.
In alignment with Santa Clara County guidance, close contacts who are asymptomatic are no longer required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status.
Stanford asks faculty, staff, and postdocs who meet the definition of a close contact to please take the following actions:
- COVID test. We recommend completing a COVID- test today and, if negative, again on days 3, 4, and 5 after your close-contact exposure. If you test positive during this time, you are required to submit the result via Health Check.
- If you develop symptoms following your exposure, please complete Health Check and remain off-site, as symptoms following a close-contact exposure would be presumed to be COVID, until proven otherwise.
- Wear a high-quality (KN95, N95) face mask. You must wear a face mask on Stanford campuses for at least 10 days from your last close contact exposure.
If you have questions on the Health Check guidance, please submit a help ticket.
A household exposure is when someone you live with (i.e., a roommate, significant other/intimate partner/child) tests positive for COVID.
In alignment with Santa Clara County guidance, close contacts who are asymptomatic are no longer required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status.
Stanford asks faculty, staff, and postdocs who meet the definition of a household exposure to please take the following actions:
- COVID test. We recommend completing a COVID- test today and, if negative, every day prior to coming to work ANY Stanford campus, until 5 days have passed since your last household exposure. If you test positive during this time, you are required to submit the result via Health Check.
- If you develop symptoms following your exposure, please complete HealthCheck and remain off-site, as symptoms following a high-risk or household exposure would be presumed to be COVID, until proven otherwise.
- Wear a high-quality (KN95, N95) face mask. You must wear a face mask on Stanford campuses for at least 10 days from your last close-contact exposure.
If you have questions on the Health Check guidance, please submit a help ticket.
If you feel healthy enough to work, and are concerned about your COVID-like symptoms or exposure status, please work with your supervisor to determine whether you are able to work remotely.
If you are not feeling healthy enough to work, please contact your supervisor and follow your normal protocols for outages due to illness.
If you have any questions about leave, please contact your local Human Resources representative.
For questions related to Stanford’s response to COVID-19 or other health concerns, please fill out this EH&S Health Guidance form.
