Quarantine and Isolation

This guide will help you and your family think through whether you should go home or stay in Charlottesville to quarantine or isolate.

While Student Health and Wellness (SHW) will proactively reach out to you if your positive test is the result of testing done at SHW or the University's prevalence testing program, please call SHW for guidance and resources if your positive test result is from a testing site that is not affiliated with UVA.

• If you live in on-Grounds housing, we’ll coordinate with the Dean on Call to get you set up with University-managed isolation housing—or you may choose to go home, if safe to do so. 
• If you live off Grounds in Charlottesville, you will need to isolate in your off-Grounds housing. Please review this UVA off-Grounds I/Q Guide for procedures and resources. If you are unable to isolate from others, you will be offered University-managed isolation housing or you may choose to go home, if safe to do so. 
• Whether you are in University-managed housing or isolating in your off-Grounds residence, you can end isolation after: 
  • 10 FULL days have passed since your symptoms began OR the date you took your COVID-19 test that resulted in a positive test result, whichever is longer: AND
  • You have not had a fever for 24 hours (without the use of medication); AND
  • Your symptoms have improved (if you had symptoms.)

NOTE: If you live off-Grounds and choose to isolate in your local residence, your housemate(s) must begin to quarantine away from you and away from each other and remain in quarantine for 10 FULL days since their last exposure to you. Housemates should not ‘quarantine together’ because if one ends up getting sick, then those in contact with that person will need to start their full 10-day quarantine all over again.

Please call Student Health and Wellness for guidance if you have not already. Not all exposures meet the CDC definition of a COVID-19 close contact—our Exposure Call Center team will review your exposure, advise if you are a close contact and what your next steps should be, and will connect you with UVA resources and (if needed) testing. Here's what to expect ff you are a close contact:

• If you live in on-Grounds housing, we’ll coordinate with the Dean on Call to get you set up with University-managed quarantine housing—or you may choose to go home, if safe to do so. Review this "Be I/Q Ready" PDF with individuals living in the home in which you would complete your quarantine prior to traveling there.
• If you live off-Grounds, you will need to quarantine in your off-Grounds housing or you may choose to go home, if safe to do so. Please review this UVA off-Grounds I/Q Guide for procedures and resources.
• Whether you are in University-managed housing or quarantining in your off-Grounds residence, you can end your quarantine 10 FULL days after your last exposure to the person with COVID-19 if you tested negative for COVID-19 between days 8 and 10 and have not developed any symptoms. If you develop symptoms during your quarantine, please call SHW immediately at (434) 924-5362. If you are unable to get tested between days 8 and 10, you can end your quarantine 14 FULL days after your last exposure if you have not developed any symptoms.

No. While we know that being in isolation and quarantine can be hard, the end date is based on CDC, Virginia Department of Health, and University guidelines. While your end date may be extended to include additional time in quarantine or isolation (due to a test result, change in symptoms, exposure, etc.), it cannot be changed to an earlier date. Pease do not ask the Dean on Call to change your dates; they are not able to do so.

• If you remained separate from the person in your house with COVID-19 (no time together in the same room, no sharing of any spaces—such as the same bathroom, kitchen, or bedroom, etc.) then you should quarantine and monitor your health for 10 full days after your last close contact. Get tested between days 8 and 10, and if you have had no symptoms and get a negative test result, you may end quarantine after 10 full days since your last close contact. You should also stay separate from any other housemates in case one of them becomes sick over the course of the quarantine period. IF you do not remain separate from other housemates and one of them becomes sick, then you will need to start your full 10-day quarantine period over.
• If you were unable to remain separate from the person in your house with COVID-19 then you should stay home and monitor your health while the person with COVID-19 is sick and for 10 full days after they are considered no longer infectious (at least 10 full days since symptoms first appeared or, if asymptomatic, 10 full days since they first tested positive and 24 hours with no fever without using fever-reducing medicine and other symptoms have improved).

If in isolation or quarantine, you can receive regular check-ins from Student Health and Wellness staff. The frequency of check-ins will be based on your needs. For example, students with symptoms will be checked on more frequently than students without symptoms. These check-ins will be offered through HealthyHoos patient portal messages, phone calls, and telehealth visits. If your symptoms worsen, Student Health and Wellness staff will arrange to bring you to the Medical Services clinic for evaluation and will assist in transport. A Dean on Call will always be available for non-medical needs.

The UVA Health Pharmacy has a satellite location within the Student Health and Wellness building. This pharmacy is offering same-day delivery of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to students in University-managed quarantine and isolation housing, free of charge. The pharmacy can be reached at 434-924-1544. If delivery to is needed after regular business hours (M-F, 9am - 4:30pm), patients may call 434-924-2390 to arrange delivery 24/7.

Please call the UVA COVID-19 Information call center at 833-454-6902. Students with positive test results will be contacted by phone by Student Health and Wellness. You will also receive an email about your results from UVA Health MyChart when your medical record has been updated with the test results. If you have any issues with MyChart, please call 434-243-2500.

We've created a resource specifically for you! You are not alone.

This is a great guide for those living with someone with COVID-19. Please note that if there is an individual with COVID-19 in your house, everyone in the household must quarantine from those outside the house AND from each other!