Quarantine and Isolation Resources

• Isolate in your room.
• Do not go out, including for food, class, or work. If you are in an online class and are feeling well enough to attend, please do so.
• Cover your cough, avoid touching your face, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.
• Make a list of people who have been within 6 feet of you for a total of 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period in the two days before you became sick until you isolated. If you have no symptoms, use the two days prior to your positive test. This is your list of close contacts. 
• Wear a mask and stay 6 feet away from others if you have to have any brief interaction. Interact with others as little as possible.

• Take your temperature with a thermometer daily and write down your results. Fever = 100.4 F or greater.
• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids.
• Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for fever and/or pain.
• Eat as tolerated without restrictions.
• Watch for signs of severe illness – call 911 or go to the ER if you develop any of these (call the facility to alert them you are coming).

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• Persistent dizziness, confusion, or inability to respond.
• Not drinking enough fluids or not urinating.
• Severe or persistent vomiting.
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen.
• Fever or cough that improve but then return or worsen.
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions.

• Remain in your isolation room until ALL of the following conditions are met:
  • You are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
    AND
  • Your symptoms are improving.
    AND
  • At least 5 days (day 0 is the day of symptom onset) have passed since your symptoms first appeared.
    
    
• If you continue to have fever or your other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, you should wait to end your isolation until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask. Contact your healthcare provider if you have questions. Note: Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation.
• If your symptoms get worse (see signs of severe illness) seek medical care. Call the healthcare facility/ER to let them know you are coming and follow instructions about wearing a mask when you arrive to the facility.
• If you have never had symptoms but had a known exposure you should isolate until at least 5 days (with day 0 being the day of the test) have passed since the date of your positive COVID-19 test. If you develop symptoms while self-isolating see above conditions that must be met to discontinue isolation.
• Do not travel during your 5 day isolation period. After you end isolation, avoid travel until a full 10 days after your first day of symptoms. If you must travel on days 6-10, wear a well-fitting mask when you are around others for the entire duration of travel. If you are unable to wear a mask, you should not travel during the 10 days.
• Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask, such as restaurants and some gyms, and avoid eating around others at home and at work until a full 10 days after your first day of symptoms.
• If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test towards the end of the 5 day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation). If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10. If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10. Note: To improve results, antigen tests should be used twice over a three-day period with at least 24 hours and no more than 48 hours between tests.

Note: These recommendations on ending isolation do not apply to people with severe COVID-19 or with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised). 

If one of your contacts are not fully vaccinated, they will be advised to quarantine for at least 5 days following the last time they had contact with you. If they are fully vaccinated, they will be advised to wear a mask for 10 days, and to seek a test around day 5 or from the last time they had contact with you. 

You should also expect a text and call from a contact tracer who will gather contact and activity information from you to be sure that all measures are taken to prevent more infections. Please answer your phone, even if you don’t recognize the number. The contact tracer will keep your identity confidential when notifying any of your contacts.

If you are not sure, please consult a medical professional.

• If you have a known exposure to a confirmed case, continue to quarantine for at least 5 days after your exposure.
• If you were tested but had no known exposure to a confirmed case, and you are asymptomatic, you can stop your self-quarantine.
• If you were tested but had no known exposure to a confirmed case, and you are symptomatic, you may have another respiratory virus that is circulating in the community. Avoid work and group settings until 24 hours after the last day of fever (without using fever reducing medications).

IU Student Health Center
Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 812-855-4011. The after-hours Nurse Line is available for urgent questions when the Student Health Center is closed. Call 812-855-4011, option 5 to speak with a nurse. If you have symptoms, access the IU COVID Symptom Checker via one.iu.edu. Available at no cost to students 24/7.

Community Resources

• IU Health Urgent Care, 550 S. Landmark Ave. Phone: (812) 330-3688.
• IU Health Bloomington Hospital Emergency Department, 2651 E Discovery Pkwy. Phone: (812) 353-5252.
• Monroe Hospital Emergency Department, 4011 S. Medical Park Blvd. Phone: 812-825-1111.
• 9-1-1 for IU Health Bloomington Hospital Ambulance Service.

• The latest up to date information on COVID-19 in the US and worldwide can be found on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.
• Indiana State Department of Health Resources on COVID-19.
• Indiana University coronavirus webpage

Because COVID-19 is relatively new, there are still many unknowns about the virus and testing for the virus. The test results are intended to give information for use in determining whether to seek additional medical treatment and/or take other actions, such as self-quarantine or self-isolate, in an effort to prevent the potential spread of the virus to others. There are risks inherent in any COVID-19 testing. You should consider the following:

• There are still many uncertainties about the transmission of COVID-19.
• If your test result is positive, the Student Health Center is required by law to report that result to certain public health agencies, including the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, IU Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) will be notified for purposes of tracking contacts and cleaning any campus locations where you might have been. IU EHS is required by IU policy and applicable law to safeguard the privacy and security of any such information we share, but may be required to re-disclose such information in order to comply with applicable local, state, and federal law.

Quarantine is the separation of a well person who has been exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. Quarantining those exposed to COVID-19 helps prevent spread of infection to others.

• Remain in the room assigned to you by IU and do not allow others into your room.
• Do not go out, including for food, class, or work. You may continue online classes.
• Do not travel during your 5 day quarantine period. Get tested at least 5 days after your last close contact and make sure your test result is negative and you remain without symptoms before traveling. If you don’t get tested, delay travel until 10 days after your last close contact with a person with COVID-19. If you must travel before the 10 days are completed, wear a well-fitting mask when you are around others for the entire duration of travel during the 10 days. If you are unable to wear a mask, you should not travel during the 10 days.
• Wear a mask and stay 6 feet away from others if you have to have brief contact with anyone. Do not go to places where you are unable to wear a mask, such as restaurants and some gyms, and avoid eating around others at home and at work until 10 days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
• Participate in daily COVID-19 symptom checks.
• Take your temperature daily and watch for symptoms such as:
  • Fever – a temperature of 100.4 or greater
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sore throat
  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • Muscle aches
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • New loss of taste or smell

Visit the IU COVID Symptom Checker 24/7 through one.iu.edu. You will be asked to fill out a form regarding your symptoms and schedule a time for a symptomatic COVID test. If you need medical advice call 812-855-4848 to speak with a registered nurse. 

• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids.
• Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for fever and/or pain.
• Eat as tolerated without restrictions.
• Watch for signs of severe illness (see list below) – call 911 or go to the ER if you develop any of these (call the facility to alert them you are coming).

Signs of severe illness:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• Persistent dizziness, confusion, or inability to respond.
• Not drinking enough fluids or not urinating.
• Severe or persistent vomiting.
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen.
• Fever or cough that improve but then return or worsen.
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions.

• The time it takes someone who has been exposed to COVID-19 to show evidence of infection is typically 3-5 days, but may be anywhere between 2-14 days. This is called the incubation period. The risk of disease development after day 10 is low, therefore, the CDC allows for a 5 day quarantine following expsoure. However, you should continue to wear a mask and monitor your health from 6-10 days following your quarantine. 
• It is possible for someone infected with COVID-19 to spread the virus to others up to 2 days BEFORE they develop symptoms.
• It is also possible to be exposed to COVID-19 and develop what is called an asymptomatic infection. Those with asymptomatic infection do not exhibit
  any illness symptoms, but they can still spread the infection to others.
• At the end of 5 full days (day 0 being the last day of known contact) following an exposure, if you haven’t developed symptoms and tested positive, you are able to be released from quarantine. A small percentage of people may still develop infection between days 6-14. During that time, it is important that you avoid crowds, stay 6 feet away from other people, wear your mask when you are around other people, and practice good hand hygiene.

• The latest up to date information on COVID-19 in the US and worldwide can be found on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.
• Indiana State Department of Health Resources on COVID-19.
• Indiana University coronavirus webpage

IU Student Health Center
Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 812-855-4011. The after-hours Nurse Line is available for urgent questions when the Student Health Center is closed. Call 812-855-4011, option 5 to speak with a nurse. If you have symptoms, access the IU COVID Symptom Checker via one.iu.edu. Available at no cost to students 24/7.

Community Resources

• IU Health Urgent Care, 550 S. Landmark Ave. Phone: (812) 330-3688.
• IU Health Bloomington Hospital Emergency Department, 2651 E Discovery Pkwy. Phone: (812) 353-5252.
• Monroe Hospital Emergency Department, 4011 S. Medical Park Blvd. Phone: 812-825-1111.
• 911 for IU Health Bloomington Hospital Ambulance Service.

Looking for some tips on healthy eating during quarantine and isolation? Make a virtual appointment with one of our registered dietitians today. Call 812-855-7688 or schedule online.

Your first appointment is free, and your student health fee includes one free 60-minute session with our registered dietitians each semester.

Appointments will be conducted virtually by a staff Registered Dietitian. You will receive a link to your email and a text (if enabled) prior to the appointment.

Quarantine Connections are online sessions designed to support students who have tested positive for COVID-19. The goal is to create a space where students can connect with others in a similar situation to discuss the challenges of quarantine and isolation. Trained Student Health Center professional staff will moderate the discussion, but it is up to each student to decide what they want to share and how they want to participate.

To register for a session or to learn more visit: go.iu.edu/37qt.

Meet with a health coach who can share strategies for staying healthy during quarantine and isolation. Our health coaches offer supportive, positive guidance to help you define your own vision and objectives in a way that fits into this challenging time.

Make an appointment by calling 812-855-7688 or schedule online.

Appointments will be conducted virtually via zoom.

During quarantine and isolation you may find yourself unable to get tobacco and/or e-cigarettes and may be experiencing difficult withdrawal symptoms. Our tobacco and vaping cessation team can help. You’ll get judgment-free support and counseling as well as nicotine replacement therapy (including patches and gum). Services are FREE.

Make an appointment by calling 812-855-7688 or email Hope Frazier to learn more.

During quarantine and isolation you may have trouble finding ways to have intimate contact and remain connected to your partner. You can speak confidentially to an American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)–certified sex educator to ask questions or talk about concerns.

To get started email Heather Eastman-Mueller.

Substance Use Intervention Services offers a safe, judgment-free space for drug and alcohol use and recovery support through the Collegiate Recovery Community. The office can provide virtual counseling for students who might be struggling during quarantine and isolation.

Call 812-856-3898 or email to connect with a counselor.