Eastern Oregon University > Coronavirus Information > COVID-19 Exposure Scenarios and Guidance

COVID-19 Exposure Scenarios and Guidance

Last updated: 3/4/2022

Eastern Oregon University is currently updating the information on these pages in accordance with public health guidance and recommendations. For questions regarding this page, please click here to fill out this question form.

If you think you may have or been exposed to COVID-19, isolate yourself from others, do not come to campus, and follow the guidance below to determine what to do next.

The following guidance is for Eastern Oregon University students and employees (faculty, officers of administration, classified staff, student employees), and other affiliated individuals who are accessing university property. It has been created following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Oregon Health Authority guidelines, and in consultation with Union County Public Health.

Complete the Daily Health Check in Mountie Hub before arriving on campus each day, and as soon as possible if you are affected by COVID-19.

See below the table for definitions and clarifications of key terms and where to direct questions.

VACCINATION STATUSDEFINITION
Up to date
  • Boosted, or
  • Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna within the last six months, or
  • Completed the primary dose of Johnson and Johnson/Janssen (J&J) within the last two months.
Not up to date
  • Has not completed the primary series of any COVID-19 vaccine, or
  • Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna over six months ago and is not boosted, or
  • Completed the primary dose of J&J over two months ago and is not boosted.
SCENARIOWHAT SHOULD I DO?
1. Positive for COVID-19 infection.

I have tested and confirmed positive or presumed positive due to the nature of my illness symptoms.

NOTE: One’s vaccination status is irrelevant to quarantine in this scenario.
  1. Stay home and isolate. Do not come to campus. Isolate for 5 days and remain masked when around others for an additional 5 days.
  2. Complete the Daily Health Check on Mountie Hub.
  3. Employees: Notify your supervisor. 
    Students: Email Student Affairs at saffairs@eou.edu. You are also encouraged to reach out to your instructors so you can make up for missed class work.
WHEN CAN I RETURN TO CAMPUS?
If you do not experience symptoms, you may return to campus 5 days after you were tested.

If you experience mild or moderate symptoms, you may return to campus 5 days after your symptoms were reported to EOU if your symptoms have resolved and you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the help of medication. 

Please note that students need to be cleared by EOU to return to classes. Employees must be cleared by their supervisor in order to return to work on campus.

Note: If going from date of symptoms vs date of test, the 5 days start from the date that EOU was notified about your symptoms.
2. Fully vaccinated person with a close contact exposure who has no illness symptoms.

I was in close contact with someone who is COVID-positive during their period of transmissibility.

I do not have any illness symptoms of COVID-19.

I am up to date on my COVID-19 vaccinations.
  1. Employees: Notify your supervisor.
    Students: Complete your Daily Health Check indicating the close contact and email Student Affairs at saffairs@eou.edu.
  2. Close contacts who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations do not need to be quarantined but must wear a mask around others for 10 days following your exposure.
  3. It is recommended that you test 5 days after exposure.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT HOUSEHOLD CONTACT :
For persons who are asymptomatic and fully vaccinated who have close contact exposures do not need to quarantine even if the person who is COVID-positive is in your home and you continue to have contact with this person. In the case of a continuous exposure, testing is recommended 3-5 days after the COVID-positive person’s 5-day isolation is finished but, for your own peace of mind, you may also get tested during their isolation period
3. A person who is not up to date on their vaccinations, who has no symptoms, and who had a close contact exposure:

I was in close contact with someone who is a COVID case (COVID-positive) during their period of transmissibility.

I do not have any symptoms of COVID-19.

I am NOT up to date on my COVID-19 vaccinations.
  1. Stay home and quarantine for 5 days beginning on the date that the exposure was reported to EOU and remain masked when around others for an additional 5 days.
  2. Complete the Daily Health Check on Mountie Hub and indicate close contact.
  3. It is recommended that you test 5 days after exposure.
  4. Supervisors: Complete the COVID-19 Incident Report for your employee’s exposure situation.
  5. Employees: Notify your supervisor.
  6. Students: Notify your instructors so you can make up for missed class work.
EXCEPTION: If you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days, you may not need to quarantine but you must continue to monitor for symptoms and stay home if you develop any. Please confirm this with your supervisor or Student Affairs before returning to campus. Students may be required to complete a rapid test.

WHEN CAN I RETURN TO CAMPUS?
If you are no longer in contact with the COVID-positive person: You may return to campus 5 days after your final exposure to them. Also continue to mask when around others for an additional 5 days.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT HOUSEHOLD CONTACT :
Public health departments consider household contacts to be close contacts by default. As a result, you should quarantine during your household member’s isolation period but your 5-day quarantine period does not begin until your household member is no longer required to isolate (see Scenario 1 above regarding people who test positive for COVID-19). Because of this, you may not be able to return to campus until 10 days or more have passed. In this case, testing is recommended 3-5 days after the 10-day period has concluded.
4. Symptomatic with COVID-19 illness, but not confirmed positive for COVID-19.

I have one or more symptoms of COVID-19. These symptoms are different from my baseline (preexisting conditions).

I have not consulted with a health care provider or been tested for COVID-19.

NOTE: One’s vaccination status is irrelevant in this scenario.
  1. Stay home. Do not come to campus.
  2. Complete the Daily Health Check on Mountie Hub.
  3. Employees: Notify your supervisor. 
    Students: Notify Student Affairs (saffairs@eou.edu) and contact your instructors so you can make up for missed class work.
  4. Contact a healthcare provider and request a test.
WHEN CAN I RETURN TO CAMPUS?
You may return to campus only after the following conditions have been met:
  • Your health care provider clears you to work; OR
  • It has been 5 days since the symptoms were reported to EOU, and your symptoms have resolved.
Employees: Employees completing their isolation/quarantine assignments are to contact their supervisor before returning to work on campus.

Important Exception: 
If you have a recent known COVID-19 exposure and one or more COVID-19 symptoms (*shortness of breath, cough, fever, or new loss of smell or taste), you may not return to campus for 5 days after symptoms are reported to EOU, regardless of test result.
5. Close contact exposure to someone who has symptoms by a person who is not fully vaccinated.

I do not have any symptoms but someone with whom I have had close contact exposure to is now exhibiting symptoms of, or is being tested for, COVID-19.

I am NOT up to date on my COVID-19 vaccinations.		Complete the Daily Health Check on Mountie Hub. Before coming to campus, employees must contact their supervisor and students must contact Student Affairs for guidance on whether or not you are considered a close contact.
If you are found to be a close contact, see Scenario 3.
You may also get a COVID-19 test.

WHEN CAN I RETURN TO CAMPUS?
Return to campus for work or in-person classes is determined by their supervisor for employees and Student Affairs for students
6. Close contact exposure to a person who had a close contact exposure to another person who might have or does have COVID-19.

Someone I have been around was recently in contact with another person who is now exhibiting symptoms or who now has COVID-19. The person with whom I spent time is not exhibiting symptoms and neither am I.		Complete the Daily Health Check on Mountie Hub. You may come to campus.Quarantine is only necessary for an individual who is not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations when they have been in DIRECT close contact with a person positive for COVID-19.
7. Recently vaccinated and symptomatic with COVID-19 illness.

I received a COVID-19 vaccine within the last three days and I have symptoms associated with the vaccine (specifically, fatigue, headache, chill, muscle or joint ache, fever), and/or pain/swelling at the site of the injection. To my knowledge, I have not been in close contact with anyone who has COVID-19		Complete the Daily Health Check on Mountie Hub. You may come to work or class on campus if you feel well enough to do so and after any fever has been resolved for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
However, if you are also experiencing a cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell, see Scenario 4 above.

If you have a fever only:
  1. Isolate at home until fever resolves.
  2. Consider getting a PCR COVID-19 test.
If the fever is not improving after two days or if other COVID-19 symptoms develop, stay home and isolate for five days; do not come to campus. Consult a health care provider to be evaluated for COVID-19, which may include obtaining a COVID-19 test.

Questions:

  • Students: Contact Student Affairs at (541) 962-3635 or saffairs@eou.edu
  • Employees: Contact your supervisor or the Human Resources Department at hr@eou.edu.
  • Supervisors: When required, complete the COVID-19 Incident Report (Mountie Hub) as soon as you are informed of a case or contact. Direct questions to the HR Department. 

Definitions and Clarifications:

Close contact exposure — A “close contact exposure” is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the infected person’s period of transmissibility. In cases where a local public health department is involved, the university will defer to the local public health department in their determination about whether someone is a close contact and when the quarantine period ends.

Confirmed positive — A “confirmed positive” or “confirmed case” is defined by meeting confirmatory laboratory evidence for COVID-19.

Isolate — To “isolate” is to separate an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 from others in order to slow the spread of the disease. If an employee is asked to isolate at home and if the university previously authorized the employee to work remotely, and they are healthy enough to do so, then the employee may continue to work from home while isolating. The university also might authorize work-from-home if none is currently in place but work-from-home is appropriate for the work being performed.

Fully vaccinated — A person is “fully vaccinated” two weeks after they have received all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (this varies by manufacturer) including recommended booster dose(es).

Local public health department — The term “local public health department” refers to the health department of the affected person’s county of residence.

Not up to date — A person is “not up to date” if they are unvaccinated, have not completed the primary series of any COVID-19 vaccine, have completed the primary series of Pfizer or  Moderna over six months ago and is not boosted, or have completed the primary series of J&J over two months ago and is not boosted.

Up to date – A person is “up to date” if they are boosted within the last six months and have completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna within the last six months or completed the primary dose of J&J within the last two months.

Period of transmissibility — The “period of transmissibility” is the time frame an infected person can spread COVID-19. This period starts from two days before they have any symptoms (or, for an asymptomatic person, two days prior to positive sample collection date (test date)) until they meet criteria for ending quarantine.

Presumptive positive — A “presumptive positive” or “presumptive case” describes a person who, without a positive diagnostic test, is deemed positive for COVID-19 by Human Resources for employees, Student Affairs for students or Athletics for student-athletes as a result of having COVID-like symptoms and (Should be “or”) having been in close contact with a laboratory test confirmed case.

Quarantine — To “quarantine” is to separate an individual who has been exposed to COVID-19 from any other individuals, including others who have also been exposed. The purpose is to slow the spread of the disease by separating and restricting the movement of individuals who were exposed to minimize the exposure of others and to monitor if they become sick. Fully vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine if they have been a close contact unless they develop COVID-19 symptoms. If an employee is asked to quarantine at home and if the university previously authorized the employee to work remotely, then the employee may continue to work from home while in quarantine. The university also might authorize work-from-home if none is currently in place but work-from-home is appropriate for the work being performed.

Symptomatic — A person is considered “symptomatic” when they have any of the following symptoms associated with COVID-19, when they are different from one’s baseline (known preexisting condition): Fever or chills, cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.