Exposure & Illness Procedures

If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or have any symptoms, you may need to be tested or to quarantine/isolate, or both. Find out what you need to do.

What is an exposure?

An exposure is defined as being within six feet of a known positive person for 15 minutes or more without proper personal protective equipment.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The CDC provides a list of COVID-19 symptoms. Symptoms vary and can be mild, especially in vaccinated individuals.

All employees working on the Medical Campus

If you have symptoms (with or without exposure)

Steps for work/school: Employees are required to call the COVID-19 Exposure/Illness Hotline at 314-362-5056 for testing. WashU Med students, email Dr. Karen Winters.

Steps for home:

  • If COVID positive, do not come to work/school for five days. (Non-health-care workers may work from home if able.) Stay in your home and isolate for at least five days and wear a mask any time outside your home for the following five days. You must be cleared by Occupational Health (occupationalhealth@wustl.edu) or Student Health before returning to work/school. You must be fever free without medication for 24 hours, and your symptoms must be improving.
  • If COVID negative, you may return to work when you’ve had no fever for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving; if recent COVID exposure, wear a mask for 10 days from last exposure to protect others.

For health-care workers

You work in a clinic or hospital and cannot work remotely

If you have symptoms (with or without exposure)

Steps for work/school: Employees are required to call the COVID-19 Exposure/Illness Hotline at 314-362-5056 for testing. Please have your employee ID number available. WashU Med students, email Dr. Karen Winters.

Steps for home:

  • If COVID positive, do not come to work/school for five days. Stay in your home and isolate for at least five days and wear a mask any time outside your home for the following five days. You must be cleared by Occupational Health (occupationalhealth@wustl.edu) or Student Health before returning to work/school. You must be fever free without medication for 24 hours, and your symptoms must be improving.
  • If COVID negative, you may return to work when you’ve had no fever for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving; if recent COVID exposure, wear a mask for 10 days from last exposure to protect others.
If you are exposed and have no symptoms …

Steps for work/school

  • You may continue to work. Closely monitor self for symptoms, and leave work if symptoms develop.Call the COVID-19 Exposure/Illness Hotline at 314-362-5056 for testing. Please have your employee ID number available. WashU Med students, email Dr. Karen Winters.

Steps for home

  • Wear a mask both at work/school and in the community for 10 days from last exposure to protect others.

For non-health-care workers

You do not work in a clinic or hospital, or you can work remotely

If you have symptoms (with or without exposure)

Steps for work/school: Employees may continue working fully remotely if able. Call the COVID-19 Exposure/Illness Hotline at 314-362-5056. Please have your employee ID number available. The Hotline is testing anyone with symptoms — including non-clinical faculty, staff and students.

Steps for home:

  • If COVID positive, do not come to work/school for five days. If you got tested outside of Occupational Health, email occupationalhealth@wustl.edu to report your positive test result. (Do not call the Hotline.) Stay in your home and isolate for at least five days and wear a mask any time outside your home for the following five days. You must be cleared by Occupational Health (occupationalhealth@wustl.edu) or Student Health before returning to work/school. You must be fever free without medication for 24 hours, and your symptoms must be improving.
  • If COVID negative, you may return to work/school when you’ve had no fever for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving; if recent COVID exposure, wear a mask for 10 days from last exposure to protect others.
If you are exposed and have no symptoms …

Steps for work: May continue working either remotely or on campus. Call the COVID-19 Exposure/Illness Hotline at 314-362-5056 for testing. Please have your employee ID number available. WashU Med students, email Dr. Karen Winters.

Steps for home:

  • Wear a mask for 10 days to protect others
  • If possible, get tested on day five.

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