COVID-19 Exposure/Illness Guidelines for

ZSOM Students, Faculty and Staff

Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the omicron variant, and based on the guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), and others, our existing return-to-school/work recommendation for ZSOM is following Northwell Health guidance (updated 12.29.21). Importantly, this update is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1 to 2 days prior to symptom onset, and in the 2 to 3 days after

 

What to do if you TEST POSITIVE for COVID-19:

 

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status or whether or not you have symptoms of COVID-19
  • Do not come to work or attend in-person classes/clinical experiences.  
  • Isolate for 5 days. 
  • Day 0 is the day symptoms began or the day the person took a test that had a positive result.  Day 1 is the day after symptoms began or, if a person does not have symptoms, the day after the person tested positive (use the date the test was collected).  
  • All students must notify Student Affairs and submit an Absence Reporting Form so the school can offer its support.
  • First One Hundred Week (FOW) students must also notify Hofstra’s Health and Wellness Center by phone or email and upload their test results into Medicat.
  • Employees must contact the Office of Human Resources at benefits@hofstra.edu or call 516-463-6859.

After 5 days, if you are

  • Without symptoms, you may return to work/school. Continue to wear a mask* around others for 5 additional days.  
  • With symptoms, you may return to work/school if your symptoms are improving AND you have been fever-free for 72 hours without use of fever reducing medication (tylenol/acetaminophen, motrin/ibuprofen).Continue to wear a mask* around others for 5 additional days. If you have a fever, continue to stay home and isolate until you have been fever-free for 72 hours without use of fever reducing medication
  • After completing your isolation period, you do not need a negative COVID-19 test to return to work/school.

Exceptions to above guidelines for individuals who test positive for COVID 19:
This new guidance includes two exceptions: (1) People who are immunocompromised should remain on isolation and consult with Hofstra’s Health and Wellness Center, EHS, or HR on their return date, and (2) unvaccinated individuals with an approved exemption or partially-vaccinated individuals should also remain on isolation and consult with Hofstra’s Health and Wellness Center, EHS, or HR on their return date. 

What to do if you have SYMPTOMS of COVID-19:

 

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
  • Do not come to work or attend in-person classes/clinical experiences.  

All students:

  • Notify Student Affairs and submit an Absence Reporting Form so the school can offer its support.
  • Get tested by Hofstra’s Health and Wellness Center or Employee Health Services. 

 Faculty and staff:

  • Contact your supervisor
  • Discuss with your health care provider if you should get tested
  • If you get a PCR test, while your PCR result is pending, do NOT come to work or attend in-person classes/clinical experiences. 
    • If test result is negative, you may return to work/in-person classes and clinical experiences.
    • If test result  is positive, follow the guidance for a positive test result.

 

What to do if you were EXPOSED to someone with COVID-19:

An “exposure” or “direct contact” in a community setting is when you are within 6 feet of someone who has confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period. 


If you:

 

  • You do NOT need to quarantine
  • You may continue going to school/clinical experiences or work
  • Wear a mask* around others for 10 days.  
  • Testing on day 5 remains optional 
  • If an asymptomatic individual with an exposure gets a PCR test, the asymptomatic individual MAY return to work/school/clinical experiences while awaiting their PCR results.

     

If you develop symptoms stay home and get tested
Students should report any absences per the First 100 Weeks or Second 100 Weeks Attendance Policies, using the appropriate absence form. 

Have been boosted

 OR

Completed the primary series of Pfizer WITHIN the last 5 months or Moderna vaccine WITHIN the last 5 months

OR

Completed the primary series of J&J vaccine WITHIN the last 2 months

If you:

 

  • Quarantine for 5 days. 
  • After that continue to wear a mask* around others for 5 additional days.  
  • Testing on day 5 remains optional 
  • If an asymptomatic individual with an exposure gets a PCR test, the asymptomatic individual MAY return to work/school/clinical experiences while awaiting their PCR results.

If you develop symptoms stay home and get tested 

Completed the primary series of Pfizer OVER 5 months ago or Moderna vaccine OVER 6 months ago and are NOT boosted

OR

Completed the primary series of J&J OVER 2 months ago and are NOT boosted

 OR

Are unvaccinated

*Procedure masks, surgical masks, KN95 masks, and N95 masks are all acceptable. The sole use of cloth masks is no longer permitted.

LAST UPDATED COVID CHARTS: 03/16/2022 

Testing:
For MS 1s and MS 2s: Hofstra University’s Student Health and Counseling Center (SHACC) offers PCR testing for students on an appointment-only basis. Please call 516-463-6745 to schedule an appointment.

For MS 3s and MS 4s: Northwell Health’s Employee Health Services offers PCR testing for students on an appointment-only basis. Please call 718-470-7516 to schedule an appointment. 

Hofstra/ZSOM is currently not offering testing for employees. Please check the NYS COVID-19 website for testing locations.

Additional Resources:
CDC COVID-19 website
CDC symptom checker
CDC travel guidance