Your Questions Answered
Question: How does contact tracing happen at UC San Diego?
Answer: As per the CDC’s newest guidelines, UC San Diego will no longer be implementing universal contact tracing efforts. Students and campus employees will no longer be contacted by the UC San Diego Public Health Team to confirm exposures to COVID-19 as they previously were unless they are associated with a high-risk event. This updated guidance is in response to changes in the nature of the pandemic and the increasing availability of new tools to prevent transmission and mitigate illness.
UC San Diego has safety requirements for everyone who is on campus, including social distancing, wearing face coverings, and proper hand hygiene and sanitation. Individuals are unlikely to become a close contact of a newly infected person on campus as long as there is widespread adherence to campus safety requirements.
Whether you are in a classroom, a residential hall, or an office on the campus, the key is to stay physically distant, wear a face covering, and to do so for all of the time you are together. Otherwise if an infection appears in the area you're in, you run the risk of becoming a close contact.
Question: How do you communicate with close contacts?
Answer: While UC San Diego is no longer reaching out directly, we still highly encourage individuals with confirmed positive cases to notify their close contacts that they need to quarantine, monitor for symptoms, and get tested ASAP.
Question: I have been told by a health professional that I meet the criteria for exposure to COVID-19 and that I should quarantine. Do I need to conduct a test also?
Answer: Yes, a test will help determine if you will require isolation housing and additional clinical guidance and support. If your test is positive, you can help others by determining if any other individuals were exposed to the virus.
Learn more about testing options here.
