According to the Center for Disease Control, patients who are either presumed or confirmed positive for Covid-19 should remain isolated for at least 5 days to limit the risk of secondary transmission to others. The length of isolation may be longer if there is a continued fever or if symptoms are not significantly improved. The CDC advises wearing a mask from day 6 through day 10 when not in isolation. Return to work and class attendance is permitted with a mask starting on day 6 for those who are experiencing significant improvement of symptoms and without fever. Our case manager or a health care provider can assist with determining your safe return to classes or campus.

First five days: When a person becomes ill, they should isolate as soon as early symptoms appear and remain isolated for at least 5 days once Covid-19 is confirmed by a positive test. Covid-positive patients are most contagious in this time frame even with minimal symptoms. Testing in the first 24-36 hours have produced a false negative at times, so plan to retest if your symptoms are worsening during the course of your illness.

Health Services is open Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the summer and five days a week during the school year and can assist with testing on these days. Offsite clinics and home testing are readily available alternatives when Health Services is closed during the summer hours and can be found here: COVID-19 - Kent County Testing Locations | Kent County, Michigan (accesskent.com)

Health Services care team will serve as a portal to the Calvin team during open hours. But in order to avoid delay in properly isolating, here are some direct links to support when Health Services is closed:

  • Students who have covid-like-symptoms or a positive home test or test positive at an off-campus clinic, plan to notify Calvin’s case manager, Kari Dykhouse, at kld56@calvin.edu. The case manager will work with your professors and help arrange housing alternatives if you live on campus while awaiting test results.
  • Employees who have a positive home test or test positive at an off-campus clinic, plan to notify Calvin’s HR case manager, humanresources@calvin.edu. The HR case manager will work with you to determine a safe return to campus date.
  • Other questions about housing while sick and living on campus? Housing staff can be reached at housing@calvin.edu. After hours assistance with housing concerns (on campus residents only): 616-540-8732. Plan to reach out as soon as possible so the support staff on campus can instruct you about moving to an isolation room. Don’t wait for Health Services to be open to start the isolation process.

The first 5 days of isolation are key to limiting spread of Covid. Home tests can be confirmed by Health Services for employees or students when the office is open. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. But isolation may extend past those first 5 days in some cases. Work with Health Services, the case manager, or your health care provider if you have questions about when to end isolation.

After the first five days: For those with a positive Covid-19 test, after the first five days of isolation, you may consider leaving the isolation room during the day if you are fever free, your cough/other symptoms have significantly improved. Plan to wear a mask when around others for another 5 days. Isolation is intended to be 10 days long but less “strict” in those later 5 days for those without symptoms. You may attend classes at this point but plan to wear a mask in the classroom. Plan to continue to sleep alone to limit exposure through day 10 of isolation.

Monitor your symptoms each day

Monitor your symptoms. If you are having chills, hot sweats, body aches, or feeling feverish, take your temperature. Stay hydrated. Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is getting worse instead of better (for example, you have difficulty breathing). The Covid-19 illness seems to be less serious for those who have had Covid-19 in the past or if they are fully vaccinated but some subvariants are causing symptoms that are moderate or serious and this illness may mimic influenza for some individuals. Call Health Services or your healthcare provider and tell them that you have Covid-19 or that you suspect Covid-19. Wear a facemask and ask about an alternative entrance before you enter a healthcare facility. Health Services is open in the summer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We can run a rapid test looking for influenza co-infection. There are treatments for influenza and some treatment for Covid-19 can be prescribed when indicated. When the office is closed, plan to seek care at a local urgent care so as not to delay evaluation. Timing of diagnosis is essential when antiviral treatment is being considered. Follow up care from the weekend can be handled in Health Services when we are open.

Instructions for Notifying Close Contacts

A close contact is anyone exposed to an individual who is either presumed or confirmed positive for COVID-19. In most cases, a person is a close contact if they are living with the COVID-19 patient. Those who are not considered fully vaccinated or their booster was more than 5 months ago, may be at higher risk of contracting covid but even those recently vaccinated are able to contract covid in some cases.

Close contacts who are not symptomatic:

If you are up to date on your Covid-19 vaccine, you may continue to go to public places including Calvin’s campus, the grocery stores, etc. Consider avoiding visiting immune-compromised individuals if you are a close contact and wear a mask if needed. Monitor for symptoms. Most close contacts begin to have symptoms between day 2-10 after being exposed to Covid-19. But the majority of close contacts contract Covid-19 in the first 5 days after exposure.

If a close contact become ill, they should isolate, and get tested:

If you become symptomatic while in quarantine, it is important to isolate yourself and plan to get tested for COVID-19. If positive, follow the instructions for isolation above.

Stay in tune with mild symptoms after a recent exposure:

Get tested if you have any symptoms during your 10 days of self-monitoring even if you are up to date on Covid-19 vaccine series. Some find it reassuring to get a test around day 5 even if asymptomatic. A negative test on this day is reassuring. Health Services offers asymptomatic testing and will work with your insurance to handle the cost, but home tests are perfect for this occasion and readily available. Most insurances cover testing with no out-of-pocket costs.