Student information

Students must stay home or leave work immediately if COVID-19-like symptoms develop. You are encouraged to call your health care provider for an assessment and possible COVID-19 testing. Fully vaccinated individuals should still get tested if experiencing COVID-19 like symptoms.

If you have a positive test, you are encouraged to fill out a COVID-19 reporting form to assist with contact tracing.

Based on CDC guidelines, individuals who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must self-isolate for five days.

• If no symptoms are present or if symptoms are resolving after five days, the individual can end self-isolation. However, a mask must be worn indoors and outdoors when around other people for five days after isolation ends regardless of vaccination status.
• “Resolving symptoms” means at least 24 hours has passed with no fever and without fever-reducing medicine; and other symptoms are improving.

View CDC guidance on isolation, quarantine, and testing for people who are fully vaccinated or for people who are not fully vaccinated.

Fully vaccinated students must quarantine whether or not they are symptomatic. View CDC guidance for people who are fully vaccinated.

Individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic should stay home and self-isolate for five days after their positive test.

Based on CDC guidelines, individuals who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must self-isolate for five days.

• If no symptoms are present or if symptoms are resolving after five days, the individual can end self-isolation. However, a mask must be worn indoors and outdoors when around other people for five days after isolation ends regardless of vaccination status.
• "Resolving symptoms” means at least 24 hours has passed with no fever and without fever-reducing medicine; and other symptoms are improving.

View CDC guidance for people who are not fully vaccinated.

If you have a positive test, you are encouraged to fill out a COVID-19 reporting form to assist with contact tracing.

You are not required to quarantine if you:

• Have been boosted; OR
• Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last six months; OR
• Completed the primary series of J&J vaccines within the last two months.

If you meet the above criteria, you are advised to:

• Wear a mask around others for ten days.
• Test on day five.
• For the ten days following your last contact with someone with COVID-19, watch for symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other COVID-19 symptoms.
• If you develop symptoms, get tested immediately and self-isolate until after you receive your results. If positive, your new Day Zero is the date you developed symptoms.

You are required to quarantine if you:

• Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted; OR
• Completed the primary series of J&J over two months ago and are not boosted; OR
• Are unvaccinated.

Quarantine guidance:

• The date of your exposure is considered Day Zero. Quarantine for at least five days after your last contact with a person who has had COVID-19. 
• For ten days after your last contact with someone with COVID-19, watch for symptoms including fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other COVID-19 symptoms and wear a mask.
• If you develop symptoms, get tested immediately and self-isolate until after you receive your results. If positive, stay home.

View CDC guidance on when to quarantine.

If you are not vaccinated, or it has been longer than six months since your COVID-19 vaccination and have not received a COVID-19 booster shot, you must self-isolate for five days if you have had close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

View CDC guidance for people who are not fully vaccinated.

For students who are required to quarantine or self-isolate due to 1) COVID 19 infection or 2) exposure while not vaccinated, instructors must provide opportunities to make-up missed course work, including assignments, quizzes or exams. In courses with mandatory attendance policies, instructors must not penalize students for missing classes while quarantined.

For any absences, students should contact their instructor or faculty member directly.

For more information regarding absences, review the Class Absence Policy in the University Administrative Manual.

Students will likely get notifications about positive cases in their classes. Classes will continue in the mode they were scheduled, unless the number of students testing positive for COVID during a period of time that surpasses a threshold in a class section, as determined by the Chief Medical Officer and Provost’s Office, that warrants a class section being temporarily taught remotely.

Yes, quarantining for a close contact exposure (less than 6 feet for more than fifteen minutes) should be accommodated for unvaccinated students. However, if the only exposure is from notification about a positive case in a classroom, it is difficult to consider that a close contact unless there is a seating chart.

Since it is difficult to determine whether someone has had close contact (less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) in a classroom setting, unvaccinated students are advised to get a COVID-19 test. They can continue to come to class if they are asymptomatic.

The University’s Residential Life team will look after students who quarantined. Each quarantine room will include furniture, a refrigerator, microwave, toilet paper, trash bags and bottled water. Nevada Dining will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner that will be delivered to their rooms. The University will also offer these students resources including counseling and emotional support, as well as outlets to connect with other students in similar circumstances. The Residential Life team will provide building safety and security, and make the stay as comfortable of an experience as possible.

Yes. Self-reporting a positive test can help the University mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring that the surveillance/contact tracing process begins as soon as possible. If you test positive at a testing site other than the Student Health Center, please complete the voluntary online Reporting Form For Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 or provide consent to someone to submit it for you.