COVID-19 Notification Protocols

UPDATED ON June 1, 2022 – Effective June 1, 2022

Southern University System Coronavirus Notification Protocols

BACKGROUND

The Southern University System (System) continues to monitor COVID-19 pandemic. New COVID-19 cases continue to occur in Louisiana. Covid-19 cases related to new and more easily transmitted variants are occurring in many U.S. communities.

Definitions Used in these Protocols

Fully Vaccinated Employee-is an employee that has completed a two (2) week period after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or completed two (2) weeks after receiving a single Jansen/Johnson vaccine. The employee has also received at least one (1) booster shot. The employee must provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated.

Unvaccinated Employee-is an employee that has not completed a two (2) week period after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or completed two (2) weeks after receiving a single Jansen/Johnson vaccine, an employee that has only received one (1) dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or an employee that has not been inoculated with the Pfizer, Moderna or Jansen/Johnson vaccine.

Symptoms compatible with COVID-19, for the purpose of these recommendations, include subjective or measured fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.

Self-monitoring means people should monitor themselves for fever by taking their temperatures twice a day and remain alert for cough or difficulty breathing. If.they feel feverish or develop measured fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during the self monitoring period, they should self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a healthcare provider or their local health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.

EXPOSURE RISK CATEGORIES

These categories are interim and subject to change.

The CDC has established the following exposure risk categories to help guide public health management of people following potential COVID-19 exposure in jurisdictions that are not experiencing sustained community transmission. These categories may not cover all potential exposure scenarios. They should not replace an individual assessment of risk for the purpose of clinical decision making or individualized public health management.

All exposures apply to ten {10) days prior to assessment.

Table 1. Risk Categories for Exposures associated with contact of a person who got a COVID-19 test, household member was tested or tested positive for COVID-19 and an employee who tested positive {*Last Update 5/2020)

Risk Level	Exposures Identified through Contact Investigation
High	Living in the same household as, being an intimate partner of, or providing care in a non-healthcare setting (such as a home) for a person with symptomatic laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infection *without* *using recommended precautions* for home care and home isolation

Medium (assumes no exposures in the high-risk category)	Close contact with a person with symptomatic laboratory- confirmed COVID-19 On an aircraft, being seated within 6 feet (two meters) of a traveler with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection; this distance correlates approximately with 2 seats in each direction Living in the same household as, an intimate partner of, or caring for a person in a non-healthcare setting (such as a home or office) to a person with symptomatic laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infection *while consistently using recommended precautions* for home care and home isolation.

Low (assumes no exposures in the high-risk capacity category)	Being in the same indoor environment (e.g., a classroom, workplace or a hospital waiting room) as a person with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID- 19 for a prolonged period but not meeting the definition of close contact. Being in the same indoor environment as a person being tested for COVID-19.

No identifiable risk	Interactions with a person with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID- 19 infection that do not meet any of the high-, medium or low-risk conditions above, such as walking by the person or being briefly in the same room.

Table 2. Summary of CDC Recommendations for Management of Exposed Persons by Risk Level and Presence of Symptoms

Risk Level	Management if Asymptomatic	Management of Symptomatic
High risk	Quarantine (voluntary or under public health orders) in a location to be determined by public health authorities. No public activities. Daily active monitoring, if possible, based on local priorities	Immediate isolation with consideration of public health orders public health assessment to determine the need for medical evaluation; if medical evaluation warranted, diagnostic testing should be guided by CDC's PUI definition If medical evaluation is needed, it should occur with pre-notification to the receiving HCF and EMS, if EMS transport indicated, and with all recommended infection control precautions. in place, Controlled travel: Air travel only via air medical transport. Local travel is only allowed by medical transport (e.g., ambulance) or private vehicle while symptomatic person is wearing a face mask.

Medium risk	Close contacts in this category: Recommendation to remain at home or in a comparable setting. Practice social distancing. Active monitoring as determined by local priorities. Recommendation to postpone long-distance travel on commercial conveyances.	Self-isolation public health assessment to determine the need for medical evaluation; if medical evaluation warranted, diagnostic testing should be guided by CDC's PUI definition. If medical evaluation is needed, it should ideally occur with prenotification to the receiving HCF and EMS, if EMS transport indicated, and with all recommended infection control precautions in place. Controlled travel: Air travel only via air medical transport. Local travel is only allowed by medical transport (e.g., ambulance) or private vehicle while symptomatic person is wearing a face mask.

Low risk	No restriction on movement Self-observation	Self-isolation, social distancing Person should seek health advice to determine if medical evaluation is needed. If sought, medical evaluation and care should be guided by clinical presentation; diagnostic testing for COVID-19 should be guided by CDCs PUI definition. Travel on commercial conveyances should be postponed until no longer symptomatic.

UPDATED SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
REPORTING PROTOCOLS

When the manager receives notice that an employee has been affected by COVID-19, the manager will complete the Incident Report Form. (www.sus.edu/incidentreport). If you have questions about the form, please contact Barbara Chinn for SUBR (Southern University Baton Rouge), SULC (Southern University Law Center) and SU Ag Center (Ba rbara_chinn@subr.edu or 225-771-2680). Quiana Skidmore for SUSLA, (qskimore@susla.edu) for SUSLA and Sheryl Crosby (scrosby@SUNO.edu or (504) 286-5374) for SUNO (Southern University New Orleans).

COVID-19 PROTOCOL FOR UNVACCINATED EMPLOYEES

IF AN UNVACCINATED EMPLOYEE REPORTS A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER OR THE EMPLOYEE WAS EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO WAS TESTED FOR COVID-19:

The unvaccinated employee is required to notify their supervisor.
The supervisor notifies the Campus Human Resources (CHR) department by completing the Incident Report Form.
After the CHR department receives the notification form and documentation, a tracer will be conducted.
The CHR will notify all employees that have been identified by the tracer.
Employees identified in the tracer will be notified by email.
The unvaccinated employee will be advised to take a COVID-19 PCR test and provide a negative result before they can return to work. The employee must monitor their symptoms and advise CHR when the household member receives the results.

IF AN UNVACCINATED EMPLOYEE REPORTS A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19:

The unvaccinated employee is required to notify their supervisor.
The supervisor notifies the CHR department by completing the Incident Report Form.
The employee is required to wear a mask and get a PCR test on the fifth (5th) day of the exposure.
The CHR will conduct a tracer based upon information obtained from the Incident Report.
Employees identified by the tracer will be notified by email.
Employees identified by the tracer will be advised to monitor themselves and monitor their symptoms regularly. All employees (vaccinated or nonvaccinated) identified in the tracer will be required to get a COVID-19 PCR test on the fifth (5th) day after exposure and provide a negative result before they can return to work. If an employee develops symptoms, the employee should contact their supervisor, leave work immediately and notify their doctor.

COVID-19 PROTOCOL FOR FULLY VACCINATED EMPLOYEES

IF A VACCINATED EMPLOYEE REPORTS A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER WAS EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO TESTED FOR COVID-19::

The vaccinated employee is required to notify their If a family member was exposed to a person on who took the PCR test, the employee is required to report it.
The supervisor notifies the CHR department by completing the Incident Report Form.
After the CHR department receives the Incident Report Form and documentation, the CHR department will maintain the form until the vaccinated employee notifies the CHR of the results.

IF A VACCINATED EMPLOYEE REPORTS A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER WAS EXPOSED TO OR THE EMPLOYEE WAS EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19:

The vaccinated employee is required to notify their
The supervisor notifies the CHR department by completing the Incident Report Form.
After the CHR department receives the Incident Report Form and documentation, the CHR department will maintain the documentation.
The employee is required to wear a mask around others for ten (10) days.
The employee must take a PCR test on the fifth (5th) day after your exposure.
If an employee starts experiencing symptoms, the employee must get tested immediately and must quarantine away from others until you receive a negative test. If the employee tests positive, the employee is required to follow isolation guidelines.

IF AN EMPLOYEE (VACCINATED OR UNVACCINATED) TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19:

The Employee is required to notify their supervisor.
The employee's supervisor notifies the CHR department by completing an Incident Report Form.
The employee must stay home or isolate away from others for at least five (5) days after the date the employee tests positive for COVID-19.
If the employee has a fever on day five (5), the employee will continue to stay home until the temperature returns to normal for at least twenty four (24) hours without taking fever reducing.
If the employee has no symptoms or your symptoms are improving after five (5) days, the employee can leave isolation and return to work. However, the employee will be required to wear a mask for the five (5) days after they return to work.
After the CHR department receives the Incident Report Form and documentation, an employee tracer will be conducted.
The CHR department will notify all employees that are identified in the tracer.
All employees identified in the tracer will be notified by email.
All employees identified by the tracer will be required to submit evidence of whether they have been vaccinated. If the employee has been vaccinated, the employee will not be required to quarantine for five (5) If the employee has not been vaccinated, the employee will be required to quarantine for five (5) days, and take a PCR test on the fifth (5) day. During such time, the employee will monitor their symptoms.

If an employee is not identified by the tracer, the employee does not have to quarantine for five (5) days. The employee should monitor their symptoms.

The System HR department will track all cases and work with System campuses to follow the above-mentioned protocols. As such, please send all documentation by email, fax, or text. The link for the notification is below.

SUS COVID-19 Incident Report Form for SUBR

SUS COVID-19 Incident Report Form for NON-SUBR

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tracie Woods, Associate Vice-President for Human Resources at tracie woods@sus.edu or 225-802-0838.