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Exposure Safety Protocols

At Cal State San Marcos, we have a shared commitment to each other. Our ability to safely navigate through the pandemic rests on our collective efforts.

Our COVID Case Management Team is here to provide resources, guidance and support. If you have a question about any of these scenarios or need clarification on next steps should an exposure occur, please email our team at covidcasereporting@csusm.edu.

CSUSM relies on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and the Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards to guide communication decisions regarding confirmed COVID-19 cases. Per the Clery Act, CSUSM will send a targeted or general campus notification when a public health agency has confirmed via a COVID-19 test that a member of the community has the virus and the individual was recently on or near the campus or other university-related instructional site.

Exposure/Symptoms Flow Chart

Employee Protocols

Show All
  • Employee tests positive
    • If the employee is on campus at the time of notification, the employee should go home immediately and begin self-isolation.
    • If an employee is home at the time of notification, the employee needs to self-isolate. Employees are advised to follow isolation guidance from their healthcare provider.
    • Employees and/or managers are required to report a positive COVID-19 test result to the COVID Case Management Team using the online COVID-19 Reporting Form or by email to the COVID Case Management Team at covidcasereporting@csusm.edu. A member of the team will contact the employee for a brief interview and provide important information about next steps to follow.
    • Employees may contact Human Resources at hrbenefits@csusm.edu to learn about possible leave options.
    • Note: An employee with a positive case is required to complete an isolation period of at least 5 days after start of symptoms (or after date of first positive test if no symptoms). The employee will not be able to return to work until all three of the following are true: 1) 5 days have elapsed from the date of the positive test or first symptom date and the individual has performed a negative antigen test after 5 days of isolation; 2) the employee has been fever-free (100.4° F) for at least 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medications; and 3) COVID-19 symptoms have improved. Per CDPH masking guidance, infected persons should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings.
  • Has symptoms but not been tested
    • If the employee is on campus when they begin to experience symptoms, the employee should go home immediately and begin self-isolation.
    • The employee needs to contact their medical professional and arrange to be tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible. Symptomatic individuals may test at a San Diego County testing site in Lower Lot B or at a medical facility. Please note that as of July 1, 2022, we recommend that employees test at Lot B at CSUSM or at a free county site.
    • Employees and/or managers are required to report a positive COVID-19 test result to the COVID Case Management Team using the online COVID-19 Reporting Form or by email to the COVID Case Management Team at covidcasereporting@csusm.edu. A member of the team will contact the employee for a brief interview and provide important information about next steps to follow.
    • Employees may contact Human Resources at hrbenefits@csusm.edu to learn about possible leave options.
  • Identified as close contact of positive case

    • Regardless of vaccination status, the employee may continue their normal schedule and follow standard COVID-19 protocols, including self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. Close contact employees are encouraged to get tested 3-5 days after their exposure at a San Diego County testing site or medical facility.

    • If the employee develops COVID symptoms within 14 days, they are to self-isolate regardless of vaccination status.

  • Someone they live with has tested positive

    • If possible, employees should encourage the person who tested positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate as much as possible.

    • Regardless of vaccination status, the employee should self-quarantine and get tested 3-5 days after their last exposure at Lot B at CSUSM, a San Diego County testing site, or medical facility.

    • If the test is negative, the employee should continue their normal schedule and practice standard COVID-19 protocols.

    • Employees and/or managers are required to report a positive COVID-19 test result to the COVID Case Management Team using the online COVID-19 Reporting Form or by email to the COVID Case Management Team at covidcasereporting@csusm.edu. A member of the team will contact the employee for a brief interview and provide important information about next steps to follow.

    • If the employee develops COVID symptoms within 14 days, they are to self-isolate regardless of vaccination status and PCR test.

  • Identified as part of an exposed group
    • Regardless of vaccination status, the employee may continue their normal schedule and practice standard COVID-19 protocols, including self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested 3-5 days after exposure at Lot B at CSUSM, a San Diego County testing site or medical facility.
    • Employees and/or managers are required to report a positive COVID-19 test result to the COVID Case Management Team using the online COVID-19 Reporting Form or by email to the COVID Case Management Team at covidcasereporting@csusm.edu. A member of the team will contact the employee for a brief interview and provide important information about next steps to follow.
    • If the employee develops COVID symptoms within 14 days, they are to self-isolate regardless of vaccination status and PCR test.
  • Someone they live with identified as part of exposed group
    • Regardless of vaccination status, the employee may continue their normal schedule and practice standard COVID-19 protocols, including self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested 3-5 days after exposure at Lot B at CSUSM, a San Diego County testing site or medical facility.
    • Employees and/or managers are required to report a positive COVID-19 test result to the COVID Case Management Team using the online COVID-19 Reporting Form or by email to the COVID Case Management Team at covidcasereporting@csusm.edu. A member of the team will contact the employee for a brief interview and provide important information about next steps to follow.
    • If the employee develops COVID symptoms within 14 days, they are to self-isolate regardless of vaccination status and PCR test.

Definitions

Positive Case – a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has a positive COVID-19 diagnosis from a licensed healthcare provider.

Close Contact – being within 6 feet of a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or greater in a 24-hour period within or overlapping with the high-risk exposure period (see below definition). This definition applies regardless of the use of face coverings. Exception: employees have not had a close contact if they wore a respirator whenever they were within 6 feet of the COVID-19 case during the high-risk exposure period.

Exposed Group – all employees at a work location, working area, or common area at work, where a COVID-19 case was present during the high-risk exposure period. A common area at work includes bathrooms, walkways, hallways, aisles, break or eating areas, and waiting areas. The following exceptions apply:

  • A place where persons momentarily pass through while everyone is wearing face coverings, without congregating.
  • If the COVID-19 case was part of a distinct group of employees who are not present at the workplace at the same time as other employees. For example, if a work crew does not overlap with other employees, only the employees within that distinct work crew are part of the exposed group.
  •   If the COVID-19 case visited a work location, working area, or common area at work for less than 15 minutes during the high-risk exposure period, and the COVID-19 case was wearing a face covering during the entire visit, then other people at the work location, working area, or common area are not part of the exposed group.

High-risk Exposure Period – the following time periods are high-risk exposure periods:

  • For COVID-19 cases who develop COVID-19 symptoms: from two days before they first develop symptoms until all of the following are true: it has been 5 days since symptoms first appeared and you have tested negative on an antigen test; 24 hours have passed with no fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications; and symptoms have improved.
  • For COVID-19 cases who never develop COVID-19 symptoms: from two days before until 10 days after the specimen for their first positive test for COVID-19 was collected or after 5 days if you tested negative on an antigen test on or after 5 days of isolation.

Isolation – separates people infected with COVID-19 (symptomatic or asymptomatic) from others, even within a household. For persons with COVID-19 infection, isolation can be discontinued 5 days after symptom onset or test date with a negative antigen test and resolution of fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever reducing medications, and with improvement of other symptoms. There may be additional considerations for immunocompromised persons.

Quarantine – separates from others and restricts the movement of a person who was exposed to a COVID-19 case to reduce the spread of infection. Test within 3-5 days after last exposure. Per CDPH masking guidance, close contacts should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings and when near those at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease.

Vaccinated – Everyone is still considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the single-dose J&J/Janssen vaccine. Fully vaccinated, however, is not the same as having the best protection. People are best protected when they stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes getting boosters when eligible.

Additional Resources

San Diego County COVID-19 Information California Department of Public Health (CDPH)