Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Call Center

Johns Hopkins students, faculty, and staff who feel ill or are concerned about exposure to the coronavirus may call the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Call Center at 833-546-7546, seven days a week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The JHCCC is a COVID-19 testing and referral resource for JHU affiliates only and does not provide any information regarding the vaccine for the general public. More information on COVID-19 vaccine distribution can be found at hopkinsmedicine.org.

When you call the JHCCC, representatives will discuss next steps, arrange for testing if needed, and assist in transmitting information to Occupational Health or Student Affairs. The JHCCC will also manage the process to identify and assist people who may have had contact with someone who tests positive.

The JHCCC is staffed by Johns Hopkins nurses, physicians, and specially trained nursing and medical students, but you are always free to call your personal primary care provider, and should continue to do so for family members who have symptoms.

What happens when I call the JHCCC?

Callers will be asked a series of questions about their symptoms and possible exposure to others who have COVID-19.

If you meet the criteria set by the Johns Hopkins Infection Control Team in collaboration with Occupational Health:

The JHCCC will arrange an appointment for a COVID-19 test for you
You will receive instructions regarding quarantine before a test can be secured. Testing criteria are updated on a regular basis, and the most current criteria will be used when there is an assessment over the phone

If you test positive:

You will be contacted by a health care worker to receive guidance regarding self-isolation, monitoring of symptoms, and general health advice
Positive test results will be reported as required by law to the Maryland Department of Health, which will be responsible for the associated broad contact tracing

Investigation, contact analysis, notification (ICAN)

In addition to the state’s contact tracing process, the JHCCC will conduct a short interview with those who test positive regarding their on-campus activity and contact with other affiliates as part of our own investigation, contact analysis, notification process (ICAN), to help determine if other Johns Hopkins affiliates may have been exposed by an affiliate or in a JHU-associated environment.

The ICAN/JHCCC team will do everything in its power to maintain the anonymity of the test-positive affiliate. Johns Hopkins affiliates who may have had meaningful exposure to a COVID-19-positive affiliate will be notified, without being told the identity of the COVID-19-positive affiliate unless consent is provided. These additional affiliates will be advised to self-quarantine for a period determined by the date of the potential contact and exposure. If affiliates are not contacted by the JHCCC, it means the JHCCC has determined that no meaningful contact with or exposure to a COVID-19-positive affiliate has taken place.

If an employee tests positive

Supervisors of test-positive employees (faculty, staff, and post-docs) will not be notified of an employee’s COVID-positive status unless the employee gives consent to do so; the supervisor will simply be notified that the employee is off-duty. Test-positive employees must secure clearance for return to work from Occupational Health prior to returning to campus.

If a student tests positive

Students who have a test ordered and are asked to quarantine will be reported to their respective school’s student affairs representative as being “off-duty.” If a student provides consent, additional information will be provided. If the student tests negative, the school will be notified that the student is cleared. If consent is not provided by the student, a committee will review and evaluate the potential public health risk to others.

The committee can recommend and the university can elect to report the student’s COVID-positive status to the school’s student affairs representative without consent should the public health risks warrant such action. This will be a very rare circumstance. Test-positive students must secure clearance for return to class/campus from the Student Health Center prior to return.

Additional resources

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Frequently asked questions

Will the university test each person who comes to a JHU location?

For the fall, while we remain in Phase 1 of our reopening plan, widespread screening of everyone who comes to campus is not in place. Before the start of the spring semester, JHU will adopt a mass testing plan that will require a test before students return to campus and will require twice-weekly testing conducted by the university for undergraduates.

Testing will be required at least once weekly for faculty, staff, graduate students and post docs who are (1) participating in or directly supporting in-person, on-campus classes (with exceptions for clinically-based instruction) or (2) regularly exposed to undergraduates. In addition, the divisions may require testing for any faculty, staff, graduate students or post-docs who are deemed to have a heightened risk of exposure. Testing will be available and/or required for faculty, staff and students who are asked to quarantine due to exposure on campus, or who were working or learning in the same enclosed space (e.g., classroom or lab) at the same time as someone who tests positive. In addition, testing will be required for specific groups of contract workers and vendors, and all approved visitors.

Optional, free testing will be available on a weekly basis beginning in January for all asymptomatic affiliates who are on campus. More information and detailed guidelines for testing will be available in December, including test collection locations on all campuses and instructions for how to make testing appointments and receive test results.

The university will continue to provide medical management testing for those exhibiting symptoms of COVID or who have been identified for screening through our contact tracing process.

Last updated: Nov 2, 2020 3:48pm

Is the university COVID testing program free for JHU affiliates?

Yes. The university is covering all testing costs, and your insurance will not be billed.

Last updated: Jan 17, 2021 10:02pm

How does JHU learn if university personnel are ill or experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms?

JHU faculty, staff, postdocs, and student employees who are working on campus are required to complete a health screening attestation every day they are expected to be working onsite. In addition, employees who begin feeling ill after being onsite should contact the Johns Hopkins COVID Call Center at 833-546-7546 and go home.

Last updated: Dec 3, 2020 9:42am

How does the university learn if an employee or student working in a lab tests positive for COVID-19?

All students, faculty, and staff who are participating in on-campus activities should monitor themselves daily for any symptoms. Anyone who has symptoms associated with COVID-19 or who has concerns about exposure to COVID-19 is strongly encouraged to call the the Johns Hopkins COVID Call Center, or JHCCC, at 833-546-7546 to be triaged to determine if they meet the criteria for testing. In the case of employees, their supervisor will be informed that the employee is “off-duty” until cleared. In the case of students, their school’s Student Affairs representative will be notified that the student is “off-duty.” The student’s name will be shared with the student’s consent.

The JHCCC will inform you of your test result if you are tested at a Johns Hopkins facility. If your test is negative, your supervisor or Student Affairs Representative will receive a message that you have been cleared. If you test positive, you will remain “off-duty” and there will be no additional communication to your supervisor or Student Affairs representative until you are cleared. You are encouraged but not required to share the information with your supervisor or Student Affairs representative.

Last updated: Dec 3, 2020 9:41am

I was told to quarantine for 14 days because I had “meaningful” exposure to someone who tested positive. However, my test came back negative—why do I need to still quarantine?

You should stay home and quarantine for 14 days after your last known contact with a person who has COVID-19, even if you have tested negative. Because the incubation period of the virus varies, you can still be incubating the virus even if you test negative and may become infectious later during the 14-day window.

Last updated: Oct 22, 2020 2:18pm

I tested negative—is it safe to travel or not be so strict in adhering to public health guidelines regarding socializing?

COVID tests are not perfect. While a negative test result means that it is unlikely you have COVID-19, sometimes there are false negatives. So even if your test is negative, you must follow basic prevention strategies, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, and practice physical distancing. If you have a fever, cough, or cold symptoms, you should remain home, minimize contact with others, and call the JHCCC.

Last updated: Oct 22, 2020 2:22pm

How do I get cleared to go back to work or class after I recover from COVID-19?

Current CDC guidelines allow for anyone who is not severely immunocompromised to return to work if they meet the following criteria:

At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset or asymptomatic testing
At least 24 hours have passed since last fever without using fever-reducing medications
Symptoms have improved.

Employees who believe they have met this criteria should call the Occupational Health Services at the Johns Hopkins COVID Call Center (410-614-6000) for an evaluation and clearance to return to work. Individuals who were first notified of the employee’s “off-duty” status will be informed by OHS that they are cleared to “return to duty.”

Students who need clearance to return to class should be instructed to do the following:

Students from the schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing should contact University Health Services at 410-955-3250 for an evaluation and clearance to return to class. Individuals who were first notified of the student’s “off-duty” status will be informed by UHS that they are cleared to “return to class.”
Students of any other JHU school should contact the Student Health and Wellness Center at 410-516-8270 for an evaluation and clearance to return to class. Individuals who were first notified of the student’s “off-duty” status will be informed by SHWC that they are cleared to “return to class.”

Last updated: July 23, 2020 9:10pm

Under what circumstances will JHU conduct a contact investigation?

Contact investigations will be used to trace any JHU affiliates who have high-risk contacts of an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. This includes individuals whose contact with the possibly infected person was within six feet for 15 minutes or more.

A Johns Hopkins COVID Call Center ICAN (Investigation, Contact Analysis, Notification) team traces the infectious period, currently defined as two days prior to the onset of initial symptoms in symptomatic patients and two days prior to a positive COVID test result date for asymptomatic cases. High-risk close contacts will be notified of their exposure, asked to quarantine to prevent additional transmission, and monitored for symptoms through Occupational Health (employees) or Student Health (students).

Last updated: July 23, 2020 1:41pm

If a COVID-19 positive case is reported in the lab or classroom, will all the people who shared that space at the same time be tested?

Not necessarily. Criteria for testing is continuing to evolve. At this time, individuals will only be tested if they have symptoms associated with COVID-19. Meaningful exposure includes individuals whose contact with the possibly infected person was within six feet for 15 minutes or more during the infectious period.

Last updated: Aug 27, 2020 8:55am

How does JHU learn if university personnel are ill or experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms?

Last updated: Dec 3, 2020 9:42am