Quarantine + Isolation

According to the Centers for Disease Control, quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to COVID to see if they become sick. Isolation separates sick people with COVID from people who are not sick. 

Last updated: May 11, 2022 2:43pm

JHU affiliates who test positive through the JHU testing process will be contacted by phone or email by the Johns Hopkins COVID Call Center or the Student Health and Wellness Center. If you had a positive antigen test at home, fill out this JHCCC form to be sure the university knows about your test result.  

You are required to isolate for 5 days from the date of your positive test. Residential undergraduate students at Homewood and Peabody will be contacted by a COVID case coordinator with instructions for isolating in place. Your supervisor or school Student Affairs staff will be contacted to note that you are off-duty/away from class. During this time, you are not permitted to be on campus and should coordinate with your supervisor/instructors to determine if you can continue some activities remotely.

You will be automatically notified when you are cleared and may return to campus on the sixth day if you are free of symptoms; a negative test is not required to return to campus. You should continue to wear a well-fitting mask until day 10. 

Last updated: July 22, 2022 10:20am

A meaningful contact is a roommate, suitemate, housemate, or intimate partner living in the same household with a COVID-infected person for at least 24 hours.

Last updated: Sep 1, 2022 9:32am

If you are vaccinated and boosted, no quarantine is required.

If you are vaccinated but not boosted, you must quarantine for five days and should test on day 5 to be cleared from quarantine.

If you are unvaccinated with an exception, you must quarantine for five days and should test on day 5 to be cleared from quarantine.

Last updated: Aug 19, 2022 5:08pm

We have adopted an automated system in which those who test positive will fill out a form listing their close contacts, and those close contacts will then be notified by email. We do not plan to do a broader notification of an entire class when a student is positive. We are relying on our risk-mitigation measures that include our vaccination mandate, improvements in classroom air ventilation and filtration, and the availability of voluntary testing to all students.

Our collective experience, and that of our peers, to date is that the risk of transmission is low in instructional setting but instead occurring outside of class where students are engaging in close contact for extended periods of time.

Last updated: Sep 1, 2022 9:35am

We have adopted an automated system in which those who test positive will fill out a form listing their close contacts, and those close contacts will then be notified by email. At present we do not plan to do a broader notification of an entire class when a student is positive. We are relying on our risk-mitigation measures that include our vaccination mandate, improvements in classroom air ventilation and filtration, and the availability of voluntary testing to all students.

Our collective experience, and that of our peers, to date is that the risk of transmission is low in instructional setting but instead occurring outside of class where students are engaging in close contact for extended periods of time. We will continue to monitor for transmission in instructional settings at JHU and among our peers and stand ready to initiate a more aggressive approach with notification and implementation of additional measures.

Last updated: Sep 1, 2022 11:51am

Generally, if you are vaccinated and boosted, no quarantine is required, but you should take a rapid antigen test.  If you are vaccinated but not boosted, you must quarantine for five days and should test on day 5 to be cleared from quarantine. If you are unvaccinated with an exception, you must quarantine for five days and should test on day 5 to be cleared from quarantine.

Last updated: Aug 19, 2022 5:08pm

Students are asked to connect directly with their faculty about this. Residential undergraduate students at Homewood and Peabody will be connected with a COVID case coordinator to help navigate this situation. Graduate students should communicate directly with their faculty, PI, and/or supervisors.

Last updated: Aug 5, 2022 10:32am

After a student has spoken to one or more members of the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Call Center or Student Health and Wellness Center, an email will be sent to the student and Student Affairs administrators from each campus. Undergraduate students at Homewood and Peabody will be connected with a COVID case coordinator to walk them through the quarantine/isolation process. 

• Undergraduate residential students will be contacted by the JHCCC clinical team to discuss isolation in place procedures and be connected with a COVID case coordinator for support. 
• Undergraduate off-campus students should connect directly with faculty for any academic concerns and can reach out to covidsupport@jhu.edu for resource questions. 
• Graduate students should connect directly with their faculty, PI, or supervisor. 

All students will be asked to isolate in their residence, whether on- or off-campus. During this time, students will not be able to attend classes and should work directly with their faculty.

All students are encouraged to take advantage of remote university services through their campus; this may include the Counseling Center, Academic Advising, or faculty advisors.

Last updated: July 22, 2022 10:12am

In alignment with FERPA and HIPAA regulations, a student’s COVID status will not be shared with parents or guardians. If a student would like a member of the Student Health and Wellness Center to speak with their parents regarding their COVID status, they should complete a release of information request. 

Last updated: May 11, 2022 2:19pm

Students are asked to follow the isolation guidelines to protect themselves and those around them. Students who are sick with COVID and those who have had exposure could continue to be contagious for a number of days after diagnosis. To reduce the spread of COVID, students are asked to not leave their home for the duration of their quarantine or isolation. If students are found to violate these guidelines they will be referred to Student Conduct for follow-up. 

Last updated: May 11, 2022 2:20pm

Investigation, Contact Analysis, and Notification (ICAN) is the contact tracing system for Johns Hopkins. When a student is diagnosed with COVID, they are contacted by a member of the ICAN team. The ICAN team will ask the student about household contacts and meaningful contacts. It is important for students to be honest with the ICAN team; the specific information the ICAN team gathers is not shared with anyone else at the university. Students identified through the ICAN team as household contacts or meaningful contacts may be directed to quarantine in campus housing or in their off-campus residence.

Last updated: May 12, 2022 8:40am

The CDC advises: You can end self-isolation after 5 (full) days since symptoms first appeared AND 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications AND other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving. JHU will release students from isolation after 5 days if they are symptom-free.

We further require that, afterwards, individuals wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until they have reached 10 days from the onset of their illness. 

Last updated: July 22, 2022 9:05am

Isolation-in-place is for individual students who have tested positive and need to isolate in their room according to university guidance. Both students who live on- and off-campus should follow the isolation-in-place requirement should they test positive for COVID-19.

Last updated: Aug 5, 2022 10:33am

Based on what we know about the rapid transmission rate of the omicron variant, roommates of positive students who live in doubles, triples, and quads will likely test positive, too. If your roommate tests positive you will be asked to immediately take a rapid antigen test. If the rapid antigen test is positive, you should remain in your room/suite and follow isolation guidelines.

The university is not providing isolation housing for the Fall 2022 semester. If you have an existing medical condition that you believe puts you at risk should you stay with your roommate/suitemate, you should consult with the Student Health and Wellness Center.

Last updated: Aug 9, 2022 8:56am

If in isolation, you are not permitted to use the common areas in your suite or in the residence halls. If sharing a bathroom, you should wipe down the faucets and other surfaces after use, open any windows, and run the fan continually until out of isolation.

Last updated: May 12, 2022 9:46am