We can all help keep campus healthy.
Many respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, circulate year-round in the United States and California. Some viruses are more active from October through March, such as influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and many others.
Respiratory viruses can cause cold or flu-like symptoms. They can spread through the air by coughing or sneezing. You can also pick up the virus by touching contaminated items and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
These viruses can cause serious illness for some people. People who are at higher risk or around those who are higher risk should take precautions to stay healthy.
What should I do if I am sick?
Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nose, and headache, among others.
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When can I go back to normal activities?
You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
- Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
- You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
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Do I need to mask or take special precautions?
When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
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What if I start feeling sick again after returning to my normal activities?
If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.
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What if I did not have symptoms but tested positive for a respiratory virus?
You may be contagious. For the next 5 days: take added precaution, such as taking additional steps for steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
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When should I seek emergency medical care?
Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing or chest pain), seek emergency care immediately.
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What if I work in a healthcare setting?
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) offers separate, specific guidance for healthcare settings: Interim Work Exclusion Guidance for Healthcare Personnel with COVID-19, Influenza, and Other Acute Respiratory Viral Infections
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Can I require someone to wear a mask when meeting with me? Can my department require universal indoor masking?
No.
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Is the COVID-19 Prevention Training still required to complete for staff, faculty, employees, and students?
No. The COVID-19 Prevention Training is no longer required and has been discontinued as of February 3, 2025.