COVID-19 Information

If you have symptoms(Link is external) or test positive for COVID-19, please refer to the guidance below to manage your care. Individual medical concerns should be directed to your primary health care provider. 

2024 Covid Quick Guide for Students(Link downloads file)

COVID-19 symptoms range from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Possible symptoms include, but are not limited to:

  • Fever or chills  
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

If you develop symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, consider strategies such as masking(Link is external), distancing yourself from others(Link is external), and testing(Link is external) with a rapid antigen test (RA test) to protect yourself and others. 

Most cases of COVID-19 are mild, but you need to take symptoms seriously. You may use Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for fever or body aches. If you develop worrisome new symptoms or your symptoms are getting worse, call your primary care provider. Students should call Student Health: 203-432-0312. After hours call Acute Care: 203-432-0123.

Call 911 immediately if you develop:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
  • New confusion or inability to arouse or stay awake.
  • Bluish lips or face. 
  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.

Updated 9/25/24

The CDC has updated their recommendations(Link is external) for steps individuals should follow if they develop symptoms of any respiratory infection, including COVID. 

  • Testing is identified as “a choice,” recognizing that many are not currently testing, and that other common viral infections (e.g. flu) do not have easily available tests. Still, COVID tests may provide valuable information that may influence your behavior. 
  • Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Tests are readily available to purchase at most pharmacies including the Yale University Pharmacy, 55 Lock St, New Haven, CT.
  • Testing remains important especially if you are at increased risk of more severe COVID(Link is external) (over age 50, immunocompromised, or with certain conditions) and are a candidate for anti-viral treatment with Paxlovid, if you have high risk individuals at home, or if you are a healthcare worker.
  • Additional testing information for Yale Health Plan dependents, spouses and retirees covered by Aetna Medicare is on the Yale Health website(Link is external).

 

General Instructions for Everyone 

Updated 3/18/24

  • If you test positive for COVID-19, follow the CDC’s guidance for preventing the spread of respiratory viruses when you are sick(Link is external).*  
    • Do not go to classes or work until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-lowering medications AND your symptoms are improving.  Staff are encouraged to use sick time. 
    • This is the period where you are most contagious.  
  • Staying home is also important for respiratory viral infections without fever. 
  • Return to routine activities but take ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS for 5 days to prevent the spread of infection to others: wear a well-fitting mask, take steps to improve air flow, distance from others, and wash hands frequently. 
  • If fever returns or symptoms worsen, return to the stay-at-home phase. 

*The new CDC guidance does not apply to healthcare settings. Healthcare workers and students in clinical setting must isolate through day 7 and return to work/class on day 8 as long as symptoms are improving, or no new symptoms develop in alignment with CDC guidelines(Link is external).

What to Do if You Feel Sick or Have Symptoms

Monitor your symptoms. You may use Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for fever or body aches. If you develop worrisome new symptoms or your symptoms are getting worse, call your primary care provider. Students should call Student Health: 203-432-0312. 

Call 911 Immediately if You Develop:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
  • New confusion or inability to arouse or stay awake.
  • Bluish lips or face. 
  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.

Additional Information for Undergraduate Students Living On-campus

  • Isolate in your room at the onset of symptoms and wear a mask around others including in your suite.
  • You may leave isolation 24 hours after a fever resolves (if present) and when your symptoms are improving.     

Meals/Dining

  • You should not eat in the dining hall while isolating or have symptoms
  • Go to your residential college dining hall during open hours. Ask to be connected with your dining hall manager who will provide you with a to-go container and disposable cutlery. Make your selections, tap for your meal, and return to your room or suite to eat.  Remember to wear a mask
  • If you are unwell and not able to walk down to the dining hall, please ask a friend pick up a meal for you or contact your college office for assistance
  • You may also order Smart Meals(Link is external) (residential college dining hall meal to go) through the Yale Dining app(Link is external)
  • Yale Hospitality will continue to provide customized meal options for those with specific dietary needs on a one-on-one basis. Students should reach out directly to their Dining Hall Manager with any concerns. 

Learn More About

Academics and Instruction - Students

  • Consult your course syllabus or contact your instructors for the make-up policy for illness and other excused absences. 
  • It is your choice whether or not you inform your instructor of your COVID status.
  • Reach out to your dean to discuss any personal or academic concerns.
  • It is your responsibility to inform those you consider close contacts.  

Academics and Instruction – Faculty and Instructors

  • Faculty and instructors are encouraged to be as accommodating as possible—to the extent pedagogically and practically feasible—with students who are required to miss class because they are experiencing cold symptoms or are in isolation. 
  • While faculty and instructors may make short-term individual arrangements for remote instruction for students who are isolating, they may not approve such arrangements for a period of more than two weeks.
  • Longer term absences must be approved by the student’s dean or the dean’s designee. Deans or their designees have the agency to determine reasonable school- or unit-specific arrangements.
  • If a student tests positive and discloses their status to the instructor, Instructors may not notify others in the classroom. They may discuss whether there is a need for classroom close contact notification with the student. The instructor may assist with that notification only with the student’s explicit consent.

Some people who are immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system) are more likely to get sick with COVID-19 or be sick for a longer period. People can be immunocompromised either because of a medical condition or because they receive immunosuppressive medications or treatments. You should discuss your individual circumstances with your clinician.  Students who wish to request a disability-related accommodation may reach out to Student Accessibility Services(Link is external) for more information. Faculty and staff may contact the (Link is external)Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility(Link is external).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance for people who are immunocompromised or have certain medical conditions(Link is external). 

Updated 3/18/24

Putting physical distance between yourself and others can help lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus. There is no single number that defines a “safe” distance, since spread of viruses can depend on many factors. Generally, infectious droplets and particles build up closer to the person who is releasing them. The closer you are to someone who has a respiratory virus, the more likely you are to catch it. 

While the CDC language continues to evolve, we continue to suggest that if you test positive for COVID, you notify those whom you consider to be close contacts so they can take precautions, especially if they are at increased risk for severe illness(Link is external) (Link opens in new window).  

The CDC provides actions to take to help protect yourself and others(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) from health risks caused by respiratory viruses. These are especially helpful when you or the people around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick, or are recovering. 

Additional Information for Roommates of Undergraduate Students Living On-campus

If you are an undergraduate student living on campus and you share a bedroom with a student who has symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19, you may choose to stay where you are, move to the common room, or stay with a friend for a few days.

If you chose to remain where you are, you should:

  • wear a mask when around your roommate except while sleeping
  • minimize the time that you spend in the bedroom
  • create as much space between beds as possible

If you have exhausted all options, please contact your residential college office who may be able to arrange for you to use a medical suite or alternative accommodation in other rooms. 

It is important to plan carefully for any travel.  Some international travel restrictions are still in place, and these vary by country. Some countries impose requirements for entry or departure. Check the International SOS COVID Trip Planner(Link is external) for current restrictions in any country. International travelers should register travel plans using Yale’s registry ISOS Travel Tracker(Link is external) to speed contact in the event of an emergency.

Helpful resources may be found at the links below.

Updated 3/14/2025 

Vaccination has been the cornerstone of Yale’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a potent tool in protecting us from severe illness and decreasing the risk of viral transmission. The university therefore strongly encourages all students, faculty, staff, postdoctoral/postgraduate trainees, and visitors to receive all COVID-19 vaccinations that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) and for which they are eligible.  

Vaccination requirements remain in place for healthcare workers, including faculty and staff working in settings where patient care is provided, and those who work with human research subjects in clinical settings. Faculty and staff who are healthcare workers must submit documentation of vaccination with a primary series and one booster (or, for those who have not yet received a primary series, one dose of vaccine administered after 09/02/2022) to the university or seek approval for medical or religious exemptions(Link opens in new window).  Exemptions must be requested through Health On Track(Link is external) (Link opens in new window).   

Health profession students are strongly encouraged, but not required, to be vaccinated. They may be subject to requirements of other institutions associated with work in various clinical settings.  

Free COVID vaccination is available to all faculty, staff, and students through the Yale Flu and COVID Vaccine Program each fall. See the “How to get a COVID vaccine” section for guidance on how to obtain a vaccine outside of this timeframe.    

This policy is subject to change based upon changes in public health conditions and/or guidance.  

Yale’s Flu and COVID Vaccine Program provides the updated COVID-19 vaccine between September and January every year. 

Outside of the Yale Vaccine Program, the COVID-19 vaccine is widely available through your health insurance, usually at no cost to you. 

  • Yale Health members may seek vaccine at local pharmacies by presenting their Yale Health membership card.
  • Between February and August, when the vaccine program is not active, Yale Health members may contact the Immunization Department(Link is external) or schedule directly through MyChart. 
  • Employees with Aetna insurance may seek vaccination through the Aetna network(Link is external). To find a participating pharmacy, please visit the Aetna website(Link is external) and click “Find a Pharmacy” on the homepage in the “Find Care & Pricing” section.
  • Those with other insurance should speak with their healthcare provider or search vaccines.gov(Link is external) to find a COVID vaccine.  

Staff are encouraged to use sick time if there is a need to recover from vaccination.