Boise State University relies on and follows the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to guide Boise State Public Health policies and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of the campus community. On March 1, the CDC updated its guidance regarding COVID-19 and respiratory viruses in general. This update is data-driven and the result of vaccine and treatment effectiveness, as well as the high level of population immunity in the U.S. Following is an update to campus COVID-19 protocols. Please visit the Boise State Public Health website for additional details.
COVID-19 isolation and reporting updates
There is no longer a strict requirement to isolate for five days after the start of symptoms or receiving a positive test result. The new guidelines apply more generally to respiratory viruses and COVID-19 together. It is now recommended that those who are ill with a respiratory virus:
- Stay home until symptoms are getting better overall.
- And if fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours.
After resuming normal activities, added precautions should be taken for five days or until symptoms completely resolve. These precautionary measures may include increasing ventilation, enhancing hygiene practices, distancing from others, wearing a well-fitting mask and getting tested for respiratory viruses.
With these more general guidelines, there is no longer a requirement to report positive COVID-19 cases to Boise State Public Health. It remains the responsibility of each campus community member to continue to do their part to keep campus healthy. Residential students with shared bedrooms may continue to access Public Health housing during their infectious periods. The “red dot” process will still be utilized in the event a campus community member needs to be isolated for a communicable disease but will no longer be used for COVID-19 cases.
These changes have allowed the university to remove COVID-19 from the list of diseases covered by Boise State’s Communicable Disease Policy (Policy 9270), and the teaching guide for faculty has also been updated.
Protecting yourself and others from respiratory viruses
Some of campus community members may be at increased risk for severe illness from respiratory viruses. Prevention strategies for people who are at higher risk of severe illness from respiratory infections can be found on the CDC website and through medical professionals.
Vaccination and testing remain the best defenses to protect against respiratory viruses. To learn more about continued vaccinations and testing offered by Boise State Public Health and University Health Services, and to schedule appointments, visit the Boise State Public Health and University Health Services websites.