Frequently Asked Questions

In Southeast Idaho

vaccination opportunities

Statewide

vaccination opportunities

ISU vaccination information

Contact the ISU Help Desk at (208) 282-help 

Hours vary by campus location.

See Screening Locations, Dates, and Times

It will typically take 24-72 hours for results to be returned to you via an email. During this time, you may remain on campus for work or classes, permitted you follow all COVID-19 safety protocols, including face coverings, physical distancing, handwashing, etc. 

The University Health Center and the COVID-19 Health Committee will receive your results. You will also be notified and have the option to download your lab result. In addition, the State of Idaho requires reporting of aggregate screening data as well to the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare.

Yes. Employees should work with their supervisors to schedule the screening during a time that has a minimal impact on regular duties. 

The University Health Center and COVID-19 Health Committee will receive the results. After contact investigation is performed, other individuals such as instructors and close contacts may also be notified if determined necessary by the COVID-19 Health Committee and in accordance with applicable law.

The University Health Center and COVID-19 Health Committee will conduct contact tracing for all positive results. Close contacts of those that are positive will be notified. If it is determined that a faculty member or classmates had close contact, they will be notified in accordance with applicable law.

All employees and volunteers at the screening location will be wearing face coverings and using gloves. Saliva is self-collected for the non-invasive PCR screen and does not require direct contact with another individual. Screening will be scheduled to allow physical distancing.

If your screening results are positive, you must self-isolate, per CDC guidelines. It is recommended for 10 days after the test date. The ISU contact tracing team will reach out to review where you might have acquired the virus and to make further recommendations. While you await this contact, do not come to campus or have close contact with other members of the campus community. 

Idaho State is using PCR for screening. This is the most accurate test available. False positive results are very uncommon. Any positive result is evidence of the presence of COVID-19 virus. Rescreening is of no benefit and will not change isolation recommendations.

There is no cost associated with participating in Idaho State’s screening program. The University is covering all expenses related to the screening.

Asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 do occur, so any positive case should be treated as such with appropriate self-isolation protocols as directed by the University’s COVID-19 Health Committee. While false positives can happen, they are extremely rare with the PCR method. Faculty, staff, or students with positive results from the screening program may seek to be retested through community COVID-19 testing sites, but will not be rescreened through the asymptomatic screening program. 

Screening: Idaho State’s screening program is for people who have no symptoms and no known COVID-19 exposure. This is done to identify individuals with the virus before symptoms develop and before they spread the disease to others.

Testing: COVID-19 testing is designed for those who are symptomatic, have a known exposure to COVID-19, or who have a positive result from the screening program. If you fall in this category, call the University Health Center at (208) 282-2330 for testing information AND fill out the online self-report form.

The employee is considered a primary contact.  The employee should follow CDC guidelines:

• Stay home until 14 days after last exposure and maintain social distance (at least 6 feet) from all others during that time.

• Encourage the employee to voluntarily self-report their exposure using this form.
• Self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 by checking temperature twice a day, and watching for fever (100.4 ℉ or higher), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms using the CDC Self-Checker Tool.fEspecially avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 
• Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop 

Contact their primary care provider via phone to determine if they should be tested. If the employee does not have a primary care provider they can contact University Health at (208) 282-2330 (Idaho Falls, Pocatello or Twin Falls) or Unity Health (208) 895-6729 (Meridian).

Close the workspace for 24 hours prior to cleaning.  Cleaning may commence if at least 24 hours have passed since the ill individual was last in the workplace.  Contact Facilities Services for cleaning assistance. 

For information on Campus Cleaning and Disinfection, visit the Campus Hygiene FAQs.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility

Testing is ordered through a medical provider.  The University Health Center can help arrange testing for the Pocatello campus and is available for consultation for medical issues on any campus. ISU has formal arrangements with Unity Health in Meridian and with Sterling in Idaho Falls where members of the ISU community may receive medical care and obtain orders for COVID-19 testing if needed. The regional public health districts maintain a COVID-19 hotline during normal business hours.  The hotline numbers for each Health District are as follows:

• Idaho Falls:  Eastren Idaho Public Health - 208.522.0310 or toll free 855.533.3160  
• Meridian:  Central District Health - 208.321.2222
• Pocatello:  Southeastern Idaho Public Health - 208.234.5875
• Twin Falls:  South Central Public Health District - 208.737.1138

If an ill or exposed employee refuses to follow guidance to isolate or quarantine for the appropriate duration of time, even if they are feeling well, contact Human Resources for guidance. You may also contact the COVID-19 Health Committee at COVID@health.isu.edu or extension (208) 282-2705 to provide education to the employee.

Faculty will be notified if a student in their classroom has a positive test for COVID-19. Faculty should not notify other class attendees without express direction from the COVID-19 Health Committee. The Health Committee will coordinate this communication.

Contact tracing will be performed for positive cases in the campus community. Individuals determined to have had close contact with the positive person will be notified by the Health Department and/or University-based contact tracers and instructed to quarantine. If local or university health officials determine the risk to be significant, widespread notification will take place facilitated by the University COVID-19 Health Committee.

If physical distancing and appropriate face covering use is maintained throughout the entire class period, individuals in the class will likely not need to quarantine. 

Utilizing a seating chart may help with contact tracing in the event of exposure.

Yes, COVID-19 cases will be tracked and reported on the ISU Covid Cases page.

Names of positive or symptomatic individuals will not be released to the campus community at large. The campus community may receive periodic updates on the number or percentage of positive tests. Contact tracers receive training on maintaining confidentiality and every effort will be made to maintain confidentiality.

University leadership actively monitors the spread of the virus in each campus community on a continual basis. In consultation with state and local health officials, the University may temporarily suspend in-person classes and/or close individual campuses or programs to mitigate risk of disease spread.

If it is identified through contact tracing that you were in close contact with a positive case, you will be informed by the local public health department or the University COVID-1 Health Committee working in collaboration with the health department. If campus health officials feel the risk is significant enough to the campus community, notification to the community may occur through a targeted email that will NOT include specific information about the person(s) involved.

Your participation in contact tracing helps protect others in your community.  Contact tracing identifies your close contacts.  A contact tracer is someone trained by the public health department who reaches out to your close contacts and provides them with information and resources on actions they can take to monitor for symptoms and quarantine.  Most importantly, participation in contact tracing helps public health officials slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Information provided to a contact tracer will be kept confidential and only shared with those who need to know.

The Health Committee is tracking the impact of COVID-19 across all ISU campuses.  By self-reporting your symptoms or a recent positive COVID test, you are helping the Health Committee get a better idea of COVID-19 risk across our campus community.  This information helps inform decisions about safety measures and helps us connect students, faculty, and staff to resources and services that can help during these challenging times.  You self-report by completing Covid-19 symptoms, exposure & test result self-reporting form

ISU is requesting voluntary self-reporting of COVID-19 like illness, exposure to a positive case and positive test results. You self-report by completing Covid-19 symptoms, exposure & test result self-reporting form

Contact Student Affairs for assistance at (208) 282-2794.  The Health Committee will work directly with the Dean of Students to coordinate opportunities for student education.

Faculty should develop attendance policies that allow students to be physically absent from class when they are exposed or ill or when household members are ill without fear of academic repercussions. This does not mean, however, that students must be excused from completing work missed while ill or under quarantine.

If the student had close contact with an individual with known or probable COVID-19 they are a considered primary contact and should: 

• Stay home until 14 days after last exposure and maintain social distance (at least 6 feet) from all others during that time
• Encourage the student to voluntarily self-report their exposure using this form.
• Self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 by checking temperature twice a day, and watching for fever (100.4 ℉ or higher), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms using the CDC Self-Checker Tool found at the CDC Symptoms of Coronavirus link. 
• Especially avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 
• Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop 
• Contact their primary care provider via phone, to determine if they should be tested. If the employee does not have a primary care provider they can contact University Health at (208) 282-2330 (Idaho Falls, Pocatello or Twin Falls) or Unity Health (208) 895-6729 (Meridian).

Contact tracing will be performed for positive cases in the campus community. Individuals determined to have had close contact with the positive person will be notified by the Health Department and/or University-based contact tracers and instructed to quarantine. If local or university health officials determine the risk to be significant, widespread notification will take place facilitated by the University COVID-19 Health Committee.

If physical distancing and appropriate face covering use is maintained throughout the entire class period, individuals in the class will likely not need to quarantine. 

If a member of your household had close contact with a known COVID-19 patient, that person should quarantine at home for 14 days and avoid contact with the rest of the household as much as possible. They should use a separate bathroom, wear a face covering, and avoid the use of shared utensils and household items. If this person tests positive or develops symptoms, you must follow the guidance provided under “What should I do if I was exposed to someone with COVID-19?”

• You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes whether or not they had symptoms. The CDC uses 15 minutes, ISU and the local health department are using 10 minutes to define close contact.
• You provided care at home to someone who has COVID-19.
• You live in the same household with someone who has COVID-19 AND have been within 6 feet for more than 10 minutes cumulative time (e.g. 5 minutes two times)
• You had direct physical contact with someone who has COVID-19 (touched, hugged, or kissed them).
• You shared a vehicle with someone who has COVID-19.
• You shared eating or drinking utensils with someone who has COVID-19.
• Someone with COVID-19 sneezed, coughed or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• 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

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.  You can access the CDC Symptom Self-Checker to see symptoms.

Any COVID-19 symptoms are assumed to be due to COVID-19 and are treated as such until a medical professional determines otherwise.

If you are symptomatic or test positive, you should:

• Go home immediately to self-isolate.   
• Report the illness by completing this form.
• Notify your faculty members and they will work with you to develop a list of individuals in your courses that you may have had close contact with. Faculty members will report that information to the University to begin the contact tracing process. 
• Students in campus housing should contact their Resident Assistant for assistance.
• Contact your primary care provider via phone to determine the need for testing for COVID-19. If you do not have a primary care provider, contact University Health at (208) 282-2330 (Idaho Falls, Pocatello or Twin Falls) or Unity Health (208) 895-6729 (Meridian)
• Follow the recommendations provided by your healthcare provider.  
• Participate in contact tracing and follow recommendations provided by the local health department or University COVID-19 Health Committee.

Exposure means you were closer than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes to someone with known COVID-19 or someone with symptoms of COVID-19 You should consider yourself a possible primary contact and follow CDC guidelines:

 Quarantine yourself

• Report the exposure by completing the COVID-19 exposure form
• Contact ISU Health Center at (208) 282-2330 (Idaho Falls, Pocatello or Twin Falls) or Unity Health (208) 895-6729 (Meridian) or contact your primary care provider via phone to determine if you should be tested.

• Stay home until 14 days after last exposure and maintain social distance (at least 6 feet) from all others during that time.

Self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 by checking temperature twice a day, and watching for fever (100.4 ℉ or higher), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms using the CDC Self-Checker Tool. Especially avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 

Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop and refer to What should I do if I have symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19?