COVID FAQs for Employees

•  Face coverings are no longer required on Texas A&M University System Offices facilities, indoor and outdoor, including System Offices vehicles pursuant to Executive Order No. GA-p36 issued May 18, 2021 by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
• Face coverings remain highly recommended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and are encouraged for those who are not yet fully vaccinated or anyone who would like to continue wearing one to help protect themselves and their colleagues.
• Employees who would like a facemask can email safety@tamus.edu.

External visitors in System Offices facilities remains limited until further notice.

• Please do not bring your pets or family to your building.
• Please do not bring vendors into your building. Meet with vendors virtually.
• Food deliveries should be met at the reception desk (e.g., MCB 2^nd floor or appropriate for your building)
• All mail deliveries are received at the reception desk (e.g., MCB 2^nd floor or appropriate for your building)

• If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), get emergency medical care immediately.
• If you have a fever, cough or other symptoms, you might have COVID-19. Most people have mild illness and are able to recover at home. If you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19, and are experiencing symptoms, contact your healthcare provider and send an email with your contact information to IDRT@tamus.edu
• Do not enter a System Offices facility if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
• If you think you may have COVID-19 and are experiencing symptoms, you can be with others after:
  • Fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medication) and
  • Improvement in symptoms and
  • At least 10 days have passed since COVID-19 symptoms first appeared
    • Persons with a weakened immune system (due to a health condition or medication) or that have had severe illness from COVID-19 may need to stay home and isolate longer, possibly up to 20 days after symptom onset.
  • Follow the CDC Guidance listed here for steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick.

• Employees who are symptomatic and awaiting test results for COVID-19 should not return to a System Offices facility and send an email with your contact information to IDRT@tamus.edu. You should follow the guidance listed under “I am experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. What should I do?”
• Employees who are asymptomatic but are pending test results for COVID-19 due to exposure to a person with a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 should not return to a System Offices facility and remain in isolation until the results of their COVID-19 test is returned.
  • If you are tested for COVID-19 due to exposure, and your test results return negative, you should follow the guidance listed under “I have had close contact^* with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. What should I do?”
  • If you are tested for COVID-19 due to exposure, and your test results return positive, but you remain asymptomatic, you should not return to a System Offices facility and remain in isolation until 10 days have passed since your positive test.
    • You should follow the guidance listed under “I have tested positive for COVID-19. What should I do?”
    • If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after 10 days have passed since you had a positive viral test for COVID-19. Most people do not require testing to decide when they can be around others; however, if your healthcare provider recommends testing, they will let you know when you can resume being around others based on your test results.
    • If you develop symptoms after testing positive, follow the guidance above for “I have tested positive for COVID-19. What should I do?”

According to current public health guidance, fully vaccinated individuals are not required to stay away from others unless they begin to experience symptoms of COVID-19, however there are steps that fully vaccinated System Offices employees need to take if exposed:

• Send an email with your contact information to IDRT@tamus.edu.
• Complete the “Self-reporting” portion of this form indicating that you are a “Person who has been exposed to someone who received a positive test result for COVID-19.”
• Be tested five to seven days after exposure. Tests are available for System Offices by visiting curativeinc.com.
• Work with your supervisor regarding remote work alternatives until receipt of a negative test.
• Wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until receipt of a negative test result within this window.

• If your potential exposure was due to a close contact* within the System Offices, you will be notified by a member of the TAMUS Infectious Disease and Response Team (IDRT) with instructions on when it will be safe to re-enter a System Offices facility based on your individual circumstances.
• If your potential exposure came from a family member or close contact* outside of a System Offices facility, you will be notified by your County Health Officials. It is possible that a close contact may reach out to you directly to self-disclose that they have been lab confirmed to have COVID-19.
• If you receive a notification that you have been in close contact with someone who has been lab confirmed to have COVID-19, you should send an email with your contact information to IDRT@tamus.edu and follow the close contact instructions in this FAQ.

• To assist employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic the System Offices is voluntarily extending Emergency Paid Sick Leave for System Offices employees under the American Rescue Plan Act. This extension will be in effect from April 1, 2021, until September 30, 2021. All full-time employees will have up to 10 days (80 hours) of paid sick leave available to use for the qualifying reasons stated in the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Request Form. Part-time employees are entitled to the number of hours worked, on average, over a two-week period.
• All employees requesting Emergency Paid Sick Leave must complete the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Request Form and provide documentation supporting the need for leave. A Frequently Asked Questions document and more information can be found on the Human Resources Forms/Documents webpage.
• For specific information about HR policies and leave associated with COVID-19 contact System Offices HR at employeebenefits@tamus.edu

• If you have had close contact* exposure with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 you should immediately send an email with your contact information to IDRT@tamus.edu.
• If you reside in Brazos County, stay home for 10 days after the last day you had close contact with that person. Do not return to a System Offices facility during your 10 day self-quarantine.
• You should monitor yourself for the appearance of COVID-19 symptoms and use this COVID-19 Self-Checker to help determine if you should be tested for COVID-19.
• If you feel healthy but recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19, you should check your temperature twice a day and watch for symptoms of COVID-19.
• If possible, you should stay away from people who have increased risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.
• You should work directly with your supervisor to determine when you will return to work within a System Offices facility.
• You can find more information on when to quarantine here.

• If you have had close contact* exposure to someone who is awaiting test results for COVID-19 due to symptoms or exposure, you should immediately send an email with your contact information to IDRT@tamus.edu. Do not re-enter a System Offices facility according to the guidelines below.
• If the COVID-19 test results of the close contact return positive, you should follow the guidance listed under “I have had close contact^* with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. What should I do?” within this document.
  • Employees who have had close contact with a person who is awaiting test results for COVID-19 due to symptoms or exposure should closely monitor their daily health and use this COVID-19 Self-Checker to help determine if they should be tested for COVID-19.
• If the COVID-19 test results of the close contact return negative and you have not had any additional exposure to lab-confirmed COVID-19 persons and are not experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19, you should work with your supervisor to determine the best date of your return to work in a System Offices facility.

• If you are caring for someone with COVID-19 at home or in a non-healthcare setting, follow this advice to protect yourself and others. Learn what to do when someone has symptoms of COVID-19 or when someone has been diagnosed with the virus. This information also should be followed when caring for people who have tested positive but are not showing symptoms.
• Caregivers and anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should stay home.
• Caregivers should send an email to the System Offices Infectious Disease Response Team (IDRT) with your contact information.
• Caregivers should continue to stay home after care is complete. Caregivers in Brazos County can leave their home 10 days after their last close contact with the person who is sick (based on the time it takes to develop illness), or 10 days after the person who is sick meets the criteria to end home isolation.

• Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 should remain in isolation at their home except to get medical care. Please follow these steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick.
• Contact your primary care provider, let them know you tested positive and ask them what you need to do to recover from COVID-19.
• Send an email to the System Offices Infectious Disease Response Team (IDRT) with your contact information.
• Complete the employee portion of the TAMUS COVID-19 Reporting Portal.
• Follow additional information and instructions provided by the IDRT and CDC.
• Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 may only be released from isolation and resume working within a System Offices facility according to guidance from their healthcare provider and in accordance with this CDC protocol. Employees should coordinate this return to the office date with their supervisor.

Yes, System Offices employees can use the MCB Wellness Center while observing the following posted safety precautions:

• Wash hands before using any equipment AND again before you leave the gym.
• Practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet from others while exercising.
• Clean exercise equipment with supplied disinfectant before AND after use.

COVID-19 and seasonal allergies share many symptoms, but there are some key differences between the two. For example, COVID-19 can cause fever, which is not a common symptom of seasonal allergies. The image below compares symptoms caused by allergies and COVID-19.

Because some of the symptoms of COVID-19 and seasonal allergies are similar, it may be difficult to tell the difference between them, and you may need to get a test to confirm your diagnosis.

*Seasonal allergies do not usually cause shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, unless a person has a respiratory condition such as asthma that can be triggered by exposure to pollen.

This is not a complete list of all possible symptoms of COVID-19 or seasonal allergies. Symptoms vary from person to person and range from mild to severe. You can have symptoms of both COVID-19 and seasonal allergies at the same time.

If you think you have COVID-19, follow FAQ guidance under “I am experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. What should I do?”