05
July
2022
|
13:07 PM
America/Chicago

UHD Emergency Management Announces CDC Changes To Quarantine Criteria

The University of Houston-Downtown Office of Emergency Management has announced that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has changed the quarantine criteria after an exposure to COVID. 

According to the CDC, persons who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID may need to quarantine if they are not up to date with their recommended vaccines. The CDC has created a Quarantine and Isolation Calculator to help people determine whether they are considered a close contact and whether they should quarantine following an exposure.

How to Determine a Close Contact for COVID-19

  • You were within 6 feet of the person diagnosed with COVID-19 and
  • You spent 15 minutes or more (throughout the day) with the person diagnosed with COVID-19.

If you had close contact with someone with COVID-19 and you are in one of the following groups below, you do not need to quarantine.

  • You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
  • You had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (meaning you tested positive using a viral test).

When are you up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines?

You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have received all doses in the primary series and all boosters recommended for you, when eligible.

  • Vaccine recommendations are different depending on your age, the vaccine you first received, and the time since your last dose. More information is available online.
  • Adults 50 years old and older are considered to be up to date once they have received their second booster dose (at least four months must pass after the first booster dose).
  • Adults 49 years old and younger are considered to be up to date after receiving their first booster dose.
  • People under the age of 50 may need a second booster dose if they are moderately to severely immunocompromised. Please consult your doctor for guidance.

If you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, you should quarantine if you are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and you have not had COVID-19 in the last 90 days. 

Calculating Quarantine

  • The date of your exposure is considered Day 0. Day 1 is the first full day after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. 
  • Close contacts should quarantine for at least five days after you last had contact with someone with COVID-19.
  • This Quarantine and Isolation Calculator can be used to help you determine how long to quarantine.

If you have had close contact with someone who has had COVID in the last five days and you are not up to date with your vaccines and you have not had COVID in the last 90 days, then stay home and submit an Exposure Report to UHD Emergency Management.

Send questions to Emergency Management at uhdcovid19@uhd.edu.

About the University of Houston-Downtown

The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.

U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.