Guidance for Symptoms, Positive Cases and Exposure

What do I do if I am experiencing COVID-19 symptoms?

Persons with symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection, regardless of vaccination status or previous infection, should test for COVID-19 and isolate until the result is available. In compliance with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidance, the College does not currently require testing for symptomatic individuals, but testing is strongly recommended to prevent the spread of infection.

What do I do if I test positive for COVID-19?

Report: Students should contact the Student Health & Wellness Center in accordance with the LA County Department of Public Health COVID-19 and Acute Respiratory Illness Guidelines for Education Settings. Students may also use the online student report form.

Employees, contracted workers, and campus volunteers are required to report their positive COVID-19 infection by completing the online report form to aid the College in complying with Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Standards.

Isolate: Students, employees, and contracted workers with confirmed COVID-19 infection should isolate and follow all LA County guidelines regardless of vaccination status, history of infection, or lack of symptoms.

To end isolation, students, employees, and contracted workers diagnosed with COVID-19 should:

  • be fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine; AND
  • be asymptomatic or have symptoms that are mild and improving; AND
  • wear a mask around others through Day 10.

Students must submit proof of a negative test result to the Student Health & Wellness Center. Employees and contracted workers are strongly recommended to test negative before resuming normal activities.

Inform Close Contacts:

  • A close contact is anyone with whom you shared the same indoor airspace for at least 15 minutes over 24 hours while you were infectious. Examples of indoor airspaces are classrooms, residence halls or homes, offices, and locker rooms. An example of 'at least 15 minutes' is being in the same airspace for 5 minutes at 3 different times in a 24-hour period.
  • You are considered infectious (meaning you can spread COVID-19 to others) beginning  2 days before your symptoms began until you meet the criteria to end isolation. If you test positive for COVID-19 but do not have any symptoms, you are considered infectious from 2 days before your test was taken through Day 5.

What do I do if I am exposed to a positive case?

Individuals exposed to a positive case should exercise the following precautions:

  • Wear a well-fitting mask around others, especially indoors, for 10 days after the last date of exposure.
  • Test for COVID 3-5 days after the last date of exposure, noting the following: 
    • If you tested positive for COVID-19 within the prior 30 days, you do not need to be tested unless symptoms develop. Use an antigen test.
    • If you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 31-90 days, be sure to use an antigen test.
    • Close contacts who are or live with persons at higher risk for severe illness should test as soon as possible after exposure. If you test negative before Day 3, retest during the 3-5 day window following exposure, with at least 24 hours between the first and second tests.
  • Monitor your health for symptoms for 10 days after the last date of exposure. If symptoms develop, stay away from others and test immediately.