How will UCF trace and track cases of COVID-19?

UCF has already seen some employees and students test positive for COVID-19. The vast majority of UCF’s cases have involved students who are either asymptomatic or experienced only minor symptoms.

Most of the recent cases involve students who said they have not been on campus during the time they could have impacted others. Many are the result of our contact tracing efforts – reaching out to others who have had close contact with someone who has tested positive and testing them. We hope these efforts will help to reduce the spread as more members of the UCF community become aware they have tested positive.

We encourage anyone who finds themselves experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested at one of the UCF testing sites or at a location near them. Testing is important for tracking the virus and tracing to prevent further community spread, and we are already seeing that this process is effective.

The Department of Health is notifying UCF of all known or suspected cases at UCF, and confirmed cases will be shared via a forthcoming dashboard feature on the COVID-19 website that will list confirmed cases of COVID-19 that involve a student or faculty or staff member. The dashboard will be generic in nature, in accordance with medical and student privacy laws and public health best practices. We will update you when the dashboard is published.

Yes. UCF has ordered 100,000 reusable, washable face coverings, and all students and faculty and staff members will receive one upon return to UCF. These or a face covering of some kind will be required to be worn inside all shared indoor spaces and outdoor in areas where physical distancing isn’t possible.

Distribution at the main campus will start Monday, June 22, and run weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. at the following locations:

• The All Knight Study locations at Ferrell Commons and Knights Plaza (Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• The Barnes & Noble bookstore locations at the John T. Washington Center Breezeway and Knights Plaza (Open at 10 a.m.)
• The Spot @ UCF at the John T. Washington Center Breezeway
• The Card Services office at the John T. Washington Center Breezeway
• Reflections Kiosk (Toppers Ice Cream)
• UCF Print Shop

Additional distribution stations are coming to the UCF Downtown, Rosen, and Lake Nona campuses in the near future.

UCF Housing will provide face coverings to residential students during the move-in process that starts in August. New students will be provided with a face covering when they return to campus at the same time that they pick up their UCF ID prior to the start of the fall semester.

Distribution at the main campus will start Monday, June 22, and run weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. at the following locations:

• The All Knight Study locations at Ferrell Commons and Knights Plaza (Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• The Barnes & Noble bookstore locations at the John T. Washington Center Breezeway and Knights Plaza (Open at 10 a.m.)
• The Spot @ UCF at the John T. Washington Center Breezeway
• The Card Services office at the John T. Washington Center Breezeway
• Reflections Kiosk (Toppers Ice Cream)
• UCF Print Shop

Additional distribution stations are coming to the UCF Downtown, Rosen, and Lake Nona campuses in the near future.

UCF Housing will provide face coverings to residential students during the move-in process that starts in August. New students will be provided with a face covering when they return to campus at the same time that they pick up their UCF ID prior to the start of the fall semester.

If you become ill with symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and contact your primary care physician, who will determine whether testing or treatment is needed. Avoid contact with other people and social gatherings to keep from spreading your illness to others. Employees should also notify their supervisor that they are ill and not able to return to work and follow the instructions of their healthcare provider.

Testing can be obtained at one of the two COVID-19 testing sites at UCF in partnership with Aventus Biolabs or at a location near you. To obtain a test at one of the UCF sites:

• UCF students: Reach out to Student Health Services to obtain an ordered test by calling 407-823-2509
• UCF faculty and staff: Contact UCF Health, which will provide a telehealth appointment or help obtain an ordered test from your primary care provider by calling 407-266-3627

Also follow these best practices while awaiting test results and if you test positive for COVID-19:

• Do not leave your home, except to get medical care, until cleared by your healthcare provider.
• Do not share household items.
• Wear a mask around others if contact is necessary.

If there is the possibility that you have been exposed to COVID-19 because a colleague has tested positive, you will be notified directly. Through contact tracing, the Department of Health will assess and inform all persons who may be at risk and require quarantine and/or testing. In line with public health practices and medical and student privacy laws, only those who would need to know about confirmed COVID-19 cases for personal health and safety reasons will be informed.

The Department of Health will notify UCF of all known or suspected cases at UCF, and confirmed cases will be shared with the public via a forthcoming dashboard feature on the COVID-19 website that lists confirmed cases of COVID-19 that involve a student or faculty or staff member. The dashboard will be generic in nature, in accordance with medical and student privacy laws and public health best practices.

Campus housing, Environmental Health and Safety or other areas will be apprised of known or suspected cases and the need for isolation, quarantine and appropriate cleaning and disinfecting measures.

COVID-19 is a serious global pandemic, and at this time everyone everywhere should be monitoring their symptoms.

UCF is sharing information about preventing the spread of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 here: ucf.edu/coronavirus/#prevention. It’s also important to practice physical distancing, which means avoiding mass gatherings and settings with large numbers of people and maintaining distance from others when possible.

Yes, in very limited circumstances. More information is listed in the COVID-19 Return to Campus Policy.

If you know that you have had close contact with a co-worker, visitor, family member or other individual who has confirmed COVID-19 you should stay home and contact your primary care physician, who will determine whether testing or treatment is needed. Avoid contact with other people and social gatherings to keep from spreading your illness to others. Employees should also notify their supervisor that they are ill and not able to return to work and follow the instructions of their healthcare provider.

A high-risk exposure generally involves exposure of eyes, nose or mouth, particularly if the individual was in contact of less than 6 feet for a period more than 15 minutes with a person infected with COVID-19.

According to the CDC, coronavirus 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

It is recommended that if you develop emergency warning signs, including those listed below*, that you seek medical attention immediately:

• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

For additional information, reference the CDC website.

Yes, additional and enhanced cleaning will take place in common spaces and areas where there are frequently touched surfaces, including hallways, stairways, restrooms and elevators.

Employees will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining their individual workspaces, including desks, chairs and computer equipment.

Yes, additional signage and touch-free hand-sanitizing stations will be placed across campus.

Upgrades also are being made to UCF buildings to reduce the number of shared touchpoints in common spaces by the time the fall semester begins. These include more foot-operated door openers and touchless restroom features and elevators.

Some groups will be required be tested upon return to UCF. These groups are all students returning to university-owned housing; all students and staff residing in on-campus Greek housing; and all student-athletes whether living on or off campus. More information about the testing process will be shared with these students in the coming weeks.

For others, COVID-19 testing is available at the main campus in Garage A and at the UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center but is not required to return to campus.

Immediate concerns should be brought to your supervisor’s attention. If it is not possible to elevate concerns at the department level, the IntegrityLine is a secure system to report suspected misconduct.

You can reach the IntegrityLine 24/7 at compliance.ucf.edu or 1-855-877-6049. All reports are reviewed by the University Compliance, Ethics and Risk Office, and investigated as discreetly and promptly as possible.

Facility and Safety staff actively participate in the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force that develops global recommendations and guidance for industrial and commercial facilities. UCF will continue to monitor and implement OSHA, CDC and other industry-related guidelines and best practices — adapting our administrative and engineering controls accordingly.

Measures being taken address ventilation, filtration, administrative controls and sterilization technology. Ventilation and filtration provided by HVAC systems can reduce the airborne concentrates of SARS-CoV-2 and, thus, reduce the risk of transmission through the air.

Filtration: UCF’s research facilities utilize MERV 9 pre-filters and MERV 14 final filters. UCF will continue to adhere to the maintenance schedules for quarterly, semi-annual and annual filter changes for all HVAC systems on campus.

Ventilation: UCF will continue to maintain design ventilation rates that are determined by ASHRAE standards for air change rates based on each building’s application.

Administrative controls: UCF is working with the Registrar’s Office on class start times and cleaning schedules, and will provide further updates when the Fall Classroom Seating Task Force further refines the model for opening in fall semester. This will result in an increase in overall ventilation effectiveness per occupant, as the design ACH rates will remain in place or increase where possible, while the population in each building is anticipated to decrease.

Sterilization technology: The university is installing additional ultraviolet-bandwidth energy (UV-C) lighting in air handler units serving instructional and administrative offices. While UV-C will not mitigate transmission risk of SARS and COVID-19 within campus buildings’ HVAC air streams, the ultraviolet energy will help inactivate the DNA and RNA of most viral, bacterial, and fungal organisms so that they are unable to replicate. The kill rate for UV-C is based on a factor of time and exposure to the light. Note that even with high-intensity UV-C irradiation, the deactivation rate will not be 100% for all biological particles.

The HVAC systems are cleaned and disinfected on a quarterly basis, as part of their normal preventive maintenance. This is done through a combination of antimicrobial fogging, UV-C disinfection, bi-polar ionization, electromagnetic filtration, and physical cleaning of the systems. All systems will receive their quarterly preventative maintenance and cleaning service prior to the start of Fall semester.

The energy of ultraviolet light (UV-C) filtration is currently used in some air handlers on campus, as it is effective in disrupting the reproductive DNA and RNA of infectious pathogens and helps maintain a clean and sterile environment inside the air handlers. UV-C technology is currently being installed in select high-density instructional, administrative offices and operational support buildings. Buildings that are already 100% outside air, single pass airstream by design are not currently slated for UV-C lighting rollouts as none of those air systems have any return air from the occupied spaces. AHU systems in research buildings that do utilize mixed return and outside air (offices, classrooms) are slated for UV-C lighting.

Detailed instructions on how to access and utilize the COVID Self-Checker are available online for employees and supervisors.

Starting Friday, March 27, only those employees who have been identified as essential; whose job functions require them to report to campus; and whose supervisors have approved them continuing to work on campus should be at UCF. Only essential employees who meet all three of these criteria will have key card access to campus buildings. If you are unsure about how this applies to you, talk to your supervisor about what the “stay at home” order entails.

Starting Friday, March 27, through April 9, UCF will provide paid administrative leave to employees who are unable to work on campus and unable to work remotely. This leave applies to faculty, administrative and USPS employees. With the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act now in effect, faculty and staff — along with eligible OPS employees — may qualify for emergency leave. All other faculty, administrative, and USPS employees who do not qualify for the federal aid and who cannot work remotely will be provided administrative leave. Employees not available for work due to illness or personal time must take sick or annual leave per UCF policy.

More detailed guidance about the federal legislation will be shared soon with employees, supervisors and HR liaisons.