How is UCF tracing and tracking cases of COVID-19?

Yes. Cloth face coverings are being distributed at several locations on UCF’s campuses. One face covering will be assigned to each member of the UCF community, and a valid UCF ID card is required to obtain one. These or a face covering of some kind will be required at all times on campus. Find face covering distribution locations.

You can also purchase face coverings from Rock ’Em in Orlando. For each face covering sold, $5 will go to the UCF Student Emergency Fund.

There may be exceptions to face coverings in very limited circumstances. More information is listed in the COVID-19 Return to Campus Policy.

UCF has 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.

View the UCF COVID dashboard for more information.

Cloth face coverings are being distributed at several locations on UCF’s campuses. One face covering will be assigned to each member of the UCF community, and a valid UCF ID card is required to obtain one. These or a face covering of some kind will be required at all times on campus. Find face covering distribution locations.

You can also purchase face coverings from Rock ’Em in Orlando. For each face covering sold, $5 will go to the UCF Student Emergency Fund.

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.

UCF students and employees should call the UCF COVID Line to obtain an ordered test at 407-823-2509

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.
• Report if you have tested positive for COVID-19 by calling the UCF COVID Line at 407-823-2509

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.

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, including:

• All students returning to university-owned housing
• All students and staff residing in on-campus Greek housing
• All student-athletes whether living on or off campus

There will be no out of pocket costs to students. UCF will bill students’ insurance provider, and if insurance does not cover, UCF will cover the cost of the COVID-19 test.

For others, COVID-19 testing is available at the main campus in Garage A, 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.

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 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.

Routine Testing remains available to our faculty, staff and students via AVENTUS in Garage A main campus Monday-Friday 9-5 and Saturday 1-5.  COVID Line nurses use standing orders for faculty, staff and students who request testing.  Also, SHS, UCF Health, and community providers may order testing through AVENTUS.  This testing is via nasal pharyngeal (NP) samples with PCR testing. Results are available within 48 hours.  Cost is a patient responsibility (has been covered by insurance).

Move-in Testing approximately 6,000 students during August for students on main campus, downtown campus and Rosen campus.  Testing was via NP samples and PCR testing with results in 48 hours.  AVENTUS labs performed the testing with up to 800 students per day.  Considerations include performing a randomized selection as opposed to requiring all residents to be tested.

Random Testing is by selection of groups which may be at higher risk of COVID.  Via a randomized selection process a subset of the group is identified for testing.  This testing is primarily designed to measure prevalence of COVID within selected groups but also identifies persons who may be infectious.  Testing has initially been performed via AVENTUS with NP swabs and PCR testing.  We  will be migrating October 26th  to testing this group at SHS on the main campus Health Center using observed self-collection of nasal samples and the Abbott ID Now molecular testing system.  Results will be same day and we anticipate selecting 110 persons for each testing event.  I anticipate conducting this random testing every two weeks for the next year.  Cost for this required testing is covered by the UCF Cares money.

Face coverings are required any time you’re on campus. This includes in all indoor and outdoor spaces on campus, even with physical distance.

There are very limited exceptions to this:

• While you’re actively eating or drinking; however, you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing.
• While you’re exercising outdoors, as long as physical distance can be maintained. (Please note that the Recreation and Wellness Center requires facility guests to use a face covering or disposable mask.)
• While you’re in your personal residence or office (a single room with a closable door) with the door closed and others are not present in the enclosed space.