Indiana University continues to closely monitor COVID-19 across the state and around our campuses to ensure the health and safety of all students, faculty and staff. Learn what you need to know about COVID-19 resources and on-campus help this fall.

If you feel sick

Stay home if you do not feel well. Even if you test negative for COVID-19 but have symptoms or feel unwell, you should continue to stay at home and away from others until you feel better and your symptoms have improved.

Remember that you can be reinfected with COVID-19 even after recently being positive. So, even if you had COVID-19 recently but have symptoms, you should test for the virus.

On-campus COVID-19 testing

IU students, faculty and staff on all campuses will have access to free on-campus COVID-19 testing. Rapid antigen tests will be available on all campuses, and PCR tests on some.

Rapid/at-home antigen testing

• Where: Free at-home rapid tests will be available on each campus in various locations beginning the week of Aug. 22.
• Results in: Test results are available through the test itself in about 15 minutes.
• When to use: Antigen tests detect high levels of virus. A positive result most often means you are contagious and have COVID-19.
• If you test positive: Use IU’s self-report form to let us know. Once you submit the form, you’ll receive isolation instructions to your IU email address.
• If you test negative: If you are asymptomatic, continue with your normal routine. If you still have symptoms or feel unwell, stay home and away from others until you’re feeling better. You could consider taking a PCR test or an antigen test again in a day or two.

Drop-off PCR testing

• Where: Free drop-off testing kits are available on the IU Bloomington and IUPUI campuses in various locations.
• Results in: Test results will be returned in no more than two to three days. You’ll receive an email to your IU email address when results are available.
• When to use: PCR tests are very sensitive and accurate. If there are any virus particles in your system, whether you have symptoms or not, a PCR test will show positive results. Use this test if you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are asymptomatic or you have symptoms of the virus.
• If you test positive: You’ll automatically receive isolation instructions to your IU email address. You do not need to report this test result to IU since it was through the university’s lab.
• If you test negative: If you are asymptomatic, continue with your normal routine. If you still have symptoms or feel unwell, stay home and away from others until you’re feeling better.

Contact tracing

Contact tracing is now automated. If you test positive through a drop-off PCR test or when you self-report a positive case to IU, you’ll receive isolation instructions to your IU email.

You should let your close contacts know if you test positive for COVID-19. Close contacts include anyone you’ve been within 6 feet of for 15 or more minutes in the 48 hours prior to symptom onset or the date of your positive COVID-19 test if asymptomatic. IU no longer conducts contact tracing interviews or notifies close contacts.

Isolation/exposure to COVID-19

IU continues to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when it comes to isolation. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate away from others for five days (day 0 is the day of the positive test or when symptoms began). As long as the individual has been fever-free for 24 hours and symptoms have improved or subsided, on day 6, they may go back to their normal routine while masking around others. Individuals should wear a mask until they test negative on two antigen tests 48 hours apart or on day 10 following exposure.

The CDC no longer recommends quarantining following exposure for any individuals. If exposed to someone with COVID-19, all students, faculty and staff, regardless of vaccination status, should wear a mask around others for 10 days following the exposure and seek a test on day 5 or sooner if you develop symptoms. You do not need to report being exposed to COVID-19 to IU.

Vaccines and boosters

A COVID-19 vaccine continues to be required for all students, faculty and staff on all IU campuses, unless they have obtained an approved exemption. It’s recommended everyone stay up to date on all COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

Masks

Masks are optional in most settings on IU campuses. Masks must be worn, however, where required as personal protective equipment or as required by the health care setting, such as some medical or treatment facilities and some laboratories.

If you choose to wear a mask, it’s recommended to wear the best mask possiblee. Free N95 masks are available in various locations on all IU campuses.

Events

Proposals for events with 50 or more planned attendees must be submitted to the University Event Registration Committee for approval. Both on-campus and off-campus events must follow the same event protocols.

Where to find data

There are both state and national data resources that track and evaluate COVID-19 transmission at a local level. The CDC provides the COVID-19 County Check, which allows you to search by county and view the community level of COVID-19. The State of Indiana also provides a handful of dashboards that cover cases, hospitalizations and testing data.

Amanda Roach is interim director of strategic communications in the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.