Respiratory Viruses Related Respiratory Isolation and Return to Work Instructions

Effective Date: June 1, 2024

Purpose and Scope:

It is the policy of the University to minimize the transmission of potentially severe respiratory viral infections to patients and others in the work or study place. This protocol is applicable to suspected or confirmed respiratory viral diseases, including Influenza and COVID-19, due to the similarities they share in mode of transmission and available prevention tools.

It also applies to all Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso employees, contracted personnel working on behalf of the University, and students.

Instructions for supervisors:

  1. Individuals reporting being sick should be asked whether symptoms consistent with respiratory viral infection are present (see below).
  2. If present, they should be encouraged to test for COVID-19 at least and/or see their physician, and must be asked to follow the instructions that follow. Those with no symptoms but reporting a 
    positive test or close exposure must be provided these instructions to follow as well.
  3. If individuals wish not to voluntarily provide any of this information or report accordingly to their supervisor, they have the option to contact the Occupational Health Department to provide 
    information and receive guidance. Individuals that prefer not to share this type of information with TTUHSC officers are required to stay home to return only with a medical statement from their 
    healthcare provider indicating safety to return to work for the individual, co-workers, and patients (latter for those working/training in patient care situations). 

Procedure:

Instructions to individuals that have:

  1. Symptoms (Either cold symptoms, flu like symptoms, fever, or new cough) without testing or with negative test for respiratory virus/es:

    Stay home at least 2 days and return when:
    1. Fever (if present) has not returned for at least 48 hrs. (without fever reducing medication), AND
    2.  Other symptoms have clearly improved.
    3. Return to work with use of mask for 7 days since symptoms onset.
    4. If patient care role: avoid contact with known immune-deficient patients for those 10 
      days (notify your supervisor about this).

      Individuals with symptoms are strongly encouraged to obtain testing for COVID as a minimum.
  2. Positive test

    If test for respiratory virus/es (COVID, Influenza) is done and any is positive:
    1. And the individual has symptoms: Stay home for at least 5 days from onset of symptoms and return to work when conditions in item 1 are met with use of mask for 5 days upon return to work.
    2. And the individual has no symptoms: Stay home for at least 5 days from date of test and return on day 6 with use of mask for 5 days upon return to work.
  3. Close (less than 6 feet distance more than 15 minutes) exposure to others with confirmed 
    influenza or COVID-19:
    1. Asymptomatic: Continue to work with mask for 7 days after exposure.
    2. Symptomatic: Stay home and follow item 1 instructions.

Return to work:

If an employee needs to be out of work for > 3 business days, a statement from a health care provider must be provided to the supervisor including the facts concerning the condition that 
indicates the employee was required to be off work due to sickness and their clearance to return to work. HSCEP OP 70.01 (Employee leave is governed by Texas Tech University System 
Regulation 07.12).

Return to work at an affiliated healthcare facility will require following their return to work protocols.

Reference:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-risk-assesment-hcp.html

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html

HSCEP OP: 70.01, Employees leave.