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03/28/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 03/29/2024 09:49

Boston University Drops Five-Day Isolation Requirement for COVID

Boston University Drops Five-Day Isolation Requirement for COVID

BU has dropped its five-day isolation requirement for people who test positive for COVID-19, following the recommendation of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Photo by Suzi Media Production/iStock

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Boston University Drops Five-Day Isolation Requirement for COVID

New policy follows federal, state public health guidelines

March 28, 2024
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Boston University has discontinued its five-day isolation requirement for students, faculty, and staff who test positive for COVID-19, per new guidelines from federal and state health officials.

"It is recommended [instead] to stay home and away from others until your symptoms are improving and you are fever-free for at least 24 hours," similar to protocols for other respiratory illnesses like the flu, Judy Platt, chief health officer and Student Health Services (SHS) director, wrote in a memo emailed to the University community March 28.

Earlier this month, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dropped the isolation guideline. "The US is seeing far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19," the CDC noted, adding that "we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV [respiratory syncytial virus]."

The University continues to "strongly recommend that everyone stay up-to-date with CDC COVID-19 vaccination recommendations," Platt wrote.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) requires that all personnel in DPH-licensed facilities have an up-to-date COVID shot or submit a written declination "after reviewing the risks and benefits of vaccination." This requirement will applyas well to dental, medical, and physician assistant students. Reporting on these requirements began in February of this year. Records will be kept in the appropriate healthcare portal-Patient Connect for students and Occupational Health Connect for employees-and the state's "reporting measures and compliance will be closely monitored in fall 2024."

University policies have adapted in tandem with the ongoing evolution of the pandemic. A notable distinction from the initial phases is the number of tools in our toolkits to help keep ourselves and others from getting sick.
Hannah Landsberg

"Boston Medical Center [BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine's teaching hospital] and Boston University Dental Health Center are DPH-licensed healthcare facilities," Hannah Landsberg (Sargent'12, SPH'13), SHS associate director, says, adding that the University also has several DPH-licensed clinics.

Platt wrote that "as the pandemic evolves, we want to remind our community of ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick. If you are sick with a respiratory virus, please stay home until your symptoms improve. If you need to be around others, please wear a mask while you are experiencing symptoms or for at least five days if you test positive for COVID-19. Rapid COVID-19 tests are available at the University's City Convenience stores at a discounted price and at local pharmacies."

In her memo, Platt promised details this fall about COVID-19 vaccination clinics on campus.

"University policies have adapted in tandem with the ongoing evolution of the pandemic," Landsberg says. "A notable distinction from the initial phases is the number of tools in our toolkits to help keep ourselves and others from getting sick. Masks, frequent handwashing, vaccination, treatments, and testing and staying home while sick all help to prevent the spread of virus.

"Vaccination and treatments [such as] Paxlovid can help prevent severe disease," she says. "Our commitment remains steadfast in monitoring emerging data and research to refine our strategies and bolster public health initiatives at BU."

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  • Rich Barlow

    Senior Writer

    Rich Barlow is a senior writer at BU Today and Bostonia magazine. Perhaps the only native of Trenton, N.J., who will volunteer his birthplace without police interrogation, he graduated from Dartmouth College, spent 20 years as a small-town newspaper reporter, and is a former Boston Globe religion columnist, book reviewer, and occasional op-ed contributor. Profile

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