Exposure Response & Protocol

Thank you for supporting our efforts to ‘flatten the curve’ while we do our best to protect the health of the entire Smith Community. This protocol allows us to have rapid and thoughtful responses to evolving public health conditions at the college.


Reporting Symptoms to the Schacht Center
 

If you or someone you know has been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please consider partnering with the Schacht Center in our efforts to ‘flatten the curve’ as we do our best to protect the health of the entire Smith community. We will hold any personal information you provide in confidence but may use general information to consult with the Department of Public Health and college officials to determine appropriate steps to better ensure overall community health.

COVID-19 Concern Check-In Form


In Case of Exposure to COVID-19

Please refer to the informational charts below if you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Case Information Can I Come to Work? Do I Need to Be Tested? Whom Do I Notify? Where Do I Go for Care?
You tested COVID-19 positive
You have been tested by your doctor and are informed you test positive.		 No. You will need to self-isolate at home until instructed to stop by public health officials. If you have already tested positive, you do not need to be tested again. Call your immediate supervisor and email Human Resources. Submit the Concern Check-In Form to inform the Schacht Center. Your healthcare provider will manage your health needs.*
A household contact tests positive
Someone you live with, a roommate, significant other.		 No. You should self-quarantine and follow these CDC guidelines. Stay home from work for at least 14 days. Yes. You need to be tested. Call your immediate supervisor and email Human Resources. Your healthcare provider will manage your health needs.*
A close contact tests positive
Someone with whom you spent more than 10 minutes in close contact and were within 6 feet of since the day they developed symptoms OR a positive case who coughed on you or whose respiratory secretions or saliva you contacted directly.		 No. You should work from home until your healthcare provider or local public health department can determine the case details and gives you instructions. Yes. You need to be tested. Call your immediate supervisor and email Human Resources. If no symptoms occur, you do not need care. You should self-monitor your health for 14 days.
Coworker, friend or casual contact tests positive
Someone you were not within 6 feet of for more than 10 minutes or with whom you shared secretions.		 Yes. You can work as long as you do not have any symptoms and you were not a close contact (see above). Not unless you have symptoms. No notification needed unless you become ill. If no symptoms occur, you do not need care. You should self-monitor your health for 14 days.
Friend of a friend tests positive
You were in contact with your friend but not the person who tested positive.		 Yes. You can work as long as you do not have any symptoms. Not unless you have symptoms. No notification needed unless you become ill. If no symptoms occur, you do not need care.

*If you are a Smith College employee, please contact your own healthcare provider for your health needs.

Schacht Center staff may collect essential public health information regarding employees who are ill. Please consider completing the COVID-19 Concern Check-In Form to inform the Schacht Center, which will assess the implications for the Smith community.

  • Be assured that any personal information shared with the Schacht Center will be held in confidence. Any action taken regarding the employee’s personal information will be in consultation and accordance CDC guidelines.
  • After completing a form to notify the college, any updates that you wish to provide in an effort to keep our Smith community healthy and safe should be directed to the Schacht Center email to healthservices@smith.edu with the subject line “COVID follow up.”
Case Information Can I Circulate on campus? Do I Need to Be Tested? Whom Do I Notify? Where Do I Go for Care?
You tested COVID-19 positive
You have been tested and are informed you test positive.		 No. You will need to self-isolate in designated housing until instructed to stop by public health officials and the Schacht Center. If you have already tested positive, you do not need to be tested again. Call the Schacht Center at 413-585-2800 and contact the Residence Life staff. The Schacht Center will be contacting you twice daily and monitoring your health needs. You should be in self-isolation on or off campus.
A household contact tests positive
Someone you live with, a roommate, significant other.		 No. You should self-quarantine and follow these CDC guidelines. Stay in designated housing until instructed to stop by the Schacht Center. Yes. You need to be tested. Call the Schacht Center at 413-585-2800 and contact the Residence Life staff. The Schacht Center will advise you.
A close contact tests positive
Someone with whom you spent more than 10 minutes in close contact and were within 6 feet of since the day they developed symptoms OR a positive case who coughed on you or whose respiratory secretions or saliva you contacted directly.		 No. You should self-quarantine in your campus residence until otherwise notified by the Schacht Center. Yes. You need to be tested.     Call the Schacht Center at 413-585-2800. The Schacht Center will advise you.
Coworker, friend or casual contact tests positive
Someone you were not within 6 feet of for more than 10 minutes or with whom you shared secretions.		 Yes. You can circulate as long as you do not have any symptoms and you were not a close contact (see above). Not unless you have symptoms. No notification needed unless you become ill. If no symptoms occur, you do not need care. You should self-monitor your health for 14 days.
Friend of a friend tests positive
You were in contact with your friend but not the person who tested positive.		 Yes, you can circulate as long as you do not have any symptoms. Not unless you have symptoms. No notification needed unless you become ill. If no symptoms occur, you do not need care. You should self-monitor your health for 14 days.

Please note: All off-campus students should reach out to their primary care physician. It is not necessary to report to the college if you have not been on campus.

The Schacht Center is available for students by telephone and Zoom for medical visits and appointments. If you are a student, please call The Schacht Center at 413-585-2800 for guidance and to make arrangements to be seen if needed.

Schacht Center staff may collect essential public health information regarding students who are ill. Be assured that any personal information shared with the Schacht Center will be held in confidence. Any action taken regarding the student's personal information will be in consultation and accordance with CDC guidelines.

We urge all community members to practice social distancing: maintain a 6 feet distance whenever possible, do not socialize, attend events, or perform any errands that are not absolutely essential. Obtain delivery service whenever possible. Wash your hands frequently, clean and disinfect surfaces and frequently touched items such as phones, keyboards, doorknobs, lightswitches, and faucets, and do not share personal items.

Risk factors for contracting COVID-19 include close contact with a sick person, such as:

  • Living in the same household as a sick person with COVID-19
  • Caring for a sick person with COVID-19
  • Being within 6 feet of a sick person with COVID-19 for about 10 minutes
  • Being in direct contact with secretions from a sick person with COVID-19 (e.g. after being coughed on, sharing utensils, kissing, etc.)
  • Direct contact with contaminated surfaces such as commonly touched items, counters, phones, doorknobs, faucets, etc.


For Supervisors

Thank you for partnering with the Schacht Center in our efforts to ‘flatten the curve’ and do our best to protect the health of the entire Smith Community. This protocol allows us to have rapid and thoughtful responses to evolving public health conditions at the College.

If you are concerned about someone you supervise in your department, advise them to:

  • Stay home.
  • Contact their PCP for instructions.
  • Call the 211 public health hotline or the community hotline at 617-724-7000.
  • Submit the COVID-19 Concern Check-In Form to inform the Schacht Center. Assure staff that any personal information shared with the Schacht Center will be held in confidence. Any action taken regarding their personal information will be in consultation and accordance with DPH and CDC guidelines.

Remind the unwell staff member to:

  • Keep you updated regarding their ability to work.
  • Report updates on COVID-19 status by contacting the Schacht Center via email at healthservices@smith.edu with the subject line “COVID follow up”.

What you can communicate with your department:

  • Remind them to practice health safety precautions.
  • Encourage staff members to report any symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test to their supervisor and complete the COVID-19 Concern Check-In Form.
  • If any affected employees have granted specific written permission to do so, department heads may provide brief updates to their teams on the employee’s behalf, copying the employee on the communication.

Language that could be used for employees that are expressing concern:

  • These are indeed challenging times and many of us will have questions about our health and the health of those around us. We'd like to take this opportunity to remind our team that the best way to curtail the spread of the virus is social distancing. Any employee who is feeling unwell should stay home, inform their supervisor, contact their PCP and follow their advice. Further guidance and a symptom self-checker tool is available at CDC preventative guidelines.
  • Please know that while it is incumbent upon us to protect the individual privacy of staff members, the college is carefully tracking concerns and will communicate identified threats to our campus community in the interest of transparency and public health and safety. Toward that goal, we encourage any employee with symptoms to promptly inform their supervisor, contact their PCP and stay home from work until otherwise advised by their healthcare team.
  • Remind staff that, if someone in the community has tested positive for COVID-19, individuals who are known to have had contact with that person will be notified by public health officials including DPH and/or the Schacht Center staff.


Contact Tracing in Massachusetts

COVID-19 Contact Tracing: An important public health initiative regarding exposure to COVID-19.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, along with Partners in Health, has created COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative. The program focuses on reaching out to the contacts of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients to help protect others who have been potentially exposed to the virus. Calls from the Massachusetts COVID-19 team will use the prefix 833 and 857 and your phone will say the call is from MA COVID Team. Calls will be made daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Learn more at the Community Tracing Collaborative website.