The following message was sent by Student Success to all UM Students:

What To Do If You Believe You Have Been Exposed to COVID-19

During your time on campus, it is possible that someone will disclose to you they have tested positive for COVID-19. The information below will help to guide you regarding what to expect and what actions you may be asked to take if you are determined to be a close contact to someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

IMPORTANT: Only Missoula City-County Health Department officials can issue quarantine or isolation orders for our city or county. MCCHD supports and manages contact tracing for UM cases. When mandating isolation (for confirmed cases) or quarantine (for close contacts), MCCHD follows public health guidelines that incorporate assessing when and for how long individuals may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, as well as an individuals’ vaccination status.

If you have been within six feet of a person who tested positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes, or if a UM faculty or staff person notifies you of a potential exposure, you may be contacted by MCCHD with specific instructions. Until you hear from MCCHD, please do what you can to minimize potential exposure to others. Wear your mask, wash your hands and watch your distance. Contact tracers working with MCCHD primarily use telephones to contact potentially exposed persons, so be extra vigilant regarding answering your phone during this time.

• If you have symptoms of COVID-19, contact UM's Curry Health Center or MCCHD for testing. Do not go to class, lab or other group activities. Symptoms include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, or gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea.
• Students will be encouraged to complete required quarantine/isolation from home if they live nearby or if travel to their permanent home is possible. UM has reserved quarantine/isolation space and provides meal delivery for residence hall students who cannot go home but who are instructed by MCCHD to quarantine or isolate.
• Vaccinated students who do not have symptoms of COVID-19 are not required to quarantine, per current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and MCCHD guidance.
• Please reach out to your instructor(s) or adviser via email or phone for resources or assistance if you are placed in quarantine/isolation. We know being in quarantine/isolation can be stressful. Curry Health Center offers virtual counseling and medical consultations for students in isolation/quarantine.
• Faculty members are urged to be flexible in helping students connect to class material and complete coursework, while at the same time maintaining academic standards. Faculty are encouraged to anticipate and provide for a remote option and any proctoring that might be needed for students who are in quarantine/isolation during testing times.
• UM's Office for Disability Equity can provide additional service to students if a quarantine is extended.

Anytime you have a question about your own health or any exposure you might have had to COVID-19, please feel free to call Curry Health Center (406-243-2122) or MCCHD (406-258-3882). Additional FAQs are available on the MCCHD website.