Since the beginning of the pandemic, UNCG has had a variety of protocols, practices, and policies in place to keep our campus as safe as possible.  Our approach has been informed by the guidance from public health agencies (the Centers for Disease Control, NC Department of Health and Human Services, and Guilford County Public Health) and the UNC System Office.  For the 2021 – 2022 academic year, key parts of our approach include:

• Voluntary Testing – Learn more here.  
• Vaccines – including vaccination clinics held in spring 2021 for students and employees, and continuous promotion of access to vaccines and boosters for our campus community through Student Health Services.
• Contact tracing, isolation and quarantine of individuals who test positive and their close contacts.
• Enhanced cleaning where needed.
• Face covering requirements in Student Health Services and healthcare clinics as well as transportation
• Addition of hand sanitizing stations and cleaning wipes throughout campus.
• Frequent messaging to remind our community to monitor symptoms, wash hands, and maintain social distance.
• Changes to dining facilities to maximize distancing and convert self-serve options to full service or take out options.

We are continuously updating our approach to COVID-19 in response to  guidance  from the CDC and the local health department. Please note that, currently, face coverings continue to be required when inside UNCG facilities; and outside when 6 feet of distance from others cannot be maintained. 

Updated 3.1.22

With the continued decline of COVID-19 cases on campus and within our community, and in alignment with new direction from the UNC System Office and guidance from the Governor, CDC, and NC Department of Health and Human Services, face coverings will be optional in most indoor locations, including classrooms and other instructional settings, beginning March 7, 2022. Face coverings will only be mandatory where required by state or federal law and regulations as well as Student Health Services and health care clinics (including internships in clinical settings)

Although face coverings will no longer be required in most spaces on campus, we encourage all members of the UNCG community to continue wearing them indoors, especially in instructional settings, and in research environments where participants are immunocompromised or who are unable to be vaccinated due to age or other health risks. If you are unvaccinated, please continue to wear masks to protect yourself and others. 

Updated 4.19.22

Yes, but it is important to note that current CDC guidance does NOT consider classroom instruction or the university in general to be a high risk of transmission activity; therefore, N95 use is considered voluntary.

The University has acquired a limited supply of N95 masks, which are now available for any faculty and staff members with forward facing job tasks.

These masks can be picked up at the Elliot University Center information desk. Because we are prioritizing those with forward facing job tasks we ask that you only pick up a mask for yourself. You can retrun to EUC to pick up additional masks as needed. These masks are resilient in nature and can be worn multiple times before disposal.   

Please see the following links for more information on voluntary use of N-95 masks and fitting instructions.

CDC guidance on how to wear N-95

OSHA information for voluntary use of N-95

Fitting Instructions for mask you are being provided.

The CDC has offered specific COVID-19 guidelines for institutions of higher education. In them, CDC does not recommend physical distancing for fully vaccinated campuses; while recommending distancing on campuses that are not fully vaccinated. Because we have a very high vaccination rate among the campus community, provide surveillance testing, we have taken a hybrid approach. All our classes are scheduled to accommodate regular class sizes. There have been no documented cases at UNCG of COVID-19 transmission in classroom environments where seated instruction is taking place.

For the Spring 2022 semester, with these new CDC guidelines and the lessons learned from previous semesters, in-person instruction with regular class capacity will continue to be our default teaching method, except for those classes already scheduled and approved for online delivery. All University services and operations will continue to be offered face-to-face. 

Updated 3.1.22

UNCG has created a process for students, faculty, and staff to self report COVID-19 cases. If you experience COVID-19 symptoms, test positive for COVID-19 (or a health care provider tells you that you are presumed positive), or if you learn that you are a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, please notify the university by filling out the form at go.uncg.edu/selfreport. The information submitted will be shared only with limited University officials to make a determination if additional cleaning and other response actions need to be taken on campus. Employees should also notify their supervisor and contact Human Resources regarding eligibility for COVID-19 leave provisions that are currently in effect. Please note that completing the form does not serve as notification to your supervisor that you are not available for work.  

If you do not have internet access at the time which you need to report your case, call 336-334-4414 to complete the report.

Following guidelines from Guilford County Public Health and recommendations from the CDC, a member of the COVID-19 Case Management Team team will communicate with students who are exposed to a known case of COVID-19 or who become ill to determine the best location for them to complete their isolation or quarantine period.  Many students choose to travel home if possible.  If a student is unable to travel or has other extenuating circumstances, UNCG has rooms appropriate for isolation or quarantine as needed on campus, and a protocol is in place to support them.

Updated 1.25.22

When feeling ill, tested positive, or been exposed to someone who tested positive, both employees and students are to complete the self-report form. If you’ve not been tested and are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, we highly encourage you to get tested, regardless of your vaccination status. The self-report process enables the University to monitor cases, launch contact tracing, and inform instructors or supervisors. Employees must notify their supervisors if they will be absent from work. Students must notify their instructors if they will be absent from class. 

Every day, before coming to work, you should screen yourself for COVID-19 symptoms and check your temperature. If you experience COVID-19 symptoms or do not feel well for any reason, you should not report to work. Instead, you should call your primary care provider and notify your supervisor. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, you should complete the COVID-19 Self Reporting Form. The information submitted will be shared only with limited University officials to make a determination if additional cleaning and other response actions need to be taken on campus. Employees should also notify their supervisor and contact Human Resources regarding eligibility for COVID-19 leave provisions that are currently in effect. Please note that completing the form does not serve as notification to your supervisor that you are not available for work.  

Employees who are symptomatic or test positive and are in isolation should work with their healthcare providers to monitor their progress. Employees must meet the criteria specified by the University prior to returning to campus for work. As an individual in isolation approaches the end of their isolation period, a representative from the UNCG Case Management Team will contact the individual regarding their return to campus work, class, and activities. Supervisors will receive an email from the Case Management System when the employee has been cleared to return to on campus activities.

If you do not have internet access at the time which you need to report your case, employees should call 336-334-4414 to complete the report.

Students can submit their proof of vaccination and booster through the Patient Portal at Student Health Services. 

Employees can log into the UNCG Vaccine Portal to upload proof of vaccination and booster. 

Updated 3.1.22

You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving your final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This means two weeks after your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks after your single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Following federal and state health guidelines, UNCG’s Student Health Services (SHS) is now providing COVID-19 booster shots for eligible students, faculty, and staff. 

Those eligible for a booster shot must have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series as approved and authorized by the FDA in the United States or a vaccine series authorized as a World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing. Those eligible are now able to receive any brand of COVID-19 vaccine for their booster shot – no matter what brand the individual previously received. To see if you qualify for a booster shot at SHS, review the table below.

SHS is offering the Pfizer or Moderna booster shot to those eligible by appointment only. To schedule a booster shot at SHS, please call 336.334.5340. Clinics are currently being held on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The University cannot administer boosters for individuals outside of the University community.

Booster shots are also widely available in the community.

Updated 1.7.22

Yes, all student vaccination records are submitted through the patient portal on the Student Health Services website. Video instructions can be found here.

Vaccination Cards can ONLY be submitted to the Student Health Services Patient Portal. For more information on Housing processes around testing and vaccination, click here.

Student Health Services offers vaccinations by appointment. Vaccination appointments can be scheduled by calling them at 336.334.5340. You can also search for vaccination sites in your local community by visiting myspot.nc.gov.

The Immunizations Office at Student Health Services can assist. Please contact them at 336.334.5340. 

No, the $50 vaccination incentive ended on May 31, 2022.

While vaccination is the single strongest tool we have against COVID-19, as of 3/1/22, we will no longer require mandatory testing for students and employees who have not provided proof of vaccination. We will, however, continue to provide voluntary testing on campus throughout the Spring 2022 Semester. 

Key factors for this decision:

• The surveillance testing positivity rate has significantly decreased over the past several weeks. In recent weeks the surveillance testing positivity rate was less than 1%.
• The employee vaccination rate is 88%.
• Student vaccination rate is high (Residential Students – 88%, Commuter Students – 82%).

UNCG’s COVID-19 testing practices can be reviewed here.

Updated 3.1.22

With the continued decline of COVID-19 cases on campus and within our community, and in alignment with new direction from the UNC System Office and guidance from the Governor, CDC, and NC Department of Health and Human Services, our testing policy as of 3.1.22 is new.

Past testing policy details include:

Effective Spring 2022 through March, all students living in on-campus residence halls – regardless of vaccination status – had to submit a negative PCR test before move-in. Students and employees who did not provide proof of vaccination will participate in periodic COVID-19 testing.

During the Spring 2021 semester, all students living in on-campus residence halls were required to participate in periodic testing (this was before the vaccine was widely available to students).  In addition, they were required to submit proof of a negative test prior to moving into their residence hall.  We had the same testing policy for residential students for the Fall 2021 semester, but have exempted those who have submitted proof of being fully vaccinated.  In addition, given concerns related to the Delta variant, we extended the program to include students who live off campus but attend in-person classes.  Similarly, we have exempted students who submit proof of being fully vaccinated.  

Updated 3.1.22

If a student develops symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated or not, they should immediately contact Student Health Services to discuss their symptoms and make an appointment to be tested, or get tested in the community.  Students who are feeling ill should submit a self-report to the case management system and self-isolate until their symptoms have been evaluated/they have received results from testing.  

Any students – whether living on or off campus, and whether fully vaccinated or not – can participate in the weekly voluntary screening testing event held on campus.  

Employees who do not have  COVID-19 symptoms can participate in voluntary screening testing on campus (see Upcoming Events). 

Employees with symptoms can seek testing through their primary care provider or from one of the community testing sites established. Testing is also available through select pharmacies. Student Health Services is not conducting COVID-19 testing for employees.

To find a community testing site employees can visit: 

• Locate a Testing Site
• Pop-Up Testing Site Locations

If you would like to be tested in Guilford County at a community testing site, you should call 704-448-2544 to schedule a COVID-19 testing appointment with Guilford County Public Health.  

UNCG has expanded testing for asymptomatic individuals, including employees, to help us identify potential areas of risk related to the presence of COVID-19 on our campus. Residential and non-residential students, as well as employees, can continue to take advantage of free testing clinics that will be held on campus throughout the semester. We strongly encourage participation in these testing opportunities as it will help individuals manage their own health status, and this data is also extremely important to our community efforts. 

The Voluntary Screening Testing schedule is available here (see Upcoming Events) and on the UNCG Mobile App. Employee COVID-19 mandatory periodic testing information is available here. Student COVID-19 Testing information, including getting tested through Student Health Services, the Mandatory Periodic Program, or the Voluntary Screening Program is available here. 

At-Home Rapid COVID-19 tests continue to be covered at 100% for State Health Plan members enrolled in the 80/20 and 70/30 PPO Plans as well as the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) via the pharmacy benefit.

Members are able to submit the receipt for reimbursement by using the Prescription Reimbursement Claim form located on the Plan’s website. Members can also submit a reimbursement request online via CVS Caremark.

Members should submit a receipt that clearly indicates the test purchased, along with the claims form. Expect the claims reimbursement process to take between 30 and 90 days.

As a reminder, there is a limit of 8 At-Home Rapid tests per 30 days. Reimbursement does not apply to tests purchased prior to January 15, 2022.

Several retail pharmacy chains are now offering more convenient ways to order COVID-19 tests, including the ability to order them online. Check with your pharmacy for more information. Additional information is also available on the Plan’s COVID-19 webpage. 

Our COVID-19 Case Management Team gathers data, manages contact tracing, and monitors the status of all cases that affect our campus.

UNCG is using an emergency management tool that was specifically designed for these kinds of events with sophisticated capabilities that enable us to summarize and create reports for internal monitoring purposes of our cases in multiple ways – by location, affinity group, class, isolation/quarantine status, etc. We are currently updating our summary dashboard weekly. Guilford County Public Health also reviews our data to monitor the number of positive cases.

This case management system receives information from four sources: self-reports, Student Health Services, local public health agencies, and surveillance testing. Students, faculty, staff, and contractors are asked to inform us when they have COVID-like symptoms, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive.

Student Health Services automatically inputs positive test results from students who seek care through their office into the COVID-19 Case Management System. When local public health agencies become aware through their case investigation that an individual who has tested positive has a connection to our campus, they alert the University, and that case is entered into our case management system. 

When there are multiple entries related to the same case (e.g., a student self-reports and Student Health creates a report), the entries are linked as one case. The case management system allows us to update cases as new information becomes available. It also allows us to track positive cases that occur among students or employees who are in proximity to each other (e.g., through living or learning environment, work environment, affinity group).

Updated 9.27.21

On January 11, 2022, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released new guidance and prioritization regarding contact tracing. This guidance strongly encourages all contact tracing efforts to transition to an automated format in order to keep up with the high volume of positive cases. DHHS also removed institutions of higher education from their prioritization list for traditional contact tracing (speaking to someone directly via phone). Using this updated guidance and the contact tracing experience we have developed over the past two years, UNCG made the decision to prioritize our traditional contact tracing efforts for residential students due to the logistics of isolating and quarantining residential students.

For all other contact tracing efforts, we have converted to an automated process. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, they receive an automated email with a virtual positive case interview. This interview helps us identify UNCG close contacts. If an identified close contact is a UNCG student, faculty, or staff member, they receive an email informing them they have been identified as a close contact along with instructions for quarantining. The process has remained largely the same, except for the person to person contact via telephone. All positive cases and identified close contacts are tracked in our COVID-19 Case Management System until they are officially released by the Case Management Team.

Updated 1.25.22

Case management is the comprehensive process of coordinating and assisting UNCG students, faculty, and staff that are impacted by COVID-19. This includes those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, tested positive for COVID-19, or have been identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive. The Student Health Services team leads the effort in managing the case management process, with support from various other university departments that make up the Case Management Team. 

With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, UNCG is adopting the CDC’s quarantine and isolation guidelines, announced on Jan. 4, 2022, effective immediately. 

The new guidelines call for a five-day isolation or quarantine period for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive. But there are many caveats to the guidance. We encourage you to learn more by reading the updated Isolation and Quarantine flyer and I&Q flow chart; both are available on the COVID-19 website.

Any student testing positive will be required to isolate; any student identified as a close contact who is not fully vaccinated will be required to quarantine. Details on quarantine and isolation are available here. 

Students must complete a self-report form and notify their professors of their absence. Students may quarantine or isolate on- or off-campus. UNCG has on-campus rooms appropriate for isolation or quarantine as needed.   

The available rooms and usage percentage are tracked on our COVID-19 Dashboard. These rooms are single rooms with a private bath, with the exception of situations where students from the same room, suite, or apartment may be able to quarantine together in a shared space. We support these students by delivering food and other supplies, checking on them frequently, and monitoring their symptoms. We will continue to work with non-residential students to both help determine the best strategy for completing isolation/quarantine and provide the needed academic support services.

Should students break their quarantine or isolation, they will be subject to the Student Code of Conduct. Employees may also be subject to disciplinary action should they fail to comply with quarantine and isolation directives.

This approach has been reviewed with Guilford County Health officials.  Because students in quarantine or isolation are prevented from having close contact with others, this approach does not present any increased risk to other residents or members of our campus community. In adherence to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and HIPPA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) regulations, we cannot provide any additional detail on the location of quarantine and isolation rooms or identify students who may be using these resources.

More information on isolation and quarantine and clearance criteria can be found in the Case Management Process section of the COVID webpage. 

Updated 1.7.22

No. Even if you live in the same household as the positive case in which you are a close contact of, you do not have to quarantine if you are fully vaccinated and received the booster if eligible. If you are the caretaker for the COVID-19 positive person you should, in consultation with your supervisor, discuss working remotely until the positive case household member has been cleared from isolation.

Yes, this is a legitimate email. UNCG uses a system called Veoci to automate the case management process.

The infectious period is the period in which a positive case may have spread the virus to others. For COVID-19, the infectious period begins two days prior to the onset of symptoms or 2 days prior to the positive test date if the positive case is asymptomatic. This date is used to identify close contacts of the positive case.

Yes, if they have been cleared from isolation, it is safe for them to be on campus. Some COVID-19 symptoms can take awhile to resolve even after the individual is no longer actively infected with the virus. The Case Management Team clears all students before they are released from isolation, and takes all of these factors into account. Students and employees receive a clearance email once they are cleared from isolation or quarantine. This email informs the person that they are cleared to return to on-campus classes, work, and activities. Instructors and supervisors can ask for a copy of this note.

There are no travel-related restrictions in place for domestic travel as it relates to COVID. Travel should be approved following the standard University travel approval process.
All University-affiliated international travel must be approved by the International Travel Committee in accordance with the UNCG International Travel Policy. As of September 15, 2021, any faculty, staff, or students who will travel internationally for work or academic-related purposes, must provide proof of vaccination status.

Students should visit the UNCG Student Health Services website to upload proof of vaccination via the Patienr Portal. 

UNCG faculty and staff should upload  proof of vaccination by logging into the UNCG Employee Vaccine Portal. 

Both sites are secure, encrypted portals that will require authentication using a UNCG username and password. The International Program Center (IPC) will work with relevant UNCG offices to confirm proof of vaccination as part of the international travel review process.

You should follow the CDC travel guidance, for any domestic or international travel, regardless if it is university-sponsored or not. Any University-affiliated international travel will require proof of vaccination status.

Feel free to contact the International Programs Center at itravel@uncg.edu to address any additional questions or concerns. 

All employee vaccination records should be submitted through the UNCG Employee Vaccine Portal.

Acceptable documentation to show proof of vaccination includes the vaccine card you were given at the time of your vaccination, the vaccination information PDF from the NC COVID-19 Vaccine Management System (CVMS), or an official immunization record from a health care provider or vaccine administration location.

Students should upload their COVID-19 booster information to the Student Health Patient Portal.Employees should upload their COVID-19 booster information in the UNCG Employee Vaccine Portal. If you uploaded your booster information before January 10, 2022, you will need to log back into the portal and resubmit your original vaccine information and then upload your booster information.

Yes, even if you received your vaccine at UNCG, you still need to upload proof of vaccination.

If you cannot locate your proof of vaccination, you should contact the location that provided your vaccination and request information on how to obtain a new proof of vaccination record. 
If you obtained your vaccination at UNCG, please submit a request for proof of vaccination using the UNCG COVID-19 Questions Portal.

You are considered completely vaccinated after receiving your final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This means after your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or after your single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

No. You should wait until you are completely vaccinated before you submit your proof of vaccination. Completely vaccinated means you have received your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or your single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

To update your vaccination information in the Vaccine Portal, log back into the portal and select the “Reset this Record” button. You will be prompted to re-enter your vaccination information. 

If you have a question that is not covered in the FAQs, you can submit a question using the UNCG COVID-19 Questions Portal.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance to help the public understand when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule applies to disclosures and requests for information about whether a person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.

The guidance reminds the public that the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not apply to employers or employment records. This is because the HIPAA Privacy Rule only applies to HIPAA covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers that conduct standard electronic transactions), and, in some cases, to their business associates.

The Guidance on HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccinations, and the Workplace may be found at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-covid-19-vaccination-workplace/index.html.

Yes. EEOC guidance provides that employers, including UNC Greensboro, can ask employees whether an employee has been vaccinated. However, federal regulation prohibits questions related to why an employee is or is not vaccinated or why an employee chose a particular vaccine. In fact, the EEOC has been clear that employers may require vaccinations for employees entering a workplace, subject to ADA and confidentiality requirements.  See Section K of the EEOC Guidance.  However, due to privacy concerns, faculty and staff should not ask one another or students about their vaccination status

Yes, UNC Greensboro regulates this. UNC Greensboro has determined that this question should be asked of its employees through the COVID Vaccination Portal. If an employee does not upload proof of vaccination, they are put into the testing protocol.

No. Employees must either show proof of vaccination or test regularly as they are instructed by the University. Supervisors will be included in training on how to address the failure to comply with the University’s vaccination or testing protocol directives.  

UNC Greensboro advises event planners to consider the implications of asking event attendees about their vaccination status. No event planner should require proof of vaccination without requesting such protocol and receiving approval to do so from the UNC Greensboro COVID Strategic Planning Team.

Although UNC Greensboro does not mandate vaccines for guests and invitees, we encourage the UNC Greensboro community to be vaccinated. We require that UNC Greensboro community members and guests comply with mask-wearing guidelines.

If the event is going to be attended by students as it relates to the course of study, exceptions to vaccination mandates need to be made for disability and religious reasons, as the University’s relationship with, and obligations to, students are different than members of the general public.

Students are instructed by the Case Management Team to notify their instructors if the will be absent from in-person classes due to isolation or quarantine. 

Updated 1.25.22

No. The Case Management Team does not share the names of the positive case and close contacts with the instructor out of respect for privacy and due to the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

If you learn someone in your class has tested positive for COVID-19, instruct them to complete a self-report as soon as possible. The self-report is the primary and most effective way for the Case Management Team to start the contact tracing process. If they indicate they do not plan to submit a self-report, please forward that information to the Dean of Students Office and they will reach out to the student and learn more about the situation and work with the Case Management Team to start a case. 

No. If a close contact is fully vaccinated, has received the booster if eligible, and is not symptomatic, they can continue in-person activities. See UNCG’s Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines for more information on how vaccination status impacts quarantine.

Students who have been entered into our case management system receive a clearance email once they are cleared from isolation or quarantine. This email informs the student that they are cleared to return to on-campus classes, work, and activities. Instructors can ask the student for a copy of this note. Student Health Services and the Case Management Team do not provide notes at the onset of the student case; only once they have been cleared.

If the student doesn’t self-report to the University and we do not have a record of their isolation or quarantine status, they will not receive a note from the Case Management Team. That is why it is extremely important to instruct students to complete a self-report to make sure they are entered into our case management system.

No. You do not have to move your class online if someone in the class tests positive. Through the contact tracing process, those who are directly impacted by the situation will be contacted by the Case Management Team and instructed to isolate or quarantine accordingly. 

It is, however, left up to the instructor to decide if it makes sense to move the course online temporarily due to COVID-19 related absences. This is typically based on the number of students in your class who may be absent (positive case and close contacts). Some instructors find it more beneficial for class progression to move the course online temporarily to accommodate the number of students absent from class. Instructors are asked to contact Associate Vice Provost Andrew Hamilton (ahamilton@uncg.edu) if they face such a situation and are considering moving their courses temporarily online.

In general, we expect faculty will need to accommodate individual students while they isolate. We appreciate your willingness to do so and to not permanently change their course delivery methods from what is in the published class schedule. Late changes to course mode of instruction can have serious financial implications for students because of housing arrangements made prior to the start of the term. In addition, last semester’s COVID-19 mandatory testing protocols were made much more complicated by mismatches between the course schedule and the true mode of instruction. Faculty questions about longer term flexibility options for Spring 2022 should be directed to Associate Vice Provost Andrew Hamilton (ahamilton@uncg.edu), who will also coordinate with deans, heads, and chairs on any necessary changes. Any faculty member requesting accommodation due to a medical condition should contact Patricia Lynch (pmlynch2@uncg.edu) or Latisha Perry (ljperry4@uncg.edu) for

If the situation in your specific class necessitates additional action, the Case Management Team will communicate that with you. 

Updated 1.7.22

No. You should not notify your class if someone in the class tests positive. The Case Management Team will conduct a positive case interview with the positive case individual to determine if there are any close contacts. If close contacts are identified, the Case Management Team will reach out to those individuals directly and provide them with quarantine instructions. 

No. The minimum isolation period for individuals who test positive, regardless of vaccination status, is 5 days from the start of symptoms or the date of test for those who remain asymptomatic. 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has determined that students may be able to stay in school, under specific circumstances, even if they haven’t been vaccinated and are identified as a close contact. This decision was made based on evidence that children are less likely to spread the virus than adults. Because we are a campus of adult students (defined as 18 or older in terms of healthcare), we must continue to follow the existing guidance on quarantine for the adult population.

UNC Greensboro researchers should refrain from requiring participants to be vaccinated in order to participate in research studies that are unrelated to vaccine status. This is especially true if the participants are students.

UNCG researchers should also take into account ethical considerations, such as the desire to avoid setting requirements that prohibit participation by those who stand to benefit from studies, as well as inclusivity and equity concerns. There are CDC-approved methods for protecting participants and researchers from contracting COVID-19. All involved should mitigate the risk of disease transmission by screening for symptoms, taking temperatures, wearing PPE, and social distancing.

Yes, especially if those participants are students.  UNC Greensboro does not require vaccines. Research ethics considerations also support this prohibition. Mitigating the risk of disease transmission (as noted above) to address researchers’ concerns is key to on-going human subjects research.

Yes. The UNCG IRB has a responsibility to protect the rights and welfare of human research participants. Therefore, IRB has the authority to limit human subject participation based on vaccination status.  The IRB can assess whether other methods in place to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission are sufficient or if vaccination is required when reviewing a particular protocol. The IRB should request that researchers use language related to mitigating COVID-19 transmission in the consent documents signed by research participants.