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COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Screening

Get information about symptom and exposure screening requirements for UC San Diego employees.

In accordance with the current Cal-OSHA requirements, all UC San Diego staff, faculty and student employees who are reporting to campus or any other physical UC San Diego location for work must conduct a self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure and report any symptoms and/or exposure using the process outlined below. For employees who are working remotely, self-screening is strongly encouraged. The symptom and exposure screening tool can be accessed from your computer or mobile device. View frequently asked questions about symptom and exposure screening.

Symptom and exposure screening process

The symptom and exposure screening process must be completed each day prior to reporting to your UC San Diego Campus or Health worksite and is strongly encouraged for those working remotely in the San Diego region.

Complete the COVID-19 symptom and exposure screening registration form »

Complete the COVID-19 symptom and exposure screening »

If you are currently:

  • Working remotely in the San Diego region (i.e. within commuting distance to UC San Diego Health sites for testing): You are strongly encouraged to complete the online symptom and exposure screening daily in case testing is needed. Continue to work remotely until you receive other instructions from your Vice Chancellor.
  • Working remotely outside of the San Diego region: You do not need to use the online symptom and exposure screening tool. Continue to work remotely until you receive other instructions from your Vice Chancellor.
  • Reporting to campus or any physical UC San Diego location, or are scheduled to perform work on-site: Follow the instructions outlined below to use the daily online screening tool.
  • Don’t have access to the internet or are unable to use the online symptom and exposure screening tool for other reasons: Please follow the directions of your supervisor, work lead and/or check-in person regarding whom to contact to report whether or not you are experiencing any of the current symptoms being screened and whether or not you have been exposed to COVID-19.
Managers and supervisors: Learn more about your role in this process and the steps you may need to take in the case of an employee who reports experiencing symptoms or exposure or refuses to complete the symptom and exposure screening process.

Work Location Status Form

All employees must also complete the Work Location Status form. This form must be updated when an employee's work location or schedule changes. Learn more about the Work Location Status form.

1. Register your information on the symptom and exposure screening registration form (only do this once)

  1. Start by filling out the registration form (log in with your Business Systems or Active Directory account.)
  2. Fill out these fields/selections:
    • Place of employment (UCSD Campus or UC San Diego Health)
    • First name
    • Last name
    • Email 
    • If you have not already been tested, please let us know if you would be interested in a voluntary one-time COVID-19 test? 
      • Yes, I am interested in being contacted for voluntary testing
      • No, or I have already been tested at UC San Diego Health
    • Phone
    • Supervisor's name
    • Supervisor's email
    • Job category
    • Primary work site
    • Specific campus location

2. Review your symptoms and exposure daily

  1. Access the symptom and exposure screening tool. For easier access, bookmark the symptom and exposure screening tool on the device you'll be using to complete the process each day.
  2. The symptom and exposure screening tool asks: "Where are you planning to work today?"
    1. Select UCSD on-site location or Working remotely
  3. Next, the form asks: "Are you currently experiencing any of the following symptoms that started within the last 14 days?"
    • Fever or chills
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    • Fatigue
    • Muscle or body aches
    • Headache
    • Loss of taste or smell
    • Sore throat
    • Congestion or runny nose
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Diarrhea
  4. If you have experienced any of the symptoms listed, click Yes.
    • The form then asks: "If yes, are all of the symptoms you’re experiencing related to a known chronic condition?"
  5. If you have not experienced any of the symptoms listed, click No.
  6. Click Next button (->)
  7. The form then asks: "Over the past 14 days are any of the following true:  
    • Have you been informed by a public health agency or a healthcare system that you have been exposed to COVID-19?
    • and/or
    • Has a person in your household been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection?"
  8. Answer Yes or No 
  9. Click the Next button (->)

3. If you aren't experiencing any symptoms or exposure and selected 'No' via the web tool:

  1. You will receive an email clearing you for work.
  2. Follow your supervisor/work lead/check-in person’s instructions regarding sending the confirmation that you are cleared for work. (Campus supervisors receive this notification automatically.)

4. If you have onset of new COVID-19 type symptoms

If you suspect you may have COVID-19 (for any number of reasons, including the onset of new symptoms):

  1. All campus employees are required to test immediately if they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
    1. If you test negative, you may work onsite but must wear a mask until symptoms resolve.
    2. If you test positive, follow the instructions below under Employees: if you test positive.

5. If you are exposed to someone who tested positive

If you have been exposed to someone who tested positive:

  1. All campus employees are required to test within 3 to 5 days after the presumed exposure date.
    1. If you test negative, you may work onsite but must wear a mask until 10 days after the presumed exposure date.
    2. If you test positive, follow the instructions below under Employees: if you test positive.
  2. If your exposure is part of a documented outbreak, you must follow the instructions provided by your supervisor.

6. Employees: If you test positive

  1. If you tested at a non-UC San Diego location and/or via a rapid antigen test, upload a photo of your test results directly to your MyUCSDChart to get the proper support and that the test is documented. This will also trigger COEM to provide the return to work clearance when appropriate.
  2. If you are onsite, inform your supervisor that you must leave the worksite.
  3. Follow the instructions for Positive Result on Return to Learn that matches your circumstances.

7. Supervisors: If an employee/member of your team tests positive

  1. Check on how they are doing and whether they should take time off.
  2. Work with local HR partner to share which leaves are available to the employee, if needed.
  3. If they tested at a non-UC San Diego and/or via an at-home rapid antigen test, remind them to upload a photo of their test results directly to their MyUCSDChart to get the proper support and that the test is documented. This will also trigger COEM to provide the return to work clearance when appropriate.
  4. The employee should also report their positive test on their Symptom Screener and follow the guidance provided.
  5. Remind them that a questionnaire link will be provided through MyUCSDChart/Email to assist in contact tracing efforts.
  6. Please make sure the employee does not return to campus for any reason until cleared by personnel from a UC San Diego Medical Team. For faculty and staff, the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (COEM) will notify the employee via MyUCSDChart. For student employees, please have them contact COEM to request a work clearance at coemexposure@health.ucsd.edu
  7. To comply with privacy policies and laws and maintain patient confidentiality, the basis for the employee’s exclusion from campus should remain confidential and should not be shared.
  8. When provided a notification from the EOC-Occupational Covid Case Follow-up Team, please work with appropriate personnel (HR partner/department leadership) to distribute the attached Potential Workplace Exposure Notification to others who may have been present at the location. This notification is required by law in accordance with AB-685 and Cal/OSHA 3205 and must be sent out before 5pm the next business day.  The workplace locations will also be posted on the Campus COVID-19 Daily Exposure Dashboard: https://returntolearn.ucsd.edu/dashboard/exposure.html

Instructions for campus employees who have a confirmed exposure

For the most up-to-date instructions regarding what to do in the case of confirmed exposure, visit the Return to Learn website.

COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Screening Guidance for Managers and Supervisors

Managers and supervisors play a critical role in screening employees for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure, in accordance with the San Diego County Health Order. 

  1. Please communicate with employees expected to work in-person to inform them of the appropriate supervisor/work lead/check-in person to identify, along with that person’s email address, when completing the online symptom and exposure screening process.
  2. For those employees without necessary internet access, they should call the appropriate supervisor/work lead/check-in person in advance of going to work-in person for that person to share the current symptoms/exposure to screen for and allow the employee to state “no” to all of the symptoms or a “yes” to one of the symptoms without requiring a designation of which symptom. Supervisors should not ask the specific symptom for which the employee has a “yes” answer.
  3. The symptom and exposure screening process will generate an email to the designated supervisor/work lead/check-in person for employees who “fail” the checker. For Campus employees, an email will also be generated for those who “pass” the screening.
    1. Check your Spam folder for emails from the symptom and exposure screening online process.

View frequently asked questions about symptom and exposure screening » 

Refused Screening

If an employee refuses the lawful order requiring symptom and exposure screening prior to entering the work site, take the following steps:

  1. Determine the reason for the refusal.
  2. If the refusal is based on religious exemption or other protected reasons, consult with the HR contact and Employee Relations regarding appropriate pay status.
  3. If no reason is given, consult with your unit's HR contact and Employee Relations. Generally:
    1. Policy-covered employees will be placed on a leave of absence without pay.
    2. Represented employees will also be placed on a leave of absence without pay. (The unions have been noticed by Labor Relations.)

COVID-19 Guía de Detección de Síntomas para Gerentes y Supervisors »

Information for Health Sciences/Medical Center Managers and Supervisors

If you are not able to see your employees on the Health Dashboard, please verify that they have identified themselves (in their registration) as a UC San Diego Health employee, NOT UC San Diego Campus.

Health users/supervisors will not receive emails regarding employees when they are “cleared for work.” If the employees identified themselves as UC San Diego Campus (as their primary employer), rather than UC San Diego Health, the supervisor will get both the “Cleared” and “Not Cleared” email notifications. Health Supervisors should use the Tableau dashboard to monitor their employees statuses using the link below.

Access the Tableau Dashboard (login required) »

If you do not have access to the dashboard, please contact the IS Service Desk and ask them to create a request for the Enterprise Reporting Team, to add you to the Return To Campus Dashboard for UC San Diego Health. For faster service, you may submit a self-service request at our online portal at https://uchealth.service-now.com/ess_ucsd/.

Not seeing the symptom and exposure screening emails in your inbox?

If your COVID-19 symptom and exposure screening configurations are accurate and you do not see your email in your inbox, please verify that the emails are not in your Junk folder. Additionally, the screening emails may be in the ProofPoint Spam quarantine folder.

To check your ProofPoint folder, please follow these steps:

  1. Under the “Search Current Mailbox” at the top of your Inbox, type in “UCSD Health Spam Quarantine”
  2. On any of the search results, locate the and click on the “Manage My Account” link (usually located at the far right of the email after the introductory paragraph)
  3. The link will open up web page which contains the emails that have been filtered
  4. Click on the check box to the left of the desired email
  5. At the top of your web page, please select the “Release and Allow Sender”
    1. This will allow all future Symptom Screening email to be delivered to your Inbox

If you need further assistance, contact the IS Service Desk at:

If you are a campus employee and you have questions, contact COEM at Coemexposure@health.ucsd.edu or (858) 663-8205 or the Human Resources Employee Relations team at employeerelations@ucsd.edu. Health Sciences and Health System staff and faculty should contact Health Human Resources for guidance and information.

Note: this page has has a friendly link that is easy to remember: https://blink.ucsd.edu/go/screening