| | Staying Up to Date with VaccinationsBeing up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, is more important than ever with the Omicron variant currently circulating in Connecticut (and the world). Studies suggest that COVID-19 boosters prevent severe illness and save lives. Review the chart to make sure that you are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination including a booster. Remember a booster requirement currently applies to all Yale students, faculty, managerial and professional staff, postdoctoral associates, and postdoctoral fellows, other than those with approved exemptions. We encourage you to: Quarantine and IsolationQuarantine and isolation help to control the spread of COVID-19. Recently, the university updated the quarantine and isolation guidelines. TestingWhile rapid at home antigen tests have been in short supply recently, they will soon be much more widely available and covered by your Yale Health insurance. It is important to remember that Yale currently provides free PCR testing with rapid turn-around time. PCR tests provide the most accurate “gold standard” diagnostic results. At this time, only PCR testing performed through Yale’s COVID-19 Screening Program test sites is acceptable for those with a testing requirement at Yale. Read more about where to get at home rapid test kits. When should you consider a rapid test? - When you have symptoms and need an answer quickly. This is when antigen tests are most accurate, detecting 70-90% of PCR-confirmed cases.
- Prior to a group event or activity or travel (the same day or within hours of the event)
- A negative test, performed correctly, can provide short-term reassurance that the tester is not actively infectious.
- However, a negative test does not guarantee that the person is not carrying the virus. In most cases, a negative antigen test should be repeated in 24-36 hours for confirmation.
- At the end of required isolation (which for Yale employees is 7 days) for additional reassurance that you are no longer infectious and may return to normal activities. However, there is still a risk of viral shedding even if a rapid test is negative, so you must continue to mask at all times until 10 days after the positive test or symptom onset.
- For vaccinated people, 5-7 days after a high-risk exposure.
A negative rapid test never eliminates the need for other protections to limit coronavirus transmission including up-to-date vaccination and booster, high quality masking, avoidance of crowds, and good ventilation. View a chart comparing PCR and antigen (rapid) tests. |
