Testing, Screening, and Outbreak Response for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)

ABSTRACT

The following guidance is meant to help college and university administrators protect students, faculty, and staff from COVID-19 infections and slow the spread of the virus. This document includes considerations for expanded and widespread testing;provides a tiered approach to testing in the context of an outbreak;gives examples of successful entry and periodic screening strategies;and discusses the likelihood of off-campus transmission. This guidance is an update to the “Interim Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education Administrators for SARS-CoV-2 Testing” published on June 30, 2020. Note This document is intended to provide considerations on the appropriate use of testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (for surveillance, diagnosis, screening, or outbreak response), and does not dictate the determination of payment decisions or insurance coverage of such testing, except as may be otherwise referenced (or prescribed) by another entity or federal or state agency. CDC has no regulatory authority over testing;therefore, the information in this document is meant to assist health departments and IHEs in making decisions rather than establishing any regulatory requirements. IHEs are encouraged to work closely with their local public health authorities to develop plans and protocols appropriate for their jurisdiction. CDC offers considerations for ways in which IHEs can help protect students, faculty, and staff and slow the spread of COVID-19. Testing to diagnose COVID-19 is one component of a comprehensive strategy and should be used in conjunction with promoting behaviors that reduce spread, maintaining healthy environments, maintaining healthy operations, and preparing for when someone gets sick. IHEs vary considerably in geographic location (which differ in levels of community transmission), size, administrative structure, funding source, and organization. IHEs also vary considerably in the proportion of total student population on campus, in off-campus housing near the IHE, or commuting. As such, IHE officials should determine in collaboration with health department officials the nature of any screening or testing strategy to be implemented for purposes of surveillance, diagnosis, screening, or outbreak response, and if so, how to best do so. Testing strategies implemented should be done as part of a larger COVID-19 prevention plan. IHEs should develop a written plan that considers the implementation of testing strategies (if any) and what actions will be taken based on testing results. CDC has released “Indicators for Dynamic School Decision Making” which specifies indicators for community COVID-19 burden and implementation of mitigation strategies to guide decision making for K-12 schools. These indicators might have relevance for IHEs that draw the majority of their students from the immediate local community and with limited or no on-campus residential facilities for students. For IHEs with residential facilities and that draw students from a much larger and diverse geographic region and from communities with different levels of current SARS-CoV-2 transmission, these indicators might have less direct applicability. Symptom screening, diagnostic testing, and contact tracing are some of the strategies that can be taken to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. These strategies must be carried out in a way that protects individuals’ privacy and confidentiality, is consistent with applicable laws and regulations, and integrates with local public health systems. These strategies should be implemented to complement other mitigation strategies such as the use of masks, social distancing, and infection prevention and control. In addition to state and local laws, IHE administrators should follow guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissionexternal icon when offering testing to faculty, staff, and students who are employed by the IHE. IHEs also should follow guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act pdf icon[PDF – 9 pages]external icon and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and their applicability to students and COVID-19 contact tracing and testing. See specific guidanceexternal icon on the application of FERPA and HIPAA to student health records.