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Essentials COVID-19 Latest for students COVID-19 Symptoms and Testing

You must let us know if you test positive for COVID-19 – from any type of test. Fill in this form and we’ll contact you as soon as possible. 

 

Symptoms 

Main symptoms 

The main symptoms of coronavirus are: 

  • a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature);
  • a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual);
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal. 

Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms. For further information on symptoms please visit the NHS website. 
Further research has shown that there are several less-common, ‘early symptoms’ of COVID-19. PHE have advised that these may include loss of appetite; diarrhoea; nausea/vomiting; extreme tiredness; headaches; joint pain; muscle ache; runny nose; sore throat; sneezing; altered consciousness; seizures.  

You do not need to self-isolate or get a PCR test if you experience these without any of the main three COVID-19 symptoms. However, it is important to pay particular attention if you experience these ‘early symptoms’. If you feel unwell with any of the ‘early symptoms’, we recommend that you:  

  • monitor the symptoms closely, limit contact with others by staying at home as much as possible, and pay extra attention to cleaning any shared areas after use; and 
  • take or book an LFT test 

Remember that you should self-isolate and get a PCR test, if you develop any of the main symptoms - even mildly. 
If you do have any questions, please contact our COVID-19 Support & Behaviour Team at covid-support@reading.ac.uk. 

Let us know if you have symptoms 
If you have any of the main symptoms (listed previously) of coronavirus you should self-isolate and get a PCR test as soon as possible. You must also tell anyone else you live with as they will need to self-isolate until you get your test result.  
• If you live in private accommodation and are self-isolating while seeking a test or waiting for the results, please let us know using our online form. Let us know if you are struggling to access testing. 
• If you live in halls, please use the Home at Halls app (or My Unite for Kendrick residents) to report if you have symptoms. 
Further information about self-isolating is available on our Essentials page and on the government website. 
 

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests: For those with COVID-19 symptoms. 

 • If you have any of the main symptoms of COVID-19, however mild:  
Book or order a test on the government website as soon as symptoms begin or call 119. The test takes less than a minute and you can expect your result the next day. 
You can book an appointment at a testing centre, for example at the Great Hall at London Road campus or order a postal test kit.  
Tests must be booked in advance and you will not be able to get a test without a booking. 
If you are requesting a PCR test by post, a step-by-step guide on home testing, including posting your test, is available. The post box on campus outside Whiteknights House has been designated a ‘priority post box’ by Royal Mail for returning COVID-19 tests. 
 
 
• University of Reading COVID-19 Case Management Team  
Our Case Management Team enables us to respond quickly to provide support and guidance to those members of our community who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their close contacts after getting a PCR test or LFT test, and to support the national Test & Trace system.  

When a student or colleague lets us know about a positive COVID-19 test result, the Case Management Team will work with the affected individual to identify and contact their known close contacts at the University. The team will give advice about when and for how long affected students and colleagues will need to self-isolate, based on government guidance, and how they can access support.  
 
If you are contacted by the team, either because you have tested positive for COVID-19 or because you have been named as a close contact of someone who has, please provide them with your full support and cooperation, for the safety of our whole community. 
 
Anyone who receives a positive test or who is identified as a close contact may also be contacted separately by NHS Test and Trace, and we expect you to fully cooperate with the national process as we are sure you will with ours. 

 

Frequently asked questions: 

 What should I do if I get a positive result from a PCR test? 

If you receive a positive test result for COVID-19 you must: 

  • Follow all government advice to self-isolate (stay at home) 
  • Follow all instructions from the NHS and engage with the Test & Trace system (including advising Test & Trace that you are connected to the University) 
  • Notify the University using our online positive test reporting form 
  • Report your absence to your School in the usual way (contact your Support Centre or Henley Helpdesk if unsure) 
  • If you live in University halls, use the Home at Halls app to notify the team so they can support you
  • Let all members of your household know, as they will need to self-isolate in line with government advice unless they are exempt (see ‘when you do not need to self-isolate')

If you have downloaded the NHS COVID-19 app, you can also register your positive test result so Public Health England can notify anyone you have been in close contact with (they will not reveal your identity). 

When do I need to self-isolate? 

You usually have to self-isolate for 10 full days if you've tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has it. 

See the NHS website for further advice about how long you should self-isolate, depending on the situation. If you have come in to contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you will usually need to self-isolate for the full 10-day period, even if you get a negative test result in that time (further advice about this is on the NHS website). Please also see our information for students in self-isolation. 

  • If you get a positive result from a lateral flow test and take a follow-up PCR test that is negative, you and everyone in your household can stop self-isolating, unless you develop the main symptoms of COVID-19 or are told you must continue to self-isolate by NHS Test & Trace. If the follow-up PCR test is positive, you and your household will need to self-isolate for 10 full days from the time of the positive lateral flow test (this includes the day of the test and the next 10 full days) unless you/they are exempt (see ‘when you do not need to self-isolate').