Advice for students who need to self-isolate

You must self-isolate if any of the following happen:

if you or any member of your household has any of the main symptoms of coronavirus
if you or any member of your household receives a positive test result
if you are asked to self-isolate by NHS Test & Trace, Public Health England or other appropriate authority.

If someone in your household has symptoms or has received a positive test it is equally as important that you self-isolate for the full period. This is a key mechanism for controlling the spread of the virus beyond your household.

If you have been notified by NHS Test & Trace and/or the University that you have come in to close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days from your last contact with them or if living in the same household then 14 days from the onset of their symptoms or date of test if showing no symptoms. This is the case even if you get a negative test result in that time (further advice about this is on the NHS website).

See the NHS website for further advice about how long you should self-isolate, depending on the situation.

Preparing for self-isolation

We recommend that you take steps to prepare so that you can enter self-isolation immediately if required. For example, you should consider the following:

Speak to a friend (outside of your household) to set up a ‘buddy’ arrangement where, if one of you needs to self-isolate, the other could help by bringing essential food and medicine to your door, and checking to make sure your symptoms are not becoming worse
Make sure you know how to access all of your course content online and who you would need to notify in your School to report absence from face-to-face sessions
Set up an account with an online supermarket delivery service
Set up an account with an online food delivery company (for example, you can order from the Co-Op on Whiteknights campus through Deliveroo)
Add local take-away providers to your phone or computer
Keep a small number of longer-life food products to be ready if you need them.

What to do when you need to isolate

It is against the law not to isolate when you are told to do so by an authorised person, such as people working for the NHS Test and Trace service, Public Health England or the local authority. The government website provides further advice about what you can and cannot do while you are self-isolating, and how long you should self-isolate for.

If you have symptoms or receive a positive test result, you and everyone else in your household needs to remain at home, in your student accommodation. During your self-isolation you must:

stay at your current address and not travel elsewhere (for example, if you are living in halls or private accommodation, you will need to self-isolate there and not travel to your family home);
not attend face-to-face classes or other events/appointments;
not go to work or public areas;
not use public transport or taxis.

Studying:
You should continue with your studies, if you are well enough to do so. You should identify and engage with the online teaching for each of your modules. If you are not sure how to do this, please seek advice from your Module Convenors. You should let your Module Convenor know that you will not be able to attend your face-to-face classes. If you are too ill to participate in online learning, you should use the School’s normal mechanisms for reporting absence.

Food and essential items:
When your household is self-isolating, nobody should go out, even to buy food or other essentials, Any exercise should be taken within your home.

If you need help with buying food or other essentials, or picking up medication, you should ask others for help. Alternatively, you can order your shopping online and medication by phone or online. Delivery drivers should not come into your home, so make sure you ask them to leave items outside for collection.

If you need to collect items that have been delivered outside, and it is not possible for someone who is not self-isolating to collect these for you, we advise that you:
• Wash/sanitise your hands before leaving your own space
• Wear a face covering
• Collect your delivery as quickly as possible
• Return immediately to your own space
• Do not stop to engage in conversation with others on the way

If you are struggling to manage your self-isolation please contact us at covid-support@reading.ac.uk and we can help.

Support:
If you find you are struggling to manage either practically or emotionally during your self-isolation period, or you have concerns about another student, please get in touch with our Student Welfare Team who will try to identify how best to support you.

How long to isolate for

The length of time that you will need to self-isolate depends on your circumstances, as outlined on the NHS website, as follows:

If you have received a positive test result for COVID-19 – follow the instructions you receive from the NHS about how long you need to self-isolate for.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 – you must self-isolate until you receive your test result. If it is positive, the NHS will advise how long you need to self-isolate for.
If you live with someone who has had a positive test result – you must self-isolate for 14 days from when they developed symptoms (if they have not had symptoms, the 14 day period starts from the day they were tested, unless they get symptoms after they were tested, in which case you should self-isolate for a further 14 days from when their symptoms start).
If you live with someone who has symptoms – you will need to self-isolate until they have received the results of their test. If it is positive, you will need to self-isolate as outlined in the bullet point above.

Please visit the NHS website for further advice. If you are unsure you should contact covid-support@reading.ac.uk and they can provide advice.