(This advice will be updated regularly. For the full advice, go here: https://www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus/health). The University of Oxford recommends the following to minimise the risks of COVID:
**UPDATE 28 March 2022** Face coverings guidance
Wearing a face covering is now a personal choice and the University’s guidance on face coverings has therefore been retired (unless you are working in a hospital setting, in which case you should continue to follow the NHS Trust guidance on face coverings). Please see below for full details of our current wider health advice for students and staff.
The University has now removed its remaining COVID-19 restrictions (apart from in hospital settings).
However, it is still important for us all to continue being considerate and to take steps to minimise the risk of infection. We therefore ask all students and staff to:
- avoid contact with others if you might be infectious
- respect other people’s space
- let fresh air in when indoors
- keep up to date with COVID vaccinations
- respect those who choose to wear a face covering
- cover coughs and sneezes and wash your hands regularly
Advice for those who are unwell
Many people with mild respiratory symptoms will have other illnesses, such as a common cold or hay fever, rather than COVID-19. As such, our Health Measures Advisory Group has provided the following advice for staff and students:
- If you test positive for COVID-19, you should remain away from on-site work or study for five days, as this is the most infectious period. After that, you should not return to on-site work or study until any fever has subsided.
- If you have a fever or more severe illness and cannot be tested for COVID-19 or have tested negative, you should stay away from on-site work or study until the fever subsides and you are asymptomatic.
- If you have minor respiratory symptoms, you can continue to work or study on site, but, if possible, do a lateral flow test (LFD) to ensure you do not have COVID-19.
- If you have minor respiratory symptoms (and are untested/have tested negative for COVID), you should consider wearing a face covering when working or studying on site while you are symptomatic. Try to avoid crowded spaces and close contact with anyone you know who is at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell if infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses.
Staff and students should continue to report absences to their line manager, supervisor or tutor as they usually would if unable to work or study.
Note that those working or studying in hospital settings should continue to follow all NHS Trust guidance as appropriate.
Note on symptoms
Some variants of COVID-19 cause symptoms similar to cold and flu – such as sore throat, headache or runny nose – instead of the fever, new continuous cough, or loss of smell/taste that were the symptoms originally associated with the virus.
The University’s approach is informed by Oxford’s clinical academics and local and national guidance. We will respond to any changes in public health recommendations caused by the virus if and when they occur.