Managing Covid-19

What to do if you suspect you have or are diagnosed with Covid-19

Symptoms of Covid-19 and stay-at-home advice

The most common symptoms of Covid-19 are the recent onset of:

a new continuous cough and/or
a high temperature and/or
loss of taste or smell

Further information can be found on the NHS Inform webpage.

The advice for staff and students is to stay at home if you feel unwell. Avoid contact with other people if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection such as Covid-19 and do this until you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) or until you feel better.

If you have a positive Covid-19 test result, stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days after the day you took your test, or from the day your symptoms started (whichever was earlier). You should count the day after you took the test as day 1.

Students should follow their normal School absence process.

Staff absences should be managed under the normal sickness absence policy.

If you become ill with Covid-19 symptoms on campus

Anyone who becomes ill on campus should make their way home safely as soon as they can. Many areas have first aid rooms or quiet rooms where you can wait to be picked up or until your chosen mode of transport is departing.

Students should follow their normal School absence process.

Staff should ensure their line manager is aware that they are leaving because they are unwell as per the sickness absence policy.

Covid-19 testing

Free Covid-19 testing has now ended for the general public. If any contact tracing is required in local communities or in response to specific outbreaks in the future, this will be managed by NHS Health Protection Teams.

Lateral flow tests

Although you are no longer advised to take lateral flow tests, we are aware staff and students may test themselves for reassurance. If you receive a positive test result, please follow the 'stay at home' advice given above.

Contact tracing

Contact tracing is the process for identifying people who are at risk of Covid-19 infection because they've had contact with a person who has tested positive. These people will be given advice to help reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

If any contact tracing is required in local communities or in response to specific outbreaks in the future, this will be managed by NHS Health Protection Teams.

If there are any implications for the University, the NHS Lothian Health Protection Team will contact the Health and Safety Department directly to discuss further actions.

Vaccinations

The vaccines give you the best protection against Covid-19 and we strongly encourage staff and students to get fully vaccinated.

Students who require time off to get the vaccination should follow their normal School absence process.

Staff who require time off for vaccinations should follow the normal time off for medical appointments policy.

Scotland's vaccination programme

This has now moved to being a seasonal programme based upon health risks with information on the NHS Inform website.

Vaccinations elsewhere in the UK

The programme rollout differs for different areas of the UK. Please read the latest advice for your area:

Vaccinations for students once they arrive in the UK from another country