Health & Wellbeing

To help our campus community members manage their health and wellness while mitigating the spread of COVID-19, we offer the following information and resources.

Reporting a Positive Test Result

Campus community members who receive a COVID-19 positive test result from outside of campus testing or receive a COVID-19 positive rapid antigen home test result are strongly encouraged to report the positive test result by following the instructions on the Reporting COVID-19 page. 

Reporting your outside COVID-19 positive test results will result in a 90-day block from any campus COVID-19 testing requirements, and a 90-day delay in your deadline for a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose. 

What Should I Do If I Think I Have COVID-19 or I Have Been Exposed to the Virus?

Anyone in our campus community who suspects they have coronavirus should stay home. Students should contact Student Health Services by dialing (805) 893-3371 to speak with the appointment desk, or call their primary health care provider. Faculty and staff members should contact their health care providers for instructions about seeking care.

It is important to call prior to arriving at the medical office so health professionals can provide information regarding your illness and plan for your visit, if necessary. 

The COVID-19 Testing Resources page provides information about testing sites available to students, faculty, and staff.

Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, has been exposed to the virus or has traveled out of the state should follow the protocols listed below. (Note: Quarantine and isolation guidelines are based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health's isolation guidelines.)

COVID-19 Symptoms and Prevention

Symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe and may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

Any student who suspects they have influenza or coronavirus should contact Student Health Services. Faculty and staff members should contact their primary health care providers.

Seek medical attention immediately if you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19. These include trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse or bluish lips or face. Note: This list is not inclusive. Consult your health care provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person through exposure to respiratory fluids carrying infectious virus, mainly through inhalation of very fine respiratory droplets and aerosol particles produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. 

Three vaccines are available to protect against COVID-19: Pfizer-Biontech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers guidelines for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

Masks are no longer required on the UC Santa Barbara campus but individuals should use information about the current COVID-19 community levels to guide which prevention behaviors to use and when (at all times or at specific times) based on their own risk for severe illness and that of members of their household, their risk tolerance, and setting-specific factors.

Regardless of the COVID-19 community levels, The California Department of Public Health's Face Covering Guidelines recommends that you: 

• Wear a mask around others if you have respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, runny nose, and/or sore throat),
• Consider wearing a mask in indoor areas of public transportation (such as in airplanes, trains, buses, ferries) and transportation hubs (such as airports, stations, and seaports).
• When choosing to wear a mask, ensure your mask provides the best fit and filtration (respirators like N95, KN95 and KF94 are best). 
• If you’ve had a significant exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, wear a mask for 10 days.

Face masks, both surgical and N95, are available without charge for students, faculty, and staff at the UCEN Campus Store Customer Service Desk and the A.S. Pardall Center, and at other locations on campus. Access the "N95 Mask - How to Wear" and the "N95 Respirator Use" videos to learn about proper use of N95 respirators. 

The CDC recommends a number of additional precautions to protect yourself & others. 

For guidelines specific to UC Santa Barbara, see Campus Mitigation Protocols.

Counseling and Community

Some members of our campus community may be affected by the virus without themselves being sick. The news, and especially the uncertainty, can feel very scary. Some also have concerns regarding family members and friends in other areas who are sick or who are at increased risk. Others are grappling with issues related to physical distancing.

We want to help if you are struggling.

Students can call Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at (805) 893-4411 to schedule an appointment with a counselor or to hear more about counseling resources on campus. After-Hours Phone Counseling also is available at that number.

Faculty and staff members can contact the Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) at (805) 893-3318.

Other campus resources include UC Santa Barbara Health & Wellness and Student Wellbeing.

It is important that we support one another and stand together as a campus community against any xenophobia, bigotry or racism brought about by the presence of the virus.