ATTENTION CURRENT ICB STUDENTS: PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK THIS PAGE FOR ONGOING UPDATES.

ATTENTION FUTURE/INTERESTED ICB STUDENTS: PLEASE. CLICK HERE.

September, 2023 Update

As COVID-19 cases begin to increase during this time of year, locally and nationally, International College of Broadcasting (ICB) updated our guidance in response to and with guidance from the Ohio Department of Health.

Overview

For students, faculty, and staff: Students and employees are no longer required to report a positive COVID-19 case to the Ohio Department of Health. However, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should manage their isolation and discharge independently by referring to the Ohio Department of Health’s website, https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/home which will reflect and provide links to current COVID-19 resources as well as additional information. Medical and symptom questions should be directed to the individual’s primary care clinician as needed.

For students: If you have tested positive for COVID, please make sure to self-quarantine for seven (7) days. By the end of day six (6) if your fever is gone and you have no other symptoms, you can resume your regular activities and return to work/school.

If by the end of day six (6) if you still have a fever and symptoms, please stay home until your fever is gone and you have tested negative for COVID. If you still have lingering symptoms, for the safety of yourself and others, please ensure to wear a mask until all symptoms have cleared up.

For staff and faculty: If you have tested positive for COVID, please make sure to self-quarantine for seven (7) days. By the end of day six (6) if your fever is gone and you have no other symptoms, you can resume your regular activities and return to work/school.

If by the end of day six (6) if you still have a fever and symptoms, please stay home until your fever is gone and you have tested negative for COVID. If you still have lingering symptoms, for the safety of yourself and others, please ensure to wear a mask until all symptoms have cleared up.

Testing Positive: Next Steps

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, there are 5 actions you must take:

Step 1: Self-quarantine and follow Ohio Department of Health’s guidance.

If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for the next seven (7) days regardless of symptoms or vaccination status. It is advised that you can use the CDC’s Isolation and Exposure Calculator to determine the length of the necessary isolation period: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 can use this tool to determine if they need to isolate or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19. The calculator does not provide recommendations for events that occurred more than 2 weeks ago.

Stay home for at least seven (7) days and isolate yourself from others in your home. You are likely to be most infectious during the first 5 days.

Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately by calling 911 or visiting your local emergency room.

Step 2: Share Your Status with Your Close Contacts

The next important step once you have begun your isolation is to identify and then notify your close contacts. A close contact is someone who, within the last 48 hours from your test kit activation, was within 6 feet of you, indoors, and for a total of 15 minutes or more (during a 24-hour period) during your infectious period. If the individual doesn’t meet all these criteria, they are not considered a close contact, and you do not need to notify them. 

Next, notify close contacts as soon as possible to let them know of their exposure and the exposure date, so they can take steps to complete a COVID test and monitor for symptoms.

***If you cannot stay away from other people in your household, wear a three-layer (or better) mask.***

Step 3: Inform Others Who Need to Know

If you are immunocompromised or at a high risk for complications, please contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible for close monitoring, and do not wait for symptoms to worsen.

Students, if feeling ill and unable to make it to class, stay home and rest. However, please make sure to reach out to the appropriate instructor to notify us of the absence of class and collaborate regarding any missing coursework.

Faculty, if feeling ill and unable to make it to class, stay home and rest. However, please ensure that (a) substitute is found to instruct class or (b) cancel class and find another day and time to reschedule with the students. Please make sure to notify the Director of Education and Campus Director of the class being cancelled/rescheduled or substituted.

Staff, if feeling ill, stay home and rest. Please let the Campus Director know if unable to make it in to work.

Step 4: Manage your Symptoms.

Although you’ll be in isolation, you’re not alone.

Below is some general guidance to follow while in isolation:

Although most symptoms of COVID-19 can be managed with Tylenol or Motrin, rest, and fluids, some people experience severe symptoms. If you are hospitalized or need to discuss medical treatment options beyond the standard Tylenol and Motrin, please contact your primary care provider immediately.

If you experience any of the emergency warning symptoms below, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Emergency warning symptoms of COVID-19 may include:

  1. trouble breathing,
  2. persistent pain or pressure in the chest;
  • new confusion;
  • inability to wake or stay awake; (e) pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.

Please contact your healthcare provider if you are interested in seeing if you are a candidate for antiviral treatment. If you begin to experience COVID-19 symptoms after a course of antiviral treatment, please contact your primary care provider for the next steps.

If you are immunocompromised or at a high risk for complications, please contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible for close monitoring, and do not wait for symptoms to worsen.

Step 5: Complete Isolation by Following the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 Guidance.

If your fever is gone and other symptoms have improved by day six (6) resume normal activities while wearing a mask for the next five (5) days.

If your fever is NOT gone and your other symptoms have NOT improved, then stay home until the fever is gone and other symptoms have improved. Also, continue to wear a mask for the next five (5) days.