Quarantine and Isolation

Those who test positive for COVID-19, or are experiencing unexplained COVID-19 symptoms, will be contacted by a member of Drake’s contact tracing team. These calls will largely come from 515-271-2353, so please answer if you receive a call from this number or any number starting with the digits 515-271. The primary goal of the contact tracing team is to ensure you have the information you need, that our isolation protocols are followed, and any contacts are identified quickly.

For those individuals identified as contacts, the contact tracing team will promptly reach out to those individuals to inform them of their need to quarantine.

Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who have been exposed to COVID-19 until it can be determined whether they have been infected. Isolation separates those who have tested positive for COVID-19 from all others.

Seven to 10 days. If an individual has been identified as a primary contact of an infected individual, they will be required to quarantine for 10 days from the last date of exposure. Students are encouraged to obtain a COVID-19 test five days or later before their quarantine end date. Testing negative will reduce the duration of quarantine by a maximum of three days. We will only consider test results administered by the University, which are provided at no charge to students.

Individuals who are a primary contact with a known positive individual will need to quarantine. A primary contact is defined as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for a minimum of 15 minutes during an exposure event, regardless of face covering usage. For the purposes of this definition, organized athletic activities and in-person academic activities are considered to be an exposure event when a person was within six feet of an infected individual for a minimum of 15 minutes over the course of that event.

Students in quarantine are eligible to receive a free COVID-19 test on campus five days or later before their quarantine end date. The quarantine duration can be shortened by a maximum of three days with a negative test result. Details regarding testing are provided to all students as they enter quarantine.

Yes. Quarantine duration can be shortened by a maximum of three days with a negative test that is conducted five days or later before their quarantine end date. We will only consider test results administered by the University. Details regarding testing are provided to all students as they enter quarantine.

Those who are required to quarantine must abide by the following:

• Stay in your room as much as possible.
• When you must leave your room, always wear a mask, stay at least six feet away from others, and practice good hygiene.
• Do not enter academic buildings or attend any gatherings during your quarantine period.
• Do not use public transportation, ride sharing, or taxis.
• Do not have any visitors in your room.
• If you have a roommate(s), wear your mask as much as possible in your room and do not share items with your roommate(s).
• You will take all of your classes online during the quarantine period. Drake will inform the Dean of Students office, who will make these arrangements with your professors.
• If you live on campus, you may utilize ‘Grab and Go’ options or use this link to arrange for your meals to be delivered to your room. If you live off campus, please ask others to deliver food or groceries to you.
• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. If you experience symptoms, respond to this email address and contact the Student Health Center at (515)271-3731 or your healthcare provider. Do not show up at either provider without calling in advance.
• If you experience any severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness, please call (515) 271-2222 or 911.

Those who have a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be required to isolate until all the recovery criteria are met. For symptomatic confirmed cases, this means at least 10 days have passed since symptoms began, the person has been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, and all other symptoms have improved. For asymptomatic confirmed cases, 10 days must pass since the positive test was taken. Environmental Health and Safety will evaluate each case and may require the isolation period to extend beyond 10 days based on symptoms. 

Those who are required to isolate must abide by the following:

• Stay in yourresidence except for medical reasons. Do not enter academic buildings or attend any gatherings.
• Do not use public transportation, ride sharing, or taxis.
• If you do leave for medical reasons,wear a mask and stay six feet from others.
• Have your meals delivered. Let Sodexo know to deliver your food via this Sodexo link. 
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Don’t share items with
• Do not host visitors.
• You will take all of your classes online during the isolation period. We will inform the Dean of Students Office, who will make these arrangements with your professors.
• If you have not moved already, you will find a list of the items you should pack and take with you to your reassigned residence as well as other helpful information at this FAQ. 
• Ifyou experience any severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness, please call 271-2222 or 911 as these symptoms should be treated by emergency care professionals.  

Residential students who test positive for COVID-19 will be relocated to a designated residence hall, other Drake provided housing, or a medical facility, as appropriate. They will also have the option to return home for the isolation period.

Rooms in the designated isolation residence hall or Drake property are equipped with a bed, lamp, microwave, refrigerator, and Wi-Fi.

Meals will be delivered three times each day to students living in an isolation room.

A student who must isolate should plan to bring the following items with them to their temporary isolation room:

• Pillow
• Blanket
• Sheets (size twin extra long)
• Towels and wash cloth
• Toiletries and related necessary supplies
• Clothes (enough for ten days and detergent to wash clothes)
• Prescription medicines
• Charge cords and electronics (note that students are responsible for moving their own electronics)
• Laptop, textbooks, work, and related supplies
• Thermometer and oximeter to monitor health conditions
• *Dishes, mugs, silverware, and detergent to wash dishes
• *Snacks, coffee, tea, soup
• **Over the counter medicines such as cough drops, Tylenol, vitamin C, and Zinc
• *Optional because meals will be delivered.
• ** Recommended based on over the counter med needs/choices.

Drake University has assembled a team that will provide oversight for residential students who test positive for COVID-19 or experience symptoms consistent with the coronavirus.

Medical personnel will not live on site or see patients in the residence halls. Students will be monitored daily through virtual assessments.

No live-in staff member will be present within the designated residence hall or Drake property. The area is secured and Drake Public Safety will make multiple security checks each day. If something is needed for their room, the residents are expected to email housing@drake.edu and not leave their assigned housing.

Students in isolation may share an individual bathroom with any other student who has tested positive on the same day and is placed in their suite. However, it has been our practice thus far to only place one student in each isolation suite. Sanitizer and disinfectants are placed in each suite for the students to utilize within their spaces.

Yes. The designated residence hall and Drake properties have on-site laundry.

No. The residence hall and campus properties designated for this purpose will only be made available to on-campus residential students who need to isolate.

Residential students in isolation must stay in their designated residence hall or Drake property except for medical reasons. All meals will be delivered to the student and outreach will occur daily to check on the student’s condition.