(DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
While every community member should have reviewed and committed to DePaul's Health and Safety Pledge to help reduce the spread of the virus, there still may be times when some faculty, staff and students may become exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19. In those instances, they need to report it using DePaul's online report form
, even if working or learning remotely.Who should complete form?
Faculty, staff and students should self-report or report on behalf of someone else if they are:
- Exposed* to COVID-19, which means someone in their household tested positive or was around someone who tested positive at an event, meeting, gathering, appointment, etc.
- Diagnosed with a positive case of COVID-19
If you are unable to complete the form, you can report a case or exposure by calling (773) 325-3300 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
*Please note that reporting exposure does not automatically result in a 14-day quarantine. DePaul's contact tracers will work with the individual to determine next steps.
What information is needed to complete the form?
The online report form is simple. It asks for some background information, such as the person's name, phone number and address. The form also asks users to select “COVID-19 exposure" or “COVID-19 symptoms" from a drop-down menu, and to share the situation's urgency.
Then users will be asked to identify involved parties, which means DePaul community members who may have been exposed. Additionally, users can attach supporting documentation.
Who gets the report?
After a form is submitted or a case is reported by phone, DePaul's contact tracing team will receive an email with the information to determine next steps.
Please note that the identities of positive cases and the people who have been exposed will never be shared publicly with the DePaul community. All will remain anonymous. DePaul's priority is to maintain privacy and respect the dignity of all people during this challenging time.
What happens after a report is submitted?
Once DePaul's contact tracing team receives an email about a case or exposure, a contact tracer will call the person who has tested positive or was exposed to gather additional information. DePaul has at least one contact tracer on-duty seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The on-duty contact tracer will escalate complex reports, such as those involving a student who lives in a residence hall, to Shannon Suffoletto, director of the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness and interim director of University Counseling Services, or Cheryl Hover, associate director of Emergency Management, to determine next steps.
Faculty, staff and students will receive an email notification from DePaulCommunityHealth@depaul.edu each time a positive COVID-19 case occurs with an individual who was on-campus while potentially infectious. The notification will include the timeframe the person was on campus and what facilities they visited. The individual's identity and other details about the person or their illness will not be shared.
Why you should report
DePaul respects the dignity of all people. Every DePaul Blue Demon plays a critical role in helping reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its devastating effects on people and communities. By reporting, you are helping to take care of others, take care of the local Lincoln Park and Loop communities, and take care of the DePaul family.
For more information on DePaul's contact tracing efforts, read Newsline's August 20 article or visit DePaul's Health, Wellness and Prevention FAQs.
Thank you for taking care of each other. We're all in this together.