Frequently Asked Questions
We want you to have all the tools you need to weather this crisis calmly and stay in the best possible health.
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Glossary of COVID Terms
Close contact is the term used for individuals who have been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.
Contact tracing – the process of identification of persons who may have come into contact with an infected person. It is also the subsequent collection of further information about these contacts to determine if they will need to quarantine because they are considered a close contact of that infected person. All members of the RISD community are encouraged to use the Crush COVID app and/or keep a journal of daily contacts.
Instruction during WS and Spring Semester, 2022, will continue to be offered in one of three modes: hybrid, in-person, or online. Please note that the definitions have been edited somewhat from those used for Fall Semester, 2021, to provide more clarity for faculty, students, and families.
- Cloth face covering – a fabric mask that covers the nose & mouth with at least two layers of fabric, not vented; it is the preferred method of protection at RISD.
- Disposable/Surgical mask – a disposable mask that creates a physical barrier between the mouth and nose of the wearer and potential contaminants in the immediate environment; a single-use face covering that must be discarded after use.
- N95 (medical grade) – Professional respirators, called N95 respirators, are medical devices designed to prevent exposure to tiny droplets that can remain suspended in the air. Health care workers who wear them undergo a fit-test to find the right make, model, and size to ensure a tight seal. N95 respirators are currently in very short supply and should be reserved for health care providers and first responders.
- N95 (construction grade) – Construction grade N95 masks, or standard N95 masks, are occupational masks that filter tiny droplets but do not have as tight of a seal as medical grade N95 masks.
- Vented dust mask – a face covering used in some shops to protect the user from dust particles. Not sufficient for viral protection because it does not protect others from exhaled particles of the user. Must be used in combination with a cloth face covering.
Isolation is used to separate people—either infected with coronavirus or being tested for such an infection—from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation should stay in place until it is determined that they may be around others. Students isolating on campus will not be allowed to leave their isolation room, will have all meals and other services delivered to the room, and the student will be contacted by Student Health Services daily for a health check.
- Test-Pending Isolation – Symptomatic individuals who are being tested for COVID-19 and waiting for results must isolate. Residential community members will be moved temporarily to isolation housing; students living off-campus should isolate at home. A negative test means one can leave isolation; a positive test means that isolation will continue.
- Test-Positive Isolation – Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 but do not need hospitalization will be required to isolate. Those isolating will be allowed to return to classes/work upon meeting the RIDOH guidelines for ending isolation.
A Learning Management System (or LMS) is a centralized online platform for instructional materials and asynchronous interaction, which allows faculty and students to engage meaningfully in teaching or learning in online or hybrid learning environments.
Positivity Rate indicates the percentage of tests that come back positive for COVID-19 out of all tests conducted. In general, a high positivity rate indicates that not enough testing is being conducted to understand the true spread of the disease; a positivity rate of 5% or below is generally regarded as “good.”
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others, to prevent potential spread of disease. Students quarantining on campus will not be permitted to attend any in-person classes or events, and may not have visitors, but they may engage in their classes remotely and go on solo walks to maintain good health.
- Close Contact Quarantine – Unvaccinated individuals who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 will need to quarantine for 10 days. Students will be able to stay in place if they are in single rooms or will be placed in special housing if they are in a shared room.
- Arrival Quarantine – RISD will not require arrival quarantine, also known as a “quiet period” for fall 2021.
Reproduction Rate (R0 or R-value) indicates the average number of people that one person with COVID-19 is likely to infect in a population without any immunity (from previous infection) or any interventions. If the average R0 in the population is greater than 1, the infection will spread exponentially. If R0 is less than 1, the infection will spread only slowly, and it will eventually die out.
- Baseline/arrival testing – the testing that will happen at the beginning of the semester of all students and employees who will be on campus. It is the means by which we will create both a testing baseline and the surveillance testing pool.
- Surveillance testing – the systematic screening of a sample of the population, including asymptomatic individuals, to identify cases.
- Diagnostic testing – when a symptomatic person is tested, to determine if they are positive for COVID-19.
RISD defines vaccination as being up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine, including a booster dose when eligible. RISD accepts vaccines approved for emergency medical authorization by the FDA or the World Health Organization.
Updated 1/20/2022
