College of Natural Sciences COVID-19 Resources

The College of Natural Sciences wiki contains resources to support staff and faculty as we navigate changes brought about COVID-19.

• What happens if I think I might have COVID-19 as an employee of UT?
• What should employees do if they get tested for COVID-19 or have symptoms?
• What if I do not have symptoms or known exposure but wish to be tested for free?

Find information related to:

Telework, HR and more for employees

Online instruction and teaching

Research and facility updates

Helping students and the community

Each page has items for action at the top of page, along with general resources and links to helpful information on the CNS website and from around campus.

Quick links and additional resources:

• Proactive Community Testing free for all employees and students
• Protect Texas Together App for students, faculty and staff to track symptoms
• Protect Texas Together UT Website with FAQs for staff, students and faculty
• Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line: 512-232-5050.
• Remote teaching resources from TIDES and Preparing for Fall resources
• Downloadable Zoom & desktop backgrounds for the UT Natural Sciences community
• UT COVID-19 FAQs and Resources for various audiences
• Provost's FAQs for faculty
• Answers to CNS students' questions
• Zoom security tips from IT
• Zoom basics from Liberal Arts ITS
• Messages from Dean Goldbart to CNS
• Dean Vanden Bout's messages to CNS students

Do you have suggestions for information that belongs on this wiki? Contact CNS Communications and let us know.

COVID-19 Testing & Resources

If you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19, it’s important for you to be tested and let the University know. If an employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, they should report their symptoms to the HealthPoint Occupational Health Program at 512-471-4647 or healthpoint.ohp@austin.utexas.edu regardless if they have been yet been tested for COVID-19.Any employee who has tested positive, believes they may have COVID-19, or is returning from international travel should contact OHP. Employees (faculty and staff) who test negative for COVID-19 should not return to on-campus work until 72 hours have passed without symptoms and at least 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms regardless of a negative test result. Employees should report to OHP that they were tested for COVID-19 regardless of a negative result. More can be found here.

In addition, for testing: 

• If you do not have symptoms or known exposure, you are encouraged to take tests regularly. Proactive community testing is available to UT employees free of charge every two weeks and highly encouraged for those coming to campus.
• Students can call the UHS Nurse Advice Line at 512-475-6877. 
• Employees can call UT Health Austin at 833-882-2737; call your physician, who can register you to be tested with Austin Public Health; call CommUnityCare at 512-978-8775; or access telehealth services (via Austin Public Health).
• UT Select insurance now covers the cost of medically necessary COVID-19 testing and treatment with in-network providers at 100% with no out-of-pocket costs. For more information, please visit the UT System Office of Employee Benefits COVID-19 webpage.
• New federal leave provisions are now available to employees impacted by COVID-19. 
• For more information, please visit the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Paid Leave webpage.
  
  

UT Austin COVID-19 resources include an easy-to-understand guide in English/Spanish explaining the difference between social distancing, monitoring, quarantine and isolation, including how long each will last.