Guide for employees, staff and students:
What to do in case of a suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, as a contact person and when to test

According to current medical findings, even those fully vaccinated and/or recovered can contract a coronavirus infection and spread the virus. All members of TU Darmstadt, including those vaccinated and/or recovered, must therefore observe the following regulations.

Last update: 13 December 2022

Should you display symptoms such as coughing, fever, loss of taste and scent and/or breathing difficulties, do the following without delay:

  1. Reduce all contacts with others and observe the general hygiene regulations.
  2. Get in touch with your general practitioner by phone to discuss how to proceed.
  3. As an employee or staff member (including student assistants), inform your superior.

As an employee or staff member, you must notify your office / place of work on the first day of sickness. Should you be unable to work for more than three calendar days, you need to submit a medical certificate of incapacity to work including a likely duration of illness by the fourth day at the latest. It is expected that medical certificates of incapacity to work can be requested by phone up until 31 May 2022.

  1. Please get personally in touch with any person you have been in closer direct contact within the past five days, i.e., encounters during which hygiene measures were not observed.

For employees and staff (including student assistants and research assistants):

Should you test positive for SARS-CoV-2, advise your superior immediately and send a message to .

It goes without saying that the Health at TU Darmstadt support team will handle all information and data involved confidentially.

For students:

For students who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the rules stated under “For those affected” apply.

For those affected:

In the case of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, the regulations of the State of Hesse apply.

Members of the university who test positive are expected not to enter the university for a period of 5 days. Even after the 5 days have ended, it is strongly recommended that they do not enter the university until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours – if symptoms were present beforehand.

Persons tested positive must wear a mask outside their own home for at least 5 days after the first positive test. Outdoors, the mask can be removed if the distance rules (1.5 metres) are followed.

If you have any questions, please contact the Health Support Team ( ).

You are deemed a contact person, the moment you learn that you have been in direct contact with a person with a confirmed coronavirus infection (e.g., a person who lives in the same household and has tested positive). For more information, refer to subsection 3.1 on the webpages of the RKI.

Contact persons are neither required to report in nor to self-isolate. However, we recommend to reduce personal encounters and to self-test daily.

We also recommend that all members of TU Darmstadt switch to working mobile from home following a critical contact. Please discuss this with your superior. In such a case, please work mobile from home for at least 5 days starting from the date of contact, if possible, and self-test daily.

Should your presence at TU Darmstadt be unavoidable, please wear an FFP2 mask at your workplace at all times and avoid any personal contact with others. As a rule, you must have your meals alone.

The Health at TU Darmstadt support team will be happy to assist you in this matter in case of queries.

For information on the general regulations regarding quarantine measures of the State of Hesse, please visit the following webpage.

Mandatory self-isolation/quarantine does not necessarily imply incapacity to work. The existing regulations under the Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (EntgFG – Continued Payment of Remuneration Act) still apply to the notification of incapacity to work and consequently require submission of a medical certificate of incapacity to work by the 4th day of incapacity at the latest.

In addition, the Instructions and guidelines for employees and staff must be observed which state that employees and staff must work mobile from home during self-isolation or quarantine and/or access denial due to the corona control ordinance.

The current quarantine regulations of the State of Hesse apply to TU Darmstadt.

Please refer to the webpages of the local Gesundheitsamt Darmstadt-Dieburg (public health department) for more information.