Connect and Protect
Connect and Protect is a University process that has been developed to support the national Test and Trace system.
It enables us to track possible and confirmed Covid-19 cases on campus and offer our students and staff any necessary support. It also allows us to identify those who may have been in close contact with someone who has Covid-19 symptoms.
By working together in this way we can help to keep the University and the wider Loughborough community as safe as possible.
If you have symptoms of Covid-19 you should get a test and stay at home. You’ll also need to tell the University via the Connect and Protect service. You do not need to book a test if you do not have any symptoms of Covid-19.
Complete the Connect and Protect form
Complete and submit the University’s Connect and Protect form.
Once you have submitted your Connect and Protect form, a member of the University’s specially trained support team will call you as soon as possible. They will ask you to confirm the details you have provided on the form and ask about the people you have been in close contact with during the two-day period before your symptoms began.
You will need to think about everywhere you might have been. For example:
- Which lectures and classes have you attended?
- Have you spent time in the Library or in another study space on campus?
- Have you had any face to face meetings, eg with Student Services, IT Support or University colleagues?
- Did you go to shops, cafes, bars or eating places, either on or off campus?
- Did you go to the cinema or attend any events or social gatherings on or off campus?
- Have you been to the gym, played sport or taken part in any activities as part of a club or society?
- Who are the people in your household?
- Have you shared a car with anyone or been on public transport?
If your test is positive, the NHS Test and Trace service will contact you. Details of what will happen are provided on the NHS website. If your result is negative, you will not be contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service.
Whatever the result of your Covid-19 test, you must let the Connect and Protect team know as soon as possible.
If your test is positive our Connect and Protect team will email any close contacts that have been identified. Your contacts will only be told that someone they may have been in contact with recently has received a positive Covid-19 diagnosis; you will not be identified to them. Your close contacts will then be told to self-isolate for 14 days, in line with NHS instructions.
If you are a student, our Connect and Protect team will contact your hall warden and your academic School to let them know that you have Covid-19 and are self-isolating. Members of staff should inform their line manager.
If you have any questions please contact our dedicated Connect and Protect Information service. The telephone line is open Monday - Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm.
If you are identified as a close contact
Our specially trained Connect and Protect team will contact you if you are identified as having been in close contact with a student or member of staff diagnosed with Covid-19.
You may also be contacted through the NHS Test and Trace system.
If you are contacted, Connect and Protect staff will inform you of the date from which you must self-isolate for 14 days, in line with the policy on the NHS website. Further details are available on the NHS website.
If you develop any symptoms of Covid-19, you should follow the instructions detailed in the section What if I have symptoms of Covid-19.
NHS Test and Trace app
Test and Trace is a national app that is helping the NHS to understand where and how quickly the Covid-19 virus is spreading, so that it can respond quickly and effectively.
The app allows you to report symptoms and order a Covid-19 test.
It also helps to trace app users who have spent time near other app users who later test positive for Covid-19.
Some venues in England – including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes – are now legally required to record who is visiting there to support the test and trace effort. These venues will all display a QR code, which allows anyone who has the Test and Trace app to easily register their visit. Test and Trace QR codes are located in relevant buildings on campus.
To download the app, search for NHSCOVID-19 in the App Store or Google Play Store.
Sources of support
We know that this might be a worrying time for you and there is a lot of support available at the University.
If you are a student there are online self-help resources and you can also access support from our mental wellbeing teams. If you feel that you are in crisis or need help urgently please see the information here.
If you are a Loughborough University London student, you can get support by emailing us or visiting the Welfare pages on Learn.
For staff there’s a range of information on our Staff Wellbeing site to support you.