College student exposed ☹️

[busymama7]

I knew it was probably coming.  He went to campus as he has a full scholarship for music and couldn't lose it.  Most of his classes are online but he had an in person workshop for his instrument and found out one of the students at his table (apparently they were still 6 ft apart) has tested positive.  There are only 2 options for students who it could have been and one of those was also in an in person (distanced and masked) class the next day and was the person sitting the closest to him that day.   The classes were wed night and Thursday am and the student developed symptoms on Sunday.   The workshop involved Wednesday temporarily removing masks for testing reeds so more potential for exposure there.  

 

He is generally healthy and I think we will wait to see if he gets symptoms before pursuing a test.  If we decide to do one proactively, what day would be the best?  Again he was in class with the student for sure on Wednesday and possibly also Thursday and the student for symptoms on Sunday. 

[Guest]

I’m sorry. That’s unfortunate. Here’s hoping college student avoided catching it. 

I think it’s five days after exposure for test? Someone more knowledgeable can chime in on that point. 

[Pam in CT]

It sounds like his exposure was brief; he may very well be OK.  

The guidance here for folks who know they've been exposed is to hard-quarantine for ~4/5 days from the time of exposure, and then test. So if his contact was last Wed/Thursday, he could do it now.

If it were me or my kid, I'd want to test. 14 days is a long time to keep up with true hard-quarantine practice for a person who isn't symptomatic... but without testing there is no way to know if you're transmitting asymptomatically.

[Ausmumof3]

I would consider testing proactively if testing is easy to access because then you can start supplements etc if you want to 

[Terabith]

I'd want a test, but I'd also start supplements:  vitamin D+K, C, selenium, zinc, quercetin, melatonin, maybe famotidine.  I'd add aspirin and turmeric if test was positive.  

[Bootsie]

I think it would be possible if a person he was around on Wednesday came down with symptoms on Sunday that he and that person were both exposed by the same third person on Wednesday. 

Did the university notify him that someone from his table on Wednesday came down with symptoms on Sunday?  I know that many universities are only notifying if there is a exposure according to the CDC guidelines of within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within 48 hours of having symptoms.  So, it sounds as if he would have not been within the 6 foot range if the classroom is socially distanced and it would have been outside of the 48 hour window.  Is the university asking him to isolate?  

[G5052]

FWIW, one of mine has been exposed multiple times, and thus far has always tested negative. In one situation, he also had to take off his mask in close quarters for quite awhile, but in general he's very careful to mask and washing his hands.

I was around a friend midweek at a distance in her house with no mask, and she got it four days later. To be sure, I self-isolated, but I didn't test (very poor health insurance at the time).  

So thankfully exposure doesn't always mean sickness. Not downplaying, but I think this is our new normal. 

[busymama7]

2 hours ago, Bootsie said:

I think it would be possible if a person he was around on Wednesday came down with symptoms on Sunday that he and that person were both exposed by the same third person on Wednesday. 

Did the university notify him that someone from his table on Wednesday came down with symptoms on Sunday?  I know that many universities are only notifying if there is a exposure according to the CDC guidelines of within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within 48 hours of having symptoms.  So, it sounds as if he would have not been within the 6 foot range if the classroom is socially distanced and it would have been outside of the 48 hour window.  Is the university asking him to isolate?  

He has not been asked to isolate because it's not considered close contact because they were following guidelines. Yes they removed masks temporarily but that was still within acceptable.  

 

I will check to see how easy it is to test.  

[busymama7]

8 hours ago, kand said:

When you say testing reeds, does that mean they were all blowing in them while unmasked? If so, I would be more concerned. Either way, seems worth a test. 

Yes. ☹️ Exactly that. 

We are a week past potential exposure, assuming student was contagious 4 days before symptoms.   

[bethben]

My son worked closely with a guy in a store front with three employees who tested positive.  Neither him nor his boss got Coronavirus.

[Kassia]

14 hours ago, G5052 said:

 

So thankfully exposure doesn't always mean sickness. Not downplaying, but I think this is our new normal. 

 

Yes, it is a little bizarre how some people don't end up sick, but others do even with being super careful.  The daughter of a friend of mine had Covid, but her mom and sister (all living together in the same home) didn't get it.  

[Karen A]

Per my Johns Hopkins free contact training class, if the last exposure to the positive person was >48 hours before that person had symptoms, there is no need to isolate/test.  Close contacts are traced only for the previous two days before symptoms developed. Like the above poster said, if your son comes down with Covid, it's likely NOT from that specific band mate who was unlikely to be contagious when they were together.

[busymama7]

7 hours ago, Karen A said:

Per my Johns Hopkins free contact training class, if the last exposure to the positive person was >48 hours before that person had symptoms, there is no need to isolate/test.  Close contacts are traced only for the previous two days before symptoms developed. Like the above poster said, if your son comes down with Covid, it's likely NOT from that specific band mate who was unlikely to be contagious when they were together.

Thank you.  That is very helpful.