Contact of a contact -- timing?

[Drama Llama]

Today I spent multiple hours indoors within 6 feet of someone.  I was masked the whole time.  They were intermittently masked.  A few hours later I was notified that they are now quarantined because someone they spent hours with, within 6 feet, unmasked on Thursday tested positive today.  

It happens that my GFIL, who is the highest risk member of our family by far, is not here.  He is visiting DH's sister.  My thought is that we ask him to stay there until I know I'm clear.  But when will that be?  Any thoughts?  

Are there other precautions I should take?  

 

[HomeAgain]

If you're going to treat it as a contact, it's usually 5 days out to test, 8-10 days quarantine to be sure that symptoms don't develop even with a negative.

[thewellerman]

We did a test on day 5, but didn't have my husband quarantine the whole 8 to 10 days because the person he was with tested negative.  We decided that if his contact wasn't positive, then he wasn't likely to be.  

[prairiewindmomma]

If you were wearing a higher filtration level mask, I wouldn't think much of it at all. If you were in a cloth mask, I'd be inclined to have GFIL stay over a few more days if it's not a big inconvenience to everyone. If he does return home, I'd wear a higher filtration level mask in close contact with him, and run HEPA filters in bedrooms at night.

I'm pretty much assuming at this point that every time I go out into public places (Costco, hospital lab, Target) that I'm being exposed. My kids have gotten three exposure notices at school in the last month (closer than 3', more than 15 minutes under my state guidelines for notification); my daughter has had two in just the last week.  They haven't gotten sick at all. They are vaccinated but not yet eligible for boosters, so we're just relying on good quality masks.

[mathnerd]

If you test on the 5th day of when you think that you might have been exposed and get a negative result, then you are clear. So, your GFIL could stay away for at least 5 more days.

My DS has had 2 exposure notices so far (one of them for 4 hours of exposure to an asymptomatic person in a closed room while masked), we monitored for symptoms and we tested on the 5th day each time (as we were instructed), got a negative result and moved on with the activity he participates in.

[HomeAgain]

1 minute ago, mathnerd said:

If you test on the 5th day of when you think that you might have been exposed and get a negative result, then you are clear. So, your GFIL could stay away for at least 5 more days.

My DS has had 2 exposure notices so far (one of them for 4 hours of exposure to an asymptomatic person in a closed room while masked), we monitored for symptoms and we tested on the 5th day each time (as we were instructed), got a negative result and moved on with the activity he participates in.

This isn't quite true. The recommendations are test on day 5, may resume activity on day 8.  It's not test and go.  It's wait to see if it's truly a negative because symptoms may still develop, but usually within the week after exposure.  This is a huge sticking point here.  People are breaking quarantine, developing symptoms that they ignore because the day 5 test was negative.  Just no.  Follow the CDC recs on this to help stop the spread.

[mathnerd]

49 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

This isn't quite true. The recommendations are test on day 5, may resume activity on day 8.  It's not test and go.  It's wait to see if it's truly a negative because symptoms may still develop, but usually within the week after exposure.  This is a huge sticking point here.  People are breaking quarantine, developing symptoms that they ignore because the day 5 test was negative.  Just no.  Follow the CDC recs on this to help stop the spread.

I live in California and the instruction we received after the exposure were as follows, and they were as per the California Center for Disease Control and Prevention (obviously, your protocol might vary depending on where you live):

 

For a fully vaccinated person:

• If you have been fully vaccinated and around someone who has COVID-19 (close contact), you do not need to stay away from others (quarantine), or be restricted from work unless you develop COVID-like symptoms. We recommend that you get tested 5-7 days after your last exposure to someone with COVID-19 and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until you receive a negative test result.

 

We went above and beyond these requirements by staying out of circulation until the negative test results were emailed to us.

Edited December 14, 2021 by mathnerd

[KSera]

9 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

If you have been fully vaccinated and around someone who has COVID-19 (close contact), you do not need to stay away from others (quarantine), or be restricted from work unless you develop COVID-like symptoms. We recommend that you get tested 5-7 days after your last exposure to someone with COVID-19 and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until you receive a negative test result.

I think this is going to have to change with omicron circulating. If it were me, I’d be following the more cautious guidelines for the unvaccinated in this situation. 

[Starr]

I'm all for being extra cautious in a given situation. Does the CDC consider this an exposure or does it have to be direct contact with a person who is positive?

[wathe]

So, you are a close contact of a close contact?  

Will the person you spent time with share their test results with you? They are day 4 post contact - right?.  Here the would be required to test ASAP, and again on day 7.  If those tests are negative, then I think you are in the clear. 

If you were in a well-fitting and properly worn respirator or well-fitting medical mask, and had eye protection (even just regular glasses), then I would be less worried.  (which might just be a psychological defence mechanism on my part, because that's literally every day covid exposure for me - so take for what it's worth)

The only close-contact- of-close-contacts scenario that requires self-isolation of the contact-of-a-contact here is unvaccinated household members of unvaccinated contacts.  Which doesn't apply to your situation.

[Drama Llama]

44 minutes ago, Starr said:

I'm all for being extra cautious in a given situation. Does the CDC consider this an exposure or does it have to be direct contact with a person who is positive?

I think it all depends on how the person's test comes out.  I think we'll know the results of the first test tomorrow, and then if they stay symptom free for 10 days I'm definitely not a contact. 

If they are positive, then I am a contact.  Where I am, vaccinated contacts don't have to quarantine, but I'll quarantine from Pop, just because his age is high risk.  

 

[Drama Llama]

8 minutes ago, wathe said:

So, you are a close contact of a close contact?  

Will the person you spent time with share their test results with you? They are day 4 post contact - right?.  Here the would be required to test ASAP, and again on day 7.  If those tests are negative, then I think you are in the clear. 

If you were in a well-fitting and properly worn respirator or well-fitting medical mask, and had eye protection (even just regular glasses), then I would be less worried.  (which might just be a psychological defence mechanism on my part, because that's literally every day covid exposure for me - so take for what it's worth)

The only close-contact- of-close-contacts scenario that requires self-isolation of the contact-of-a-contact here is unvaccinated household members of unvaccinated contacts.  Which doesn't apply to your situation.

Yes 4 days, yes they were tested today and will share results.

I didn't have glasses, I had a good mask.  Their masking was shaky.  I saw a lot of nostrils. 

[wathe]

31 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

Yes 4 days, yes they were tested today and will share results.

I didn't have glasses, I had a good mask.  Their masking was shaky.  I saw a lot of nostrils. 

A good mask, properly worn, is worth a lot 🙂

Will they also do a day 7 test?  I think that if that one were also negative, then I personally would consider myself in the clear.

[Drama Llama]

2 minutes ago, wathe said:

A good mask, properly worn, is worth a lot 🙂

Will they also do a day 7 test?  I think that if that one were also negative, then I personally would consider myself in the clear.

I think our norm for vaccinated people is test between 3 and 5 days, and then continue to quarantine for 8 or 10 if negative?  If no symptoms then discontinue without another test.  Is that possible?

I don't know if there will be a second test.  It's a work situation, not a friend situation, which makes it more complicated. 

[wathe]

5 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

I think our norm for vaccinated people is test between 3 and 5 days, and then continue to quarantine for 8 or 10 if negative?  If no symptoms then discontinue without another test.  Is that possible?

I don't know if there will be a second test.  It's a work situation, not a friend situation, which makes it more complicated. 

Possible.  Your public health unit should have their protocol published online somewhere.  At least, they do here.

Worst case scenario, you have 6 more days of isolation if contact test  from today comes back negative ETA ( if wanting to be super careful.)

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by wathe