Someone tested positive at my job and I have been in close contact with him/her.

[mgk920]

(x) Nothing



Mike

[hbelkins]

Who notified you? Your co-worker? Your boss? In most places, I think the protocol is that if there's a workplace exposure, your co-worker will notify the boss, who in turn will notify you. And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, I didn't click the link when it floated across my screen a few days ago, but there's a new study out that says asymptomatic transmission really isn't a thing. I need to see if I can find it.

With the advent of Caller ID, I have a general rule that I do not answer the call if I do not know the number or have it in my contacts. If it's important, they can leave a voice mail. And sometimes voice mails do not record correctly.  I definitely plan to make good use of this policy if there's any possibility that someone's going to call me and suggest that I stay home against my will if I'm not sick.

My nose has been stopped up for months. I think that since I'm working from home and am around the dogs and cats all the time, my allergies are hyperactive. I suspect that I have too much gunk in my nostrils for the virus to make an entrance into my respiratory system.

[tolbs17]

Who notified you? Your co-worker? Your boss? In most places, I think the protocol is that if there's a workplace exposure, your co-worker will notify the boss, who in turn will notify you. And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, I didn't click the link when it floated across my screen a few days ago, but there's a new study out that says asymptomatic transmission really isn't a thing. I need to see if I can find it.

With the advent of Caller ID, I have a general rule that I do not answer the call if I do not know the number or have it in my contacts. If it's important, they can leave a voice mail. And sometimes voice mails do not record correctly.  I definitely plan to make good use of this policy if there's any possibility that someone's going to call me and suggest that I stay home against my will if I'm not sick.

My nose has been stopped up for months. I think that since I'm working from home and am around the dogs and cats all the time, my allergies are hyperactive. I suspect that I have too much gunk in my nostrils for the virus to make an entrance into my respiratory system.

I heard it in the hallway from a lady.

[hotdogPi]

Unfortunately, I didn't click the link when it floated across my screen a few days ago, but there's a new study out that says asymptomatic transmission really isn't a thing. I need to see if I can find it.

It's impossible to tell the difference between asymptomatic and presymptomatic. The second does cause transmission, even before the symptoms show.

[1995hoo]

.... And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

....

I believe you're missing the word "not" prior to the word "closer." I believe the general consensus is that the circumstances you describe above are precisely when you need to be concerned!

[Scott5114]

If you believe you've been exposed, take a test as soon as possible and quarantine until you know the result. Tell your boss this is what you're doing.

If they have a problem with it, get a new boss–this means yours is defective, because they care about their own convenience more than the well-being of those they supervise. Throw them back and find a new one.

[hbelkins]

.... And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

....

I believe you're missing the word "not" prior to the word "closer." I believe the general consensus is that the circumstances you describe above are precisely when you need to be concerned!

How so? Distances greater than six feet are presumed to be OK, distances less than six feet are the ones to be concerned about if the contact is for 15 minutes or more. If you have contact with an unmasked person closer than six feet for less than 15 minutes, you're OK; but if the contact is longer than that, that's when you have to worry.

To summarize:
Six feet or greater, masked or unmasked, no matter the length of time, no worries.
Less than six feet, masked or unmasked, for fewer than 15 minutes, few worries.
Less than six feet, masked, more than 15 minutes, few worries.
Less than six feet, unmasked, more than 15 minutes, worry.

I heard it in the hallway from a lady.

I would consider that to be hearsay unless you can verify with the person in question. There have been all sorts of rumors in my area that people had it but actually don't. Confirm with the source.

[Max Rockatansky]

Who notified you? Your co-worker? Your boss? In most places, I think the protocol is that if there's a workplace exposure, your co-worker will notify the boss, who in turn will notify you. And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, I didn't click the link when it floated across my screen a few days ago, but there's a new study out that says asymptomatic transmission really isn't a thing. I need to see if I can find it.

With the advent of Caller ID, I have a general rule that I do not answer the call if I do not know the number or have it in my contacts. If it's important, they can leave a voice mail. And sometimes voice mails do not record correctly.  I definitely plan to make good use of this policy if there's any possibility that someone's going to call me and suggest that I stay home against my will if I'm not sick.

My nose has been stopped up for months. I think that since I'm working from home and am around the dogs and cats all the time, my allergies are hyperactive. I suspect that I have too much gunk in my nostrils for the virus to make an entrance into my respiratory system.

I heard it in the hallway from a lady.

So basically a public health official hasn't notified you that you've been exposed?

[webny99]

.... And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.
....

I believe you're missing the word "not" prior to the word "closer." I believe the general consensus is that the circumstances you describe above are precisely when you need to be concerned!

How so?

I don't think he was disagreeing - but rather pointing out what was probably just a typo: "was" (bolded) should've been "wasn't / was not".

[Rothman]

.... And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

....

I believe you're missing the word "not" prior to the word "closer." I believe the general consensus is that the circumstances you describe above are precisely when you need to be concerned!

How so? Distances greater than six feet are presumed to be OK, distances less than six feet are the ones to be concerned about if the contact is for 15 minutes or more. If you have contact with an unmasked person closer than six feet for less than 15 minutes, you're OK; but if the contact is longer than that, that's when you have to worry.

To summarize:
Six feet or greater, masked or unmasked, no matter the length of time, no worries.
Less than six feet, masked or unmasked, for fewer than 15 minutes, few worries.
Less than six feet, masked, more than 15 minutes, few worries.
Less than six feet, unmasked, more than 15 minutes, worry.

I heard it in the hallway from a lady.

I would consider that to be hearsay unless you can verify with the person in question. There have been all sorts of rumors in my area that people had it but actually don't. Confirm with the source.

*citation needed*

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

[thspfc]

I hope "call the firefighters" and "call the police" were jokes  But for real, definitely make your boss informed. If it was me, I wouldn't put myself through quarantine and all of that unless I was symptomatic, but it's your choice, and don't listen to me, I'm not qualified.

[vdeane]

I hope "call the firefighters" and "call the police" were jokes  But for real, definitely make your boss informed. If it was me, I wouldn't put myself through quarantine and all of that unless I was symptomatic, but it's your choice, and don't listen to me, I'm not qualified.

People can spread the virus for two days before developing symptoms.

[tolbs17]

Who notified you? Your co-worker? Your boss? In most places, I think the protocol is that if there's a workplace exposure, your co-worker will notify the boss, who in turn will notify you. And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, I didn't click the link when it floated across my screen a few days ago, but there's a new study out that says asymptomatic transmission really isn't a thing. I need to see if I can find it.

With the advent of Caller ID, I have a general rule that I do not answer the call if I do not know the number or have it in my contacts. If it's important, they can leave a voice mail. And sometimes voice mails do not record correctly.  I definitely plan to make good use of this policy if there's any possibility that someone's going to call me and suggest that I stay home against my will if I'm not sick.

My nose has been stopped up for months. I think that since I'm working from home and am around the dogs and cats all the time, my allergies are hyperactive. I suspect that I have too much gunk in my nostrils for the virus to make an entrance into my respiratory system.

I heard it in the hallway from a lady.

So basically a public health official hasn't notified you that you've been exposed?

No.

[Max Rockatansky]

Who notified you? Your co-worker? Your boss? In most places, I think the protocol is that if there's a workplace exposure, your co-worker will notify the boss, who in turn will notify you. And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, I didn't click the link when it floated across my screen a few days ago, but there's a new study out that says asymptomatic transmission really isn't a thing. I need to see if I can find it.

With the advent of Caller ID, I have a general rule that I do not answer the call if I do not know the number or have it in my contacts. If it's important, they can leave a voice mail. And sometimes voice mails do not record correctly.  I definitely plan to make good use of this policy if there's any possibility that someone's going to call me and suggest that I stay home against my will if I'm not sick.

My nose has been stopped up for months. I think that since I'm working from home and am around the dogs and cats all the time, my allergies are hyperactive. I suspect that I have too much gunk in my nostrils for the virus to make an entrance into my respiratory system.

I heard it in the hallway from a lady.

So basically a public health official hasn't notified you that you've been exposed?

No.

Considering you haven't been contacted by a contact tracer that kind of tells me getting your information from conjecture.  Really you don't have any real information to go by at this point other than how you presently feel.

[Scott5114]

It could also just be that North Carolina contact tracers aren't worth a damn. I caught covid in October and never had any contact with the state or county health department at all. I had a sore throat and a fever for a couple of days, which caused me to seek testing at a Chickasaw Nation healthcare facility in McClain County (Cleveland County also does testing, but only in the early morning, so it was more convenient to have the Chickasaw Nation do it since theirs runs all day). I got my results back over the Web. I got a phone call the next day from the Chickasaw Nation Division of Health, but I missed the call and forgot to call them back, and they didn't me call back either. Other than that phone call, I was completely on my own and never gave any list of contacts to a health official.

Thus, I wouldn't take a lack of government contact as an indication that you're in the clear. If you have any reason to believe you may have been in contact with someone, whether that source is reliable or not, it is prudent to assume they had it and act accordingly. Staying home for a few days and going through the trouble of getting tested and finding out you were negative is preferable to going into work and giving it to someone who may end up dying from it.

[1995hoo]

.... And if I'm not mistaken, I think the general consensus is that you don't have to worry if your contact was closer than six feet, unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes.
....

I believe you're missing the word "not" prior to the word "closer." I believe the general consensus is that the circumstances you describe above are precisely when you need to be concerned!

How so?

I don't think he was disagreeing - but rather pointing out what was probably just a typo: "was" (bolded) should've been "wasn't / was not".

That was exactly my point. Thank you. Alternatively, I suppose, the italicized word "if" seen in the quotation above could be "unless."

[Max Rockatansky]

It could also just be that North Carolina contact tracers aren't worth a damn. I caught covid in October and never had any contact with the state or county health department at all. I had a sore throat and a fever for a couple of days, which caused me to seek testing at a Chickasaw Nation healthcare facility in McClain County (Cleveland County also does testing, but only in the early morning, so it was more convenient to have the Chickasaw Nation do it since theirs runs all day). I got my results back over the Web. I got a phone call the next day from the Chickasaw Nation Division of Health, but I missed the call and forgot to call them back, and they didn't me call back either. Other than that phone call, I was completely on my own and never gave any list of contacts to a health official.

Thus, I wouldn't take a lack of government contact as an indication that you're in the clear. If you have any reason to believe you may have been in contact with someone, whether that source is reliable or not, it is prudent to assume they had it and act accordingly. Staying home for a few days and going through the trouble of getting tested and finding out you were negative is preferable to going into work and giving it to someone who may end up dying from it.

But it also isn't clear that the OP was exposed to COVID either.  All he has to go off of is conjecture which is completely unreliable, hence why what I said about the monitoring OP himself/herself.  He/she could bring up what was said to their boss, but isn't also clear that's where the rumored contact took place either.  If it didn't happen at work then the boss won't have any reliable information and even if it did there probably won't much information given it might cause a HIPPA concern (aside from a yes/no on being exposed and when).  I feel as though (and I say this as someone who does contact tracing) that we aren't getting the full story about where/when/how this apparent contact happened.  It's difficult to get a real assessment on what to do without the full story.  I don't even think it's been established this happened at work or outside of it?

[Scott5114]

It could also just be that North Carolina contact tracers aren't worth a damn. I caught covid in October and never had any contact with the state or county health department at all. I had a sore throat and a fever for a couple of days, which caused me to seek testing at a Chickasaw Nation healthcare facility in McClain County (Cleveland County also does testing, but only in the early morning, so it was more convenient to have the Chickasaw Nation do it since theirs runs all day). I got my results back over the Web. I got a phone call the next day from the Chickasaw Nation Division of Health, but I missed the call and forgot to call them back, and they didn't me call back either. Other than that phone call, I was completely on my own and never gave any list of contacts to a health official.

Thus, I wouldn't take a lack of government contact as an indication that you're in the clear. If you have any reason to believe you may have been in contact with someone, whether that source is reliable or not, it is prudent to assume they had it and act accordingly. Staying home for a few days and going through the trouble of getting tested and finding out you were negative is preferable to going into work and giving it to someone who may end up dying from it.

But it also isn't clear that the OP was exposed to COVID either.  All he has to go off of is conjecture which is completely unreliable, hence why what I said about the monitoring OP himself/herself.  He/she could bring up what was said to their boss, but isn't also clear that's where the rumored contact took place either.  If it didn't happen at work then the boss won't have any reliable information and even if it did there probably won't much information given it might cause a HIPPA concern (aside from a yes/no on being exposed and when).  I feel as though (and I say this as someone who does contact tracing) that we aren't getting the full story about where/when/how this apparent contact happened.  It's difficult to get a real assessment on what to do without the full story.  I don't even think it's been established this happened at work or outside of it?

There's no way to ever know for sure whether someone else has it or not unless you've seen their test results yourself. Someone could have it and not tell anyone, or not have it and say they do, or not know whether they have it or not. The only thing you can control is knowing whether you have it or not. So if you have reason to think you might, it's prudent to get that information as soon as possible so you can act accordingly. And in the meantime, act as if you do have it to minimize the risk to others.

[kphoger]

There's no way to ever know for sure whether someone else has it or not unless you've seen their test results yourself.

Technically true, but we can be awfully darned close to "knowing for sure".  For example, last week, one of our field supervisors suddenly started working from home, my co-worker told me she was told he'd tested positive for COVID, the company shortly thereafter increased the number of employees working from home, and my boss and/or her boss above her began taking everyone's temperature here at the office for the next few days.

Yeah, OK, I don't "know for sure" that field supervisor got COVID because I haven't seen the test results.  But, at the same time, yes I do.

[Scott5114]

Right, and so your bosses are doing the prudent thing and taking precautions as if she has it. If I had been around that field supervisor, I would also act as if she had it, and that I had caught it from her, and get tested right away.

[kphoger]

Right, and so your bosses are doing the prudent thing and taking precautions as if she has it. If I had been around that field supervisor, I would also act as if she had it, and that I had caught it from her, and get tested right away.

He and I were the only ones in the building the Friday before last.  When I came in on Monday, he was already working from home based on a "rumored" positive test result.  I was slightly on edge that next week, but the two of us don't work in the same office, and I hadn't done more than pop my head in his office to ask a question or two that Friday, plus either one or both of us were masked anytime we were within about 20 feet of each other.

[tolbs17]

Or can someone fool you and say "OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH THIS PERSON HAS TESTED POSITIVE!!" trying to scare them and it's not ok IMO. It's like saying, "This person has had suicidal thoughts". I work in a hospital, and there has been SO many cases there. I should probably resign.

[Max Rockatansky]

Or can someone fool you and say "OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH THIS PERSON HAS TESTED POSITIVE!!" trying to scare them and it's not ok IMO. It's like saying, "This person has had suicidal thoughts". I work in a hospital, and there has been SO many cases there. I should probably resign.

What?

[tolbs17]

Or can someone fool you and say "OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH THIS PERSON HAS TESTED POSITIVE!!" trying to scare them and it's not ok IMO. It's like saying, "This person has had suicidal thoughts". I work in a hospital, and there has been SO many cases there. I should probably resign.

What?

I'm saying I work at a hospital (NSIU) and many people there have tested positive.

And others mock them that they say they have tested positive and they actually have not.

[Max Rockatansky]

Or can someone fool you and say "OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH THIS PERSON HAS TESTED POSITIVE!!" trying to scare them and it's not ok IMO. It's like saying, "This person has had suicidal thoughts". I work in a hospital, and there has been SO many cases there. I should probably resign.

What?

I'm saying I work at a hospital (NSIU) and many people there have tested positive.

And that translate into positive test fakers/suicidal thoughts fakers how?  Hell, my wife works a moonlighting job at the hospital complex in Fresno as a flex employee and she hasn't quit.  Apparently they rolled extra ICU beds into standby in the cafeteria facility just in case the main building overflows.