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

[tolbs17]

So yesterday someone tested positive at work and I have been in close contact with him. I was scared af and I didn't know what to do. What should I do? I looked at one of those 5 choices and I have to get tested in a few days

[hotdogPi]

The typical rule is 6 feet or less for 15 minutes or more. If this is the case, quarantine for two weeks.

[1995hoo]

So yesterday someone tested positive at work and I have been in close contact with him. I was scared af and I didn't know what to do. What should I do? I looked at one of those 5 choices and I have to get tested in a few days

Your poll only gives us one choice. I would do both of the first two–tell your boss what happened and tell him that you are quarantining yourself as a precaution except for going to get yourself tested. Any reasonable boss should understand and agree with that because the precaution should be good for the business by hopefully helping to prevent it from spreading throughout the rest of the workplace.

[tolbs17]

So yesterday someone tested positive at work and I have been in close contact with him. I was scared af and I didn't know what to do. What should I do? I looked at one of those 5 choices and I have to get tested in a few days

Your poll only gives us one choice. I would do both of the first two–tell your boss what happened and tell him that you are quarantining yourself as a precaution except for going to get yourself tested. Any reasonable boss should understand and agree with that because the precaution should be good for the business by hopefully helping to prevent it from spreading throughout the rest of the workplace.

I'll find a way to fix that and it's true

[NWI_Irish96]

Context is helpful.

First of all, was this person wearing a mask while in close contact with you? If yes, then there is a low (but not zero) chance that you were infected. Depends really on how much time you've spent in close contact in the past week or so. You may want to quarantine out of an abundance of caution.

If no, then there is a good chance you are infected. Being 18, you're very unlikely to get really sick unless you have a serious underlying condition, but you should definitely quarantine for 10-14 days to avoid infecting anyone else.

[3467]

I suggest all the above plus your doctor. I just found out about a 19 year old getting sicker than his mother . He got pneumonia. But the doctor got him an asthma steroid inhalers . Those seem to really help . So be in touch with doctor.
If you never get symptoms still get checked out in a few months.
Document too just in case you might want a lawyer.

[Max Rockatansky]

Probably isolate for 10 days if you don't have symptoms.  If you develop symptoms go get tested.  I believe the new CDC guideline is to isolate for 7 days if you remain symptom free.  I actually deal with this a lot in what I do for a living.  Provided you mask wearing was being adhered to (especially by you) there is a pretty good chance you'll be fine. 

Even if you do contract COVID there is a strong chance you won't have symptoms or mild ones.  My wife somehow got it and has shown antibodies on three plasma donations.  She has no idea when she could have had caught COVID because she never shown symptoms. 

Also, is your work requiring you to get a test or was that something you were considering doing on your own?  And if this happened at work you would he eligible to file a Workman's Compensation Claim. 

[jmacswimmer]

Definitely agree with what others are saying about isolating and discussing with your boss.  I went thru this a month ago - my girlfriend (a pediatrics nurse) learned she was potentially exposed at work, so I immediately told my boss and worked from home.  Sure enough, my girlfriend tested positive the next day and I wound up positive less than a week later.  I've since recovered and returned to work, and it appears that since I immediately communicated and isolated the chain stopped with me and I didn't infect anyone at work (or elsewhere).

My girlfriend & I were lucky enough to mainly just have cold-like symptoms for a couple days and nothing worse, although her sense of taste and my sense of smell is still a little messed up (which is just annoying more than anything, so can't complain in the grand scheme of things).  What also made things better for us and our mental health was just staying positive (no pun intended!) about everything, and I encourage the same for you.

[kphoger]

Tell your boss.  Self-quarantine.  Then...

If you don't get tested, then stay quarantined for 10 to 14 days to await symptoms, as determined by your boss.  If, after that time, no symptoms have developed, then you can assume you didn't get it (again, as determined by your boss).

If you test positive, then stay quarantined for the full 14 days.

If you test negative, then stay quarantined for 7 to 14 days to await symptoms, as determined by your boss.  If, after that time, no symptoms have developed, then you can assume you didn't get it (again, as determined by your boss).

[kphoger]

I believe the new CDC guideline is to isolate for 7 days if you remain symptom free.

Last I knew (two days ago), those 7- and 10-day timelines are "options".  Their recommendation remains 14 days for all close contacts.

[Max Rockatansky]

I believe the new CDC guideline is to isolate for 7 days if you remain symptom free.

Last I knew (two days ago), those 7- and 10-day timelines are "options".  Their recommendation remains 14 days for all close contacts.

Apparently it's 7 days with a test and 10 without:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/health/cdc-changing-quarantine-guidelines/index.html

My thought on testing always has been to not get tested unless I'm feeling some sort of symptom (meaning isolate instead).  At least locally symptom free people tend to really hog up testing lines and schedules that people who show symptoms should be getting priority for.  The availability of testing might depend greatly by locale though. 

[NWI_Irish96]

I believe the new CDC guideline is to isolate for 7 days if you remain symptom free.

Last I knew (two days ago), those 7- and 10-day timelines are "options".  Their recommendation remains 14 days for all close contacts.

Apparently it's 7 days with a test and 10 without:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/health/cdc-changing-quarantine-guidelines/index.html

My thought on testing always has been to not get tested unless I'm feeling some sort of symptom (meaning isolate instead).  At least locally symptom free people tend to really hog up testing lines and schedules that people who show symptoms should be getting priority for.  The availability of testing might depend greatly by locale though. 

Getting tested < 7 days after potential exposure is pointless because it may be too early to detect.

After that, if you are asymptomatic, you can either just quarantine another 7 days or you can get tested if you want to end your quarantine earlier.

[Roadgeekteen]

RIP

[ozarkman417]

Two questions: were they asymptomatic? Were both parties masked? If both answers are yes, you may be fine: see below.

At a local hospital, my mother had to work with someone who was COVID positive, but was asymptomatic. Both both parties were masked, so luckily, the virus did not spread to my family.

I would select the top two options, but I can only select one. Call your OWN doctor, and definitely don't call the firefighters or police 

[NWI_Irish96]

Two questions: were they asymptomatic? Were both parties masked? If both answers are yes, you may be fine: see below.

At a local hospital, my mother had to work with someone who was COVID positive, but was asymptomatic. Both both parties were masked, so luckily, the virus did not spread to my family.

I would select the top two options, but I can only select one. Call your OWN doctor, and definitely don't call the firefighters or police 

Being asymptomatic is irrelevant. This thing spreads while a person is asymptomatic. If only symptomatic people could spread it, we wouldn't have 14 million cases.

[Max Rockatansky]

A question to OP; when was the test actually conducted?  Secondly when was your actual last contact with this individual?  Just because you were informed you were in close contact yesterday doesn't mean that was the most recent contact you had. 

[kphoger]

Being asymptomatic is irrelevant.

Is it really, though?  Might not a person be asymptomatic because he or she has a lower viral load and is therefore also less contagious?

[kphoger]

(I just voted, and I smiled to find out I wasn't the only one who said "call the firefighters".)

[NWI_Irish96]

Being asymptomatic is irrelevant.

Is it really, though?  Might not a person be asymptomatic because he or she has a lower viral load and is therefore also less contagious?

No. The onset of symptoms isn't only about viral load, it's about the health of the person. A healthier person takes longer to get sick, and sometimes never gets sick, but is still very contagious.

[Max Rockatansky]

(I just voted, and I smiled to find out I wasn't the only one who said "call the firefighters".)

That was my vote also.

[kphoger]

Being asymptomatic is irrelevant.

Is it really, though?  Might not a person be asymptomatic because he or she has a lower viral load and is therefore also less contagious?

No. The onset of symptoms isn't only about viral load, it's about the health of the person. A healthier person takes longer to get sick, and sometimes never gets sick, but is still very contagious.

Only?  Therefore it is also about viral load, right?  To me, that doesn't sound like being asymptomatic isn't "irrelevant".  Just not a litmus test.

[NWI_Irish96]

Being asymptomatic is irrelevant.

Is it really, though?  Might not a person be asymptomatic because he or she has a lower viral load and is therefore also less contagious?

No. The onset of symptoms isn't only about viral load, it's about the health of the person. A healthier person takes longer to get sick, and sometimes never gets sick, but is still very contagious.

Only?  Therefore it is also about viral load, right?  To me, that doesn't sound like being asymptomatic isn't "irrelevant".  Just not a litmus test.

OK, irrelevant was the wrong word, but it definitely spreads asymptomatically. There's no way we get this many cases otherwise. People are really stupid, but not THAT stupid.

[kphoger]

OK, irrelevant was the wrong word, but it definitely spreads asymptomatically. There's no way we get this many cases otherwise. People are really stupid, but not THAT stupid.

Agreed.



My wife and I only recently started taking our sons to Wednesday evening church activities again.  We hadn't previously, because nobody could give us a clear answer as to what health precautions had been implemented.  Well, we kept telling leadership, we can't make a decision without being given any information.  Finally, a few weeks ago... well, let's just say "communication happened".  (I think leadership finally started realizing things were spiraling out of control in this area, and then they made the decision/mistake of asking all the members their opinion on the matter. )  Anyway, with the steps now being taken, we felt safe enough sending our kids to activities once again.  However, not this past Wednesday.  We got word from friends that someone involved in Wednesday evening stuff had been close contacts and that, if their test results came back negative, then they were going to disregard the 14-day quarantine recommendation and would be at church on Wednesday.  So our friends and we both decided to keep our kids home that evening, just in case.  Since I don't know when those other people had been close contacts, I don't know how many days it had been yet.

I was already feeling extra precautious, because a field supervisor here at work had just tested positive by the time I came to work on Monday.  He and I were the only ones in the building three days earlier.  Even though we were never within ten feet of each other, I had popped my head in his office door a couple of times to ask a question.  While I figured my own risk was very slight, I wasn't about to put three other members of my household at a slight risk as well two days later.  Add up enough slight risks, and it isn't so slight anymore.

[Rothman]

Why come on here and ask a bunch of nonexperts?  Call your state health department's hotline.

[kphoger]

Why come on here and ask a bunch of nonexperts?  Call your state health department's hotline.

Would they tell you whether to inform your boss first or not?