With COVID-19 infections at an all-time high, we’ve had an uptick in questions about what to do when you get exposed, get sick, or get better. We know more now than we did in early days of the virus, and guidelines have been updated accordingly, so it feels like a good time to revisit this topic. There’s a reward if you stick through to the end!
How to Know Whether You’ve Had a High-Risk Exposure:
A high-risk exposure is defined by the CDC as at least 15 minutes of unmasked, close contact (6 feet or less) with an unmasked, infected person. Of course, the virus does not follow rules, so any large gathering is undesirable regardless of separation.
In any situation, your can assess your risk with our three-point checklist:
- Location: Indoors or out? Large numbers of people or few?
- Duration: More than 15 min or less?
- Separation: More than 6 feet? Masked or unmasked?
What to Do When You’ve Had a High-Risk Exposure:
Symptoms can appear 2-14 days after exposure. Testing really doesn’t eliminate the possibility of infection because false-negative tests are too common. The best practice is to quarantine at home for 14 days after your last exposure.
An analysis of seven studies looking at PCR tests showed the probability of a false-negative result in an infected person:
— Day 1 after exposure: 100% false negative rate
— Day 2 after exposure: 100%
— The day before symptom onset (aka “asymptomatic” exposed patient): 67%
— Day of symptom onset: 38%
— Day 3 after symptom onset: 20%
So you can see the futility of using testing as the only screening method — in the best of conditions, 1 out of 5 infected persons would be mis-classified as not infected. In persons exposed but not symptomatic, it becomes (strangely) less accurate than a coin flip. So we have to rely on symptoms and history to determine who is truly at risk.
Quarantine means closely monitoring for the development of symptoms, staying home, and away from others — especially those who are at high-risk of developing serious illness.
What to Do When Someone is Mildly or Moderately Sick and Needs to Self-Isolate at Home:
Work to contain the virus to the infected individual, and monitor for signs of worsening illness. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice and guidance in your particular situation. Here are some general guidelines:
For those who live alone, self-isolating is fairly straightforward:
- Don’t leave the house except to seek medical care.
- Have food and other essentials delivered.
- Treat fever and aches with acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen. (Remember that some of these medications can cause stomach upset so take them with food or check with us.)
- Stay connected with caregivers and loved ones by phone and video chat.
- If someone must come over for some reason, keep the time to an absolute minimum and everyone should wear masks the whole time.
- Keep track of symptoms for those who are infected, and let us know if you have symptoms you are worried about. You might find this CDC Symptom Checker helpful.
For those who live with other people, isolating the sick can be more complicated. In addition to the above:
- If possible, the infected person should remain in their bedroom and use a separate bathroom. Meals and other necessities should be delivered to their room by household members wearing masks. Treat that portion of the home like it’s a separate apartment.
- If that’s not possible, consider getting alternate accommodations for healthy household members.
Infected individuals should continue these precautions for at least 10 days after a positive test result or the onset of symptoms, whichever comes later.
Refer to the CDC’s updated self-isolation guidelines for more information. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/index.html
Don’t forget: healthy members of households with sick individuals should adhere to 14-day quarantine guidelines.
On a Lighter Note:
As always, we want to leave you with something fun. In honor of our Portland Trailblazers return to action, we’ll leave you with this hilarious low-light reel featuring the Blazer’s own CJ McCollum:
Take care,
Baskin Clinic