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Here is a summary of the most current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, as of December 10, 2020.
This is a link to the quarantine recommendations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, effective December 7, 2020.

Olympia Fencing Center members who have been tested positive with the Novel Coronavirus, or who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, are kindly asked to follow this protocol before returning to their class.

Please notify us in writing as soon as you’re aware of the possible exposure to the virus, and the timeline of the measures taken. Failure to do so will result in immediate account termination.

We thank you in advance for helping us to keep our members and staff safe and healthy.

 

1. If Exposed to Covid-19 Coronavirus, How Long Before You Have Symptoms?

According to a recent report, more than 97 percent of people who contract SARS-CoV-2 show symptoms within 11.5 days of exposure. The average incubation period seems to be around 5 days. However, this estimate may change as we learn more about the virus.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your doctor for advice. Until you know what type of illness you have, stay home, and avoid contact with other people.

For many people, COVID-19 symptoms start as mild symptoms and gradually get worse over a few days.
The Incubation Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) From Publicly Reported Confirmed Cases: Estimation and Application | Annals of Internal Medicine (acpjournals.org)

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 2. Incubation Period

Currently, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, the incubation period for the novel coronavirus is somewhere between 2 to 14 days after exposure.

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3. When You Can be Around Others After You Had or Likely Had COVID-19?

I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptoms

You can be around others after:

• 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
• 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving*

*Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation​

Most people do not require testing to decide when they can be around others; however, if your healthcare provider recommends testing, they will let you know when you can resume being around others based on your test results.

Note that these recommendations do not apply to persons with severe COVID-19 or with severely weakened immune systems (immunocompromised). These persons should follow the guidance below for “I was severely ill with COVID-19 or have a severely weakened immune system (immunocompromised) due to a health condition or medication. When can I be around others?”

I tested positive for COVID-19 but had no symptoms

If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after 10 days have passed since you had a positive viral test for COVID-19. Most people do not require testing to decide when they can be around others; however, if your healthcare provider recommends testing, they will let you know when you can resume being around others based on your test results.
If you develop symptoms after testing positive, follow the guidance above for “I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptoms.”

I was severely ill with COVID-19 or have a severely weakened immune system (immunocompromised) due to a health condition or medication.

People who are severely ill with COVID-19 might need to stay home longer than 10 days and up to 20 days after symptoms first appeared. Persons who are severely immunocompromised may require testing to determine when they can be around others. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information. If testing is available in your community, it may be recommended by your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will let you know if you can resume being around other people based on the results of your testing.

Your doctor may work with an infectious disease expert or your local health department to determine whether testing will be necessary before you can be around others.

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4. For Anyone Who Has Been Around a Person with COVID-19

Anyone who has had close contact with someone with COVID-19 should stay home for 14 days after their last exposure to that person.
However, anyone who has had close contact with someone with COVID-19 and who meets the following criteria does NOT need to stay home.

• Has COVID-19 illness within the previous 3 months and
• Has recovered and
• Remains without COVID-19 symptoms (for example, cough, shortness of breath)

Asymptomatic contacts testing negative should self-quarantine for 14 days from their last exposure (i.e., close encounter with confirmed or probable COVID-19 case)
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5. Who needs to quarantine?

People who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19—excluding people who have had COVID-19 within the past 3 months.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 do not need to quarantine or get tested again for up to 3 months as long as they do not develop symptoms again. People who develop symptoms again within 3 months of their first bout of COVID-19 may need to be tested again if there is no other cause identified for their symptoms.

What counts as close contact?

• You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
• You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
• You shared eating or drinking utensils
• They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you

Steps to take: Stay home and monitor your health

• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
• Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19
• If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

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6. Testing and International Air Travel

CDC now recommends getting 3 COVID-19 tests when traveling internationally.
Here’s what to know:

• Get tested 1-3 days before your flight.
• Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home for 7 days after travel.
• Even if you test negative, stay home for the full 7 days.
• If you don’t get tested, it’s safest to stay home for 10 days after travel.
• Always follow state and local recommendations or requirements related to travel
  Read more by following this link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

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7. Options to reduce quarantine

Reducing the length of quarantine may make it easier for people to quarantine by reducing the time they cannot work. A shorter quarantine period also can lessen stress on the public health system, especially when new infections are rapidly rising.

Your local public health authorities make the final decisions about how long quarantine should last, based on local conditions and needs. Follow the recommendations of your local public health department if you need to quarantine. Options they will consider include stopping quarantine:

• After day 10 without testing
• After day 7 after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later)

After stopping quarantine, you should:

• Watch for symptoms until 14 days after exposure.
• If you have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact your local public health authority or healthcare provider.
• Wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from others, wash their hands, avoid crowds, and take other steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

CDC continues to endorse quarantine for 14 days and recognizes that any quarantine shorter than 14 days balances reduced burden against a small possibility of spreading the virus. CDC will continue to evaluate new information and update recommendations as needed. See Options to Reduce Quarantine for Contacts of Persons with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Symptom Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing for guidance on options to reduce quarantine.

The CDC website now suggests that some people in some cases may be able to discontinue quarantine after just 10 days. This could even be shorter, seven days after you receive a negative Covid-19 test result, as long as the test was performed at least five days after the exposure.

 

Last Updated Dec. 10, 2020

Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases