Covid exposure?

[Mrs.flang]

I've been back in my office since around mid-July.  Masks worn in common areas.  I have my own office so I remove my mask when I'm in there, I have no windows, and I leave my door open but it's generally pretty spread out and quiet.  We got notified last night that our IT guy tested positive.  He was in the office yesterday and I have no info on when he got tested, when symptoms started, etc.  I was not in close contact with him for the past 2 weeks. 

The plan right now is that the office was closed today and tomorrow, they have scheduled a disinfecting/deep clean for tomorrow, and have suggested that anyone in close contact get a rapid test.  I'm not sure if I should feel comfortable or not going back in on Monday.  Shouldn't anyone in close contact with him quarantine for 2 weeks and how will I know if that's being followed or if I come in to contact with anyone that may have it now from him?  I don't really ever meet with anyone for more than a few minutes and never talk to anyone without a mask, but is that enough?

I started drafting an email to HR about the guidelines that exposed people should quarantine and not just be left with a "suggestion" to get a test that may not be accurate, but I'm not sure if I'm out of line?  What should I expect to have happen here?

PS, we did get a covid policy from HR so I'll check that too but please give me your thoughts!

[hermione]

He was in the office the day he got the positive?

Anyway, where I work, anyone in close contact (less than 6 feet for a combined 15 minutes within a 24 hour period) over the last week would be asked to test. In theory, that should be no one if we are all following protocols.

[Mrs.flang]

Yes he was in the office yesterday and we got a text blast at 10:15 last night saying the office was closed.

Ok, so our policy says "Any employee who has had close contact1 with a symptomatic COVID-19 laboratory confirmed case for a prolonged period of time, must stay home for 14 days and self-monitor". So they should be telling anyone that had contact with him to quarantine. Whenever this policy was written they defined close contact as within 6 feet for 1-2 minutes!

ETA - This policy^^ is not what they put in the announcement so it's unclear if they are actually following the policy.

[wanderingback]

If you don’t work in healthcare then that policy seems correct to me, so I wouldn’t have any problem with it. The person who tested positive is supposed to be the one to provide the info for contact tracing of whom they were in contact with.

[icedcoffee]

How easy is it for you to WFH? If easy I'd just do that for 2 weeks. Why risk it?

[joy]

Our work policy is very clear.

When someone tests positive who works on site, the site is closed for a deep clean (half a day).

All employees are welcome back after that aside from those who had close contact (15+ minutes).

Our work does the contact tracing and we are not allowed to know the person who tested positive unless we were deemed “a close contact.” Close contacts are home for 14 days.

[joy]

For reference, this situation has happened several times since we’ve been back to work (June). I’ve never felt uncomfortable returning, but my work is a very strict plane when it comes to temperatures, questionairres, walking paths, how many people are on site, and mask wearing. Phew. It’s a lot.

We also do deep cleans after someone reports a family member/household member tests positive. Again, all employees welcome back after the clean. No contact tracing is done unless The employee becomes positive.

[hermione]

Also, how do you know who tested positive? That information shouldn’t be disclosed.

[dcn]

Yes, close contacts should quarantine for 14 days from exposure.  Getting a test this weekend really means nothing, as they could then be positive 3 days later.  

[woowoo]

Oct 22, 2020 15:51:18 GMT -5 hermione said:

Also, how do you know who tested positive? That information shouldn’t be disclosed.

That was what I was about to say.  We have strict rules that the positive employee should not be disclosed.  The employee themselves have to report everyone they were in close contact with (for us it is defined as being in an enclosed space less than 6 ft apart (with masks) for longer than 15 minutes, or without masks in enclosed or non-enclosed.  Or something like that..... I'd have to read it. 

[VillainV]

Our work policy is the same as yours. Based on what you described, unless he was in your office or you were in his for an extended period of time, or you were in the same common area, you would not meet our criteria as a “close contact” and would not need to quarantine.

[Mrs.flang]

Oct 22, 2020 15:51:18 GMT -5 hermione said:

Also, how do you know who tested positive? That information shouldn’t be disclosed.

I know right. Our company policy has almost a page about confidentiality but they put his name right in the initial email announcement. It seems pretty badly handled. I mean we only have around 60 employees so it would probably get out anyway but it definitely feels uncomfortable that they put it out there the way they did.

[Susie]

We haven't had an employee test positive yet, but we just had one who advised us that she is a close contact of someone who is confirmed positive... and she came into the office for two days, knowing about the contact's positive test, before telling anyone.  Ugh.  

I am not worried about an exposure personally because I have been at home with DS, but we have employees who were in contact with her.  I'm so pissed on their behalf.  If anyone wants to share what their employers' policies would do with an employee who knowingly did this, I'd be all ears.

Unfortunately while we're "confidentially" letting potentially exposed employees know, I put it in quotes because in a firm our size, it's hard to keep it confidential. We only have about 20 employees at our site, and never more than 3-5 on any given day (most are still remote).  We can't say who it is, but everyone will still know.

[VillainV]

Oct 22, 2020 17:07:14 GMT -5 Mrs.flang said:

Oct 22, 2020 15:51:18 GMT -5 hermione said:

Also, how do you know who tested positive? That information shouldn’t be disclosed.

I know right. Our company policy has almost a page about confidentiality but they put his name right in the initial email announcement. It seems pretty badly handled. I mean we only have around 60 employees so it would probably get out anyway but it definitely feels uncomfortable that they put it out there the way they did.

At my workplace, members are asked if their name can be shared. Probably all but maybe 1-2 people have been okay with their name being shared, but we are a close-knit group. The person then disclose all of the places they were/people at work they were in contact with. We have a scheduling system we can consult as well. If they don’t want their name disclosed, we just tell the contacts “you were in close contact with someone who tested positive, and they listed you as a contact.”

[tacom]

The CDC updated guidelines yesterday - close contact is now defined as 15 cumulative minutes within 6 feet of an infected person within a 24 hour window -- not just 15 consecutive minutes. They still recommend quarantining anyone with close contact. I'd make sure your place of employment is aware of these guidelines as they navigate this issue, because you likely have more "close contacts" than you would just 2 days ago.

[winemaker06]

If you work a desk job and have your own office, plus a mask policy for common areas that is actually followed, I don’t really understand the concern about being near others who were close contacts. Just don’t have any close contact with anyone yourself, and you’ll be fine. Stick to email, IM, and phone calls!

[kershnic]

It's really nuts to me how this is being handled so differently different places.... here any close contacts of the positive case would be quarantined by order of the health department. It doesn't sound like you're a close contact so I think you can mostly keep on keeping on, but I would be extremely wary of anything other than passing masked contact with coworkers if you know they're not having close contacts quarantine.