Quarantine Requirements

Background:
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. Studies show that asymptomatic people and people in the pre-symptomatic phase (2-3 days before symptoms begin) can also be a source of infection.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever and lower respiratory symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. However, there are many other symptoms that may be associated with COVID-19 including chills, fatigue, muscle aches or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. The elderly and people with underlying medical problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, or chronic respiratory conditions, are at a greater risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

Schools are an important part of the infrastructure of communities, as they provide safe, supportive learning environments for students, employ teachers and other staff, and enable parents, guardians, and caregivers to work. The unique and critical role that schools play makes them a priority for opening and remaining open, enabling students to receive both academic instruction and support as well as critical services.

Current Isolation and Quarantine Requirements:
A Person Under Investigation (PUI) is someone who is suspected of having COVID-19 disease. A person who is being tested for COVID-19 is required to be in isolation until test results are received. Possible outcomes of the test result include: 1) If the test result is positive, then the person becomes a case or 2) If the test result is negative and the person has a known exposure, then the person must finish their 14 day quarantine, or 3) If the test result is negative and there was no known exposure, then the person is released from isolation.

Symptomatic cases are released from isolation 10 days after symptom onset OR 72 hours fever free without the use of medication and significant improvement in symptoms, whichever is longer. Meaning, symptomatic cases are in isolation for a minimum of 10 days. Asymptomatic cases are released from isolation 10 days after their positive sample was collected, as long as they remain asymptomatic. If they become symptomatic during the 10 days, then they would begin a new isolation period using the criteria for symptomatic cases.

Close contacts of a confirmed case are in quarantine for 10 days after their last contact with a case while the case was infectious. A symptomatic case is considered infectious starting two days before the onset of their first symptom until they are released from isolation. An asymptomatic case is considered infectious starting two days before the date their positive sample was collected until they are released from isolation.

Defining A Close Contact:
A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet of a case for 10 minutes or more or had direct contact with bodily secretions (for example, being coughed or sneezed on). Any students or staff that maintained a 6-foot distance from the positive case would not be considered close contacts and would therefore not be subject to the 14-day quarantine period.

If the positive case, or close contacts, or both, wore cloth facemasks at all times this reduces the risk of developing COVID-19 disease. However, the use of cloth facemasks does not eliminate the risk completely; therefore, close contacts would still be subject to a 10-day quarantine.

The time period for close contact tracing includes any day(s) the positive student or staff attended school and the preceding 48 hours prior to symptom onset (symptomatic cases) or the preceding 48 hours prior to sample collection (asymptomatic cases).

The Shawnee County Health Department has released new guidance for modified classroom quarantining. Click here to view the guidance.


When will I be notified of COVID-19 contact?
Click here to view the district’s COVID-19 exposure guidelines. Please refer to the following exposure guidelines for information on how the district responds to COVID-19 positive cases. As you can see, the district will be cooperating with the Health Department on contact tracing within our buildings. It is very important to wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands, and monitor your health on a daily basis. If you have symptoms, please stay home to protect our students and staff.