As we ring in 2022, we are, unfortunately, in the middle of yet another COVID surge. Massachusetts case counts are the highest they have been since the start of the pandemic - a trend that we are definitely seeing in our office (over 50% of our phone calls today were families with a COVID positive child).
We are anticipating a very difficult and extremely busy month of January (especially the next 2 weeks). In order to help you understand the requirements, we have outlined the management guidelines for individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID or who have been exposed to someone with COVID.
Please do not call the office for questions about what to do if your child has been exposed to COVID or has been diagnosed with COVID - refer to the guidelines below!
We hope that you will read these guidelines closely as they contain all the information needed for the majority of questions you may have.
The following guidelines represent the most recent recommendations for managing individuals with a positive COVID test, as well as identified close contacts of people with COVID.
Please see the CDC Website for instructions on the difference between isolation and quarantine.
Positive COVID Test
This guideline applies to you if test positive for COVID (either by rapid antigen test or PCR test) regardless of your vaccination status.
a positive rapid antigen test does not need to be confirmed with a PCR test
Guidelines:
- Stay at home for 5 days
- If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house
- Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days (this includes wearing a mask at home as well as outside the home)
- If you are unable to wear a mask, you must isolate at home for a total of 10 days
- If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever has resolved for 24 hours
- Please send MyChart message to office so we can document in your child’s chart
Please note: the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) agrees with the above isolation guidelines (5 days at home, 5 days masked) and does not require a negative test to return to school.
Reasons to call the office for guidance:
- Chest pain
- Increased work of breathing/labored breathing
- Concerns for dehydration
- Fever (> 101) for more than 72 hours in child younger than 2 years of age
- Fever (>101) for more than 120 hours (5 days) in child 2 years of age or older
Cardiac Clearance Requirements:
- Applies only to children over 12 years old
- An office visit is required at least 10 days after symptoms resolved if:
- Greater than 4 days of fever > 100.4 degrees
- Greater then 7 days of muscle aches, chills, or extreme fatigue
- Hospitalized
- For all others with asymptomatic or mild disease, you may call the office once out of isolation (see above) and a nurse will assist you in providing a clearance letter for a graduated return-to-play protocol
- This applies if there was less than 4 days of fever >100.4 and less than 7 days of muscle aches, chills, or extreme fatigue
Close Contact of Individual with COVID – Fully Vaccinated
This guideline applies if you have been identified as a close contact of an individual with COVID and you have either:
- Received 3 doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine or
- Received 2 doses of the J+J Vaccine (or 1 J+J and 1 Pfizer/Moderna) or
- Received 2 doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine within the last 6 months or
- Received the J+J Vaccine within the last 2 months
Guidelines:
- Wear a mask around others (including at home) for 10 days
- If you are unable to wear a mask, you must isolate at home for a total of 10 days
- Test on day 5 (if possible)
- Negative rapid antigen tests should be confirmed with a PCR test
- Positive rapid antigen tests are assumed to be positive and do not need confirmation
- If you develop any symptoms, get a test and stay home
Close Contact of Individual with COVID – Not Fully Vaccinated
This guideline applies if you have been identified as a close contact of an individual with COVID and you have either:
- Received 2 doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine over 6 months ago and have not been boosted
- Received 1 dose of the J+J Vaccine over 2 months ago and are not boosted
- Received 1 dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine
- Not received any COVID Vaccines
Guidelines:
- Stay at home for 5 days. After that, continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days
- If you are unable to wear a mask, you must isolate at home for a total of 10 days
- If you cannot quarantine, you must wear a mask for 10 days
- Test on Day 5 (if possible) with PCR test preferred
- Negative rapid antigen tests should be confirmed with a PCR test
- Positive rapid antigen tests are assumed to be positive and do not need confirmation
- If you develop any symptoms, get a test and stay home
A Word About Continuous Exposure:
Please note that if your exposure is continuous and you are unable to separate from someone who has COVID, you are being exposed to COVID on a daily basis. This makes the quarantine period longer since your date of last exposure is constantly changing.
For example, if a mother tests positive for COVID and is unable to separate from a baby. The baby is therefore being exposed to COVID on each day that the mother remains infectious (10 days, assuming mild symptoms). The baby then needs an additional 10 days of quarantine starting when the mother is no longer assumed to be infectious. In this scenario, the baby should be tested 5 days after the mother is no longer infectious (day 15 after her diagnosis) and needs to quarantine for 20 days total.
Happy New Year and thank you for your understanding during these challenging times.
All of us at Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics
