Updated DPH Guidance: What to Do If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19

The Georgia Department of Public Health updated their guidance on July 22 as to quarantine procedures and return to work guidance for those who have been in close contact and exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Some of the guidance and information includes the following below. For full details and further information, visit the website at https://dph.georgia.gov/contact.

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How may I have been exposed? You generally need to be in close contact with a sick person to get infected. Close contact includes:

• Living in the same household as a sick person with COVID-19;
• Caring for a sick person with COVID-19;
• Being within 6 feet of a sick person with COVID-19 for about 15 minutes; or
• Being in direct contact with secretions from a sick person with COVID-19 (e.g., being coughed on, kissing, sharing utensils, etc.).

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It is very important for your own safety and for the safety of others that you monitor your health for 14 days from your last possible exposure to COVID-19, and that you remain at home, avoid congregate settings and public activities, and practice social distancing.

Specifically, you agree to:

If you are not sick, you agree to monitor your health for fever, cough and shortness of breath during the 14 days after the last day you were in close contact with the sick person with COVID-19.

• Check your temperature twice a day and watch for symptoms.
• Quarantine yourself at home except in case of emergency or to be tested for COVID-19.
  • If you are a health care provider, emergency medical services worker, first responder, or other critical infrastructure worker, you may continue to work, in consultation with your workplace occupational health program and if necessary to ensure adequate staffing, if you have no symptoms, wear a mask while on duty, and remain at home at all other times.
• If possible, stay away from other people living in your home, especially those who are at high risk for getting very sick from COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html
• If you have not been contacted by public health, but feel you have been in contact with COVID-19, please call 1-888-357-0169.

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COVID-19 Testing. You should obtain a test for COVID-19 at least once during your quarantine. If you have no symptoms, the test should take place on the 10th day of quarantine. You should obtain a test earlier in your quarantine if you experience any of the following symptoms:   

• Fever (measured temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or you feel feverish)
• Chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Call your local health department to schedule testing. You can find contact information for your health department here: https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting. Please note that even if your test results are negative, you still must remain in quarantine for the entire 14 days.

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Return to Work Guidance After Exposure

• If you are a Healthcare Worker, please follow guidance from DPH (PDF Download) https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/dph-return-work-guidance/download
• If you do not work in a healthcare setting, please follow guidance from DPH (PDF Download) https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/dph-covid-19-return-work-guidance-after-covid-19-illness-or-exposure-persons-not/download

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What should I do if I am a close contact to someone with COVID-19 and get sick?
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 (even if your symptoms are very mild), you must stay at home and away from other people.

• Call 911 immediately if you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency. You must inform 911 that you may be sick with COVID-19 and wear a face covering.
• If it is not an emergency, but you are sick and require medical care, please contact your primary care doctor, an urgent care clinic, or your local federally qualified healthcare center.
• If you are mildly ill and do not require medical care, you can schedule testing by calling your local health department. You can find contact information for your health department here: https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting
• In order to prevent spreading COVID-19, it is critical that you follow the isolation instructions found here: https://dph.georgia.gov/isolation-contact
• The information provided here is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
  

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For full details and further information, visit the Georgia Department of Public Health's website at https://dph.georgia.gov/contact.

1,863 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 17 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 1,863 positive cases of COVID-19 in Athens-Clarke County and 17 deaths as of 2:50 p.m. on August 5.

These are cumulative cases total since February 25, 2020. For reference, numbers from the beginning of each month:

• August 1 - 1694
• July 1 - 574
• June 1 - 293
• May 1 - 155
• April 1 - 54
• March 1 - 4

Two additional deaths were reported last week to bring the total to 17. One is a 57 year old Asian male and one is a 32 year old White female.

The Daily Status Report is now updated once daily at 3:00 p.m. to allow time to process and validate laboratory and case reports. If you view the data, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some, such as "hospitalizations," have different meanings than what may be expected.

Eleven deaths occurred at a long-term care facility during March and April. For a daily report on long-term health care facilities in the state, visit the Georgia Department of Community Health’s website at dch.georgia.gov.

Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.