What is protocol here?

[Anonymous]

This is our first exposure that we know of. This is preschool, all kids unvaccinated. The school is on break so I can't reach anyone for more info. DD was last in school Thursday Dec 16 and then 45 mins Friday morning masked and distance to pick up belongings before break.

Dear Staff and Families,

An employee/student of your child’s classroom has been recently diagnosed with COVID-19.

The individual was last in school on December 17. To ensure the health and safety of our families and staff, following CDC guidance, School will ensure appropriate cleaning and disinfection of the classroom.

Students and staff identified as having been in prolonged close contact with this individual have been notified separately – you are not in this group. As a reminder, students and staff who are masked and three feet from a confirmed case indoors are not considered close contacts in the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. Therefore, consistent and correct mask use drastically reduces the number of students and staff needing to quarantine.

As always, everyone should monitor their health and stay at home if they develop symptoms. Anyone who develops severe symptoms should seek medical care immediately.

[Anonymous]

Do nothing. You aren’t a close contact. I get these emails a lot and they don’t require any action - they send a different one if you should isolate until you can accurately test.

Feel free to test if you can find one, but it’s not necessary.

[Anonymous]

I suspect it was different teacher than the one(s) for your DD's class.

I wouldn't test or isolate.

[Anonymous]

When this happens in our preschool, you get a phone call if your kid was considered a close contact. Otherwise they just notify all parents via email like this. We don’t do anything with the emails. We live life normally. There has been 5 of these emails since Thanksgiving after 0 covid cases all year (omicron is indeed contagious). One instance was a close contact for us and they closed our kids class for 2 weeks. We tested both our kids and were negative and went about our lives during the closure (no isolation). Once our 5 year old is fully vaxxed as of early January, she will no longer be barred from school even if considered a close contact; only if she has symptoms. Can’t wait for that, that was our primary motivation for vaccinating her honestly.

[Anonymous]

You don't need to worry or do anything unless you were notified as a close contact separately. My kids' elementary sends these out at least weekly, and they say not to do anything unless you were specifically contacted as a close contact who needs to take action in some way (testing, isolating, etc).

[Anonymous]

You're fine because you didn't home in contact.

But the close contact definition is expanding for Omicron given the high transmissibility.

[Anonymous]

Yes to what everyone else has said. I'm back at work in person. We used to get an email like this maybe once a month. In the past two weeks, it's been several times a day.

They're just informing you. You'd definitely get a different notice if you were a "close" contact.

I'd still keep a look out for symptoms (it's possible the individual didn't remember where exactly he/she went or every interaction) but I wouldn't worry.