When someone at school tests positive.

[Anonymous]

I was surprised to find out that when someone tests positive at the school, you're only informed that a positive case happened. As long as it's determined that masks were worn, if your child was in the same classroom as the positive person for 8 hours you won't know, even if they were literally sitting side by side (3-feet rule doesn't count as close contact anymore if masks are on).

I'd like to know if someone in my child's class tests positive so I can make the determination on whether to send my child in the next day or not. It's insane to me that we're being kept in the dark.

This happened yesterday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised to find out that when someone tests positive at the school, you're only informed that a positive case happened. As long as it's determined that masks were worn, if your child was in the same classroom as the positive person for 8 hours you won't know, even if they were literally sitting side by side (3-feet rule doesn't count as close contact anymore if masks are on).

I'd like to know if someone in my child's class tests positive so I can make the determination on whether to send my child in the next day or not. It's insane to me that we're being kept in the dark.

This happened yesterday.

OK but wouldn't you want to test your kid even if it's someone in a different class? Maybe they sat together for lunch or chatted in the bathroom or hallway?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised to find out that when someone tests positive at the school, you're only informed that a positive case happened. As long as it's determined that masks were worn, if your child was in the same classroom as the positive person for 8 hours you won't know, even if they were literally sitting side by side (3-feet rule doesn't count as close contact anymore if masks are on).

I'd like to know if someone in my child's class tests positive so I can make the determination on whether to send my child in the next day or not. It's insane to me that we're being kept in the dark.

This happened yesterday.

OK but wouldn't you want to test your kid even if it's someone in a different class? Maybe they sat together for lunch or chatted in the bathroom or hallway?

No. Big difference between kid in their PK4 class tested positive, or even their grade because of the casual contact you mentioned, and a 5th grader whose homeroom is 2 floors up. In one case I would test and refrain from visiting anyone for 7 days; in the latter case, I would not take any special precautions.

[Anonymous]

Go to the DC library - pick up 5 of the home tests and do tests every Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised to find out that when someone tests positive at the school, you're only informed that a positive case happened. As long as it's determined that masks were worn, if your child was in the same classroom as the positive person for 8 hours you won't know, even if they were literally sitting side by side (3-feet rule doesn't count as close contact anymore if masks are on).

I'd like to know if someone in my child's class tests positive so I can make the determination on whether to send my child in the next day or not. It's insane to me that we're being kept in the dark.

This happened yesterday.

This is a massive problem. I get not quarantining people. But at least let parents know so we can make our own testing decisions. Some of us live with immunocompromised people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to the DC library - pick up 5 of the home tests and do tests every Friday.

This. Everyone should be doing this.

[Anonymous]

I thought our principal said that there were 3 categories of reporting:

- in the school but not in your kid's class and not a close contact
- in your kid's class but not a close contact
- and close contact

Now I'm looking at the DCPS website and don't see anything about the middle category. Did they change this or am I missing something? I agree we definitely need to know if the case was in our kid's class regardless of whether our kid is determined to be a "close contact" (since there are so many loopholes to that definition).

[Anonymous]

If the kids ate together, though, wouldn't that trigger a report of close contact exposure? We are in PK and I thought that if someone in our class tested positive they'd have to tell us because the kids will be eating together in the classroom many days (outside when possible but no tents as of yet so limited control). I also worry about mask usage in PK so I really hope we will be alerted to any positive cases because while my kid is pretty good with a mask, over 8 hours and in a class of 20 I feel like there is plenty of inherent risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the kids ate together, though, wouldn't that trigger a report of close contact exposure? We are in PK and I thought that if someone in our class tested positive they'd have to tell us because the kids will be eating together in the classroom many days (outside when possible but no tents as of yet so limited control). I also worry about mask usage in PK so I really hope we will be alerted to any positive cases because while my kid is pretty good with a mask, over 8 hours and in a class of 20 I feel like there is plenty of inherent risk.

I had heard from our IB DCPS that all PKers would be considered close contacts of a positive classmate irrespective of eating arrangements, because they are assuming that the good mask usage is untrue at the PK level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go to the DC library - pick up 5 of the home tests and do tests every Friday.

This. You could do an at-home test every morning if you were so inclined. Turn around is consistently 36 hours and comes back in the early AM, so you'd even know before school starts in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought our principal said that there were 3 categories of reporting:

- in the school but not in your kid's class and not a close contact
- in your kid's class but not a close contact
- and close contact

Now I'm looking at the DCPS website and don't see anything about the middle category. Did they change this or am I missing something? I agree we definitely need to know if the case was in our kid's class regardless of whether our kid is determined to be a "close contact" (since there are so many loopholes to that definition).

Our principal said DCPS policy is parents won't be informed of anything beyond a positive case in the school unless "close contact" occurred. The definition of that has changed from last year and if masks were worn and there was some kind of other mitigation (i.e. upgraded HVAC or a room air purifier) it's not considered close contact even if the kids are together all day. Here's the language from the DCPS health and safety website that says the same:

"Per CDC and DC Health guidance, students who are within 3 to 6 feet of another student for longer than 15 minutes are not considered a close contact if both students are consistently wearing well-fitting masks and other mitigating factors are in place (for example, physical distancing, increased ventilation, etc.). If there is a positive COVID-19 case within your school, contact tracers will determine who is a close contact."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to the DC library - pick up 5 of the home tests and do tests every Friday.

This. Everyone should be doing this.

Really smart suggestion. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to the DC library - pick up 5 of the home tests and do tests every Friday.

This. Everyone should be doing this.

You have to administer and send in the test on the day you pick it up. just fyi.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised to find out that when someone tests positive at the school, you're only informed that a positive case happened. As long as it's determined that masks were worn, if your child was in the same classroom as the positive person for 8 hours you won't know, even if they were literally sitting side by side (3-feet rule doesn't count as close contact anymore if masks are on).

I'd like to know if someone in my child's class tests positive so I can make the determination on whether to send my child in the next day or not. It's insane to me that we're being kept in the dark.

This happened yesterday.

OK but wouldn't you want to test your kid even if it's someone in a different class? Maybe they sat together for lunch or chatted in the bathroom or hallway?

Omg no. Do you have any idea how many notifications there are likely to be this fall? I got a notification yesterday and I am absolutely 100% not testing my kid. Because it wasn’t in their class and we weren’t otherwise IDed as a close contact. However, school notifications WILL tell you when the case is in your kid’s class even if not a close contact. In those circumstances, I will test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to the DC library - pick up 5 of the home tests and do tests every Friday.

This. Everyone should be doing this.

You have to administer and send in the test on the day you pick it up. just fyi.

I said this on the other thread - I dropped it off on a Friday afternoon and got the results on Sunday morning