As many Iowa schools report a growing number of COVID-19 cases, students and teachers should be prepared to quarantine for a full 14 days if they come into close contact with someone carrying the virus.
Nola Aigner Davis, spokeswoman for the Polk County Health Department, says even people who test negative for coronavirus after being exposed must quarantine for the full two weeks.
Aigner Davis says, “So, let’s say you got that negative test on Day Three, Day Four, you still have to wait that full 14 days because we’ve seen people develop symptoms on Day 14.”
A person is considered in a “close contact” if they’ve spent 15 minutes within six feet of someone who can transmit the virus. She says the duration of the quarantine is very important. “You need to stay at home for those full 14 days,” she says. “You can even develop symptoms on Day 14, so that is why we make sure people are in quarantine for 14 days.”
Aigner Davis says families should be extra cautious this school year and call their doctor — and their school — if their child feels sick.
(By Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)