Wyandot Public Health amends COVID contact tracing, investigation guidelines to match ODH recommendations 

By CALLAN PUGH

Public Health Educator

Wyandot Public Health

 

Following the Ohio Department of Health’s recommendations, Wyandot County Public Health will amend its policies for COVID contact tracing, case investigation, and exposure notification. 

“As COVID-19 has evolved, public health mitigation strategies have had to adjust periodically to address new challenges,” Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said. “The quick spread of the Omicron variant and its rapid clinical course have made universal contact tracing, case investigation and exposure notification impractical when combined with newly reduced timelines for quarantine and isolation.” 

Under these new recommendations: 

— Wyandot County Public Health will shift from universal contact tracing, case investigation and exposure notification to a cluster or outbreak-based model. This strategy prioritizes people in high-risk settings, such as congregate residential settings (e.g., shelters, correctional facilities, and nursing homes) or for certain circumstances such as outbreaks or clusters in specific settings or in relation to initial cases or clusters associated with new variants, as appropriate. 

— Schools may discontinue universal contact tracing but are expected to assist Wyandot County Public Health with contact tracing, case investigation and exposure notification related to outbreaks or clusters in schools as determined by Wyandot County Public Health. K-12 schools should continue to follow ODH’s protocol, “Mask to Stay, Test to Play,” and allow asymptomatic students to attend school while wearing a mask if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The best place for kids is in school, in-person, full-time. 

— ODH also will change the school case reporting cadence to weekly. Schools should report positive student and staff cases to Wyandot County Public Health by close of business on Fridays. Wyandot County Public Health will continue to report on the same weekly cadence. This schedule will begin Friday. ODH will continue to evaluate related school reporting requirements.  

Isolation and 

quarantine guidelines unchanged 

The public should continue following current isolation and quarantine guidelines when they become positive for COVID or are a known exposure. Guidelines are: 

— COVID positive: Regardless of vaccination status, those who test positive for COVID should isolate at home away from others in the household for the first five days from illness onset or from the positive COVID test date if asymptomatic. On day six, they may return to activities while wearing a mask if they are seeing an improvement in symptoms and have not had a fever in at least 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medicine. Individuals returning to activities should wear a mask on days six through 10 when around other people. Individuals who are unable to wear a mask should stay home for 10 days. 

— COVID exposure when fully vaccinated: Those who are fully vaccinated can continue with activities when exposed to COVID if they are able to wear a mask for the next 10 days when around others and monitor for symptoms. 

It is recommended individuals take a COVID test on day five. A person is considered fully vaccinated if they have received both doses in the primary series of Moderna or

 Pfizer vaccines or the initial dose of Johnson and Johnson and are up to date on booster shots once eligible. A person is eligible for boosters two months after their initial dose of Johnson and Johnson and five months after the second dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Individuals who are unable to wear a mask should stay home for the full 10 days. 

*            COVID exposure when unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated: Those who are unvaccinated or not up to date on booster shots should stay home for five days after a COVID exposure and monitor for symptoms. They may return to activities while wearing a mask on days six through 10. It is recommended that individuals take a COVID test on day five. Individuals who are unable to wear a mask should stay home for the full 10 days. 

As the Omicron variant continues to show high levels of transmission, please remember the basics to mitigate the spread of COVID-19: 

 

*            Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. Wyandot County Public Health is offering free walk-in clinics from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays for those 18 and older. The Moderna and Johnson and Johnson initial doses and booster doses are available. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are the best prevention tool we have against severe illness and death.  

*            Remember the importance of mask wearing, physical distancing, improving ventilation, hand washing, cough etiquette, testing, and staying home when sick.