Jason Moore

JAN 18, 2022

CDC’s Isolation and Quarantine Changes to 5 Days

Students, teachers, and staff who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 and are NOT up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination as defined by CDC should:

• Quarantine for at least 5 days after their last close contact with someone with COVID-19.

  • Individuals in quarantine should not go to school or school events in-person during their quarantine period unless they are participating in a school sponsored “test to stay” protocol (see below).

• Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days from the date of their last close contact with someone with COVID-19 (the date of last close contact is considered day 0) and watch for symptoms of COVID-19.

• Get tested at least 5 days after having close contact with someone with COVID-19. If they test positive or develop COVID-19 symptoms, they should follow recommendations for isolation.

Students, teachers, and staff who have presumed or confirmed COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate regardless of vaccination status.

• Individuals can end isolation after 5 full days since symptom onset if they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their other symptoms have improved.

  • Day 0 is the day symptoms began or the day the person took a test that had a positive result. Day 1 is the day after symptoms began or, if a person does not have symptoms, the day after the person tested positive (use the date the test was collected).

  • If they continue to have fever or their other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, they should stay in isolation until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their other symptoms have improved.

• Individuals should continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public places for an 5 additional days (day 6 through day 10) after the end of their 5-day isolation

For more information, visit Oregon Health Authory – COVID Updates or call the hotline at 866-917-8881

Up To Date on Vaccinations

CDC recommends that individuals remain up to date with their vaccines, which includes

additional doses for those who are immunocompromised or booster doses at regular time

points. Within the K-12 setting, those who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination

Include:

• Individuals 18 or older (including students) who have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters.

  • Booster 5 months after second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

  • Boosters 2 months after first dose of Johnson & Johnson.

• Youth 5-17 years who have completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.

• Individuals who have confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days

Oregon’s Test to Stay Protocol

• In following the CDC recommendation of a 5-day quarantine period, the test to stay protocol’s eligibility and testing timeframes have been updated to align.

  • If a student has a negative COVID test result on the day 1 and day 5 of exposure, they may be allowed to continue with in-person instruction in a modified quarantine.

• At-home iHealth COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests will soon be available for families of students who are eligible for the “test to stay” protocol.  

COVID-19 Symptoms

Primary COVID-19 symptoms include the following:

• Cough

• Temperature of 100.4°F or higher

• Chills

• Shortness of breath

• Difficulty breathing

• New loss of taste or loss of smell

Other symptoms that are not primary COVID-19 symptoms that are in our usual school exclusion guidelines:

• Headache not resolved with food, water, or medication

• Sore throat >24 hours (if persists >24 hrs, contact your physician)

• Vomiting (may return after 48hrs without vomiting)

• Diarrhea (may return after 24 hrs. with no diarrhea)

• Runny nose with no history of seasonal allergies