Isolation and Quarantine Guidance for Fall Semester 2022
The following guidelines are taken directly from a memo entitled "Isolation and Quarantine Guidance for Fall Semester 2022" from the Butler County Health Commissioner to Miami University on August 2, 2022.
Fall Semester Situational Analysis
As the start of the Fall Semester approaches for the 2022-2023 school year, Butler County continues to adapt to the challenges that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic present to us. COVID-19 vaccinations, acquired immunity, and emerging therapeutic medical treatments have helped to significantly decrease the strain on our hospital systems and the rate of serious illness throughout the country. Despite those efforts, COVID-19 and its successive variants continue to be present in the community and is still classified as a Class A Reportable Disease by the Ohio Department of Health.
Therefore, quarantine and isolation protocols are still in place to minimize further spread and illness in the community. These measures are corroborated by section 3707.16 in the Ohio Revised Code 3707.16:
No person isolated or quarantined for a communicable disease declared by the board of health of a city or general health district or the department of health to require isolation or quarantine shall attend any public, private, or parochial school or college, Sunday school, church, or any other public gathering, until released from isolation or quarantine by the board.
Butler County General Health District will no longer be sending out individual quarantine and isolation letters, however there is still an expectation that individuals and schools will adhere to the following quarantine and isolation guidance.
Quarantine
Separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.
For the general population, individuals are not required to quarantine if they meet the following criteria:
- Are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines* OR
- Had COVID-19 within the last 3 months (infection verified with a viral diagnostic test) AND
- Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure
Following exposure, persons meeting the above criteria are advised to test on day 5 after last exposure (if no verified COVID-19 infection within the last 3 months regardless of vaccination status) and wear a mask around others for 10 days since last exposure. They should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for a total of 14 days and follow recommended isolation protocols if they develop symptoms of COVID-19.
For the general population, individuals are advised to quarantine if they:
- Are not vaccinated OR
- Are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines OR
- Have not had a verified COVID-19 infection within the last 3 months.
Following exposure, individuals meeting the above criteria are advised to quarantine for 5 days, test on day 5 since last exposure, and wear a mask around others for 10 days. They should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for a total of 14 days and follow recommended isolation protocols if they develop symptoms of COVID-19. Additional considerations for persons under quarantine:
- During the 10 days following exposure, if possible, limit contact with household (communal) members, people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, and avoid nursing homes and other high-risk settings.
- Given the high-risk nature of household (communal living) exposures, consider the entire 10-day period of exposure for household (communal) contacts.
Isolation
Separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate.
If you had COVID-19 and had symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days. To calculate your 5-day isolation period, day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed. You can leave isolation after 5 full days. You may also use the CDC’s quarantine and isolation calculator tool.
- You can end isolation after 5 full days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation).
- You should continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public for 5 additional days (day 6 through day 10) after the end of your 5-day isolation period. If you are unable to wear a mask when around others, you should continue to isolate for a full 10 days. Avoid people who have weakened immune systems or are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, and nursing homes and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days
- If you continue to have fever or your other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, you should wait to end your isolation until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask through day 10. Contact your healthcare provider if you have questions.
If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever- free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved (loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation). If your test result is positive, you should continue to isolate until day 10. If your test result is negative, you can end isolation, but continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others at home and in public until day 10.