{"id":373,"date":"2020-07-09T04:01:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-09T04:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/covidqanda.org\/?p=373"},"modified":"2020-11-25T11:37:11","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T16:37:11","slug":"do-we-need-to-worry-about-exposure-to-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/covidqanda.org\/?p=373","title":{"rendered":"Do we need to worry about exposure to COVID thanks to ER visit?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Question:<\/strong> My toddler busted her chin getting out of the tub the other day, prompting us to visit the emergency room. A couple of stitches later, she\u2019s fine and was happy with the whole experience because she got lollipops and juice from the doctor \u2014 an extra special treat since she never gets those at home. Anyway, while we were sitting in the emergency room, we were around people coughing, people there for COVID tests, and just a general sea of humanity. Yes, they were wearing masks, but still, it was very<\/em> disconcerting. Do we need to worry about exposure to COVID? Do we need to self-isolate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer:<\/strong> I\u2019m glad baby girl is fine and took it all in stride. I\u2019m sorry that you had to go through that experience . Honestly, I\u2019m shocked that the emergency room has everyone sitting together. I would have hoped (and expected!) they would have people with COVID-like symptoms and people wanting a COVID test to wait in a different area! Indeed, if the emergency room were following CDC guidelines for infection control<\/a>, they would be screening and triaging everyone coming into the facility and separating anyone with COVID symptoms. Since that didn\u2019t happen, I think you may have to consider yourself exposed and self-isolate. \ud83d\ude41 Here\u2019s more background on why I\u2019m suggesting that you may need to self-isolate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. There are a few differences in how CDC<\/a> and other public health groups define \u201cclose contact.\u201d I\u2019m quoting the close contact definition that New Jersey<\/a> uses because it directly addresses hospital waiting rooms: \u201cA close contact is defined as being within approximately 6 feet (2meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time (approximately 10 minutes or longer); close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case OR Having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (for example, being coughed on).\u201d Based on the waiting room experience you described, it sounds like you meet the criteria of being a \u201cclose contact.\u201d<\/strong> Of course, I was not there and I do not know what your experience truly was, so please use your own best judgement.<\/li>
  2. While I have not found any direct evidence of COVID-19 infection resulting from exposure in a hospital waiting room, we do have some reason for concern based on evidence from other diseases (though like most things in science, it\u2019s not clear cut). Here are a few pieces of related evidence that unfortunately do not offer much clarity. From what I\u2019m reading, I think that if everyone was wearing masks, sitting far apart, and not playing with common toys or reading from a shared pile of magazines or the like, your risk is quite low.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n