Direct & Indirect Contact
Direct And Indirect Exposure | Anyone with known, possible or suspected exposure to COVID-19, either directly, or indirectly* should
- Contact their healthcare provider and/or Robeson County Health Department (RCHD) for guidance.
- After following the advice of their healthcare provider and the RCHD, the student should then follow the guidelines below. Also see the CDC guidelines for Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19.
Direct Contact:
- After receiving advice from their healthcare provider, the exposed students must notify the faculty member(s) for each course in which the student is registered. The student should be advised that:
- The faculty will notify the department chair or program director, and responsible Assistant Vice President and/or Vice President.
- Patricia Clark with Safety/Security will contact the students to gather detailed information regarding their on-campus travels and contact with others on campus.
- Campus officials will follow the recommendations from the RCPHD.
- Students will be asked to self-quarantined for at least 14 days. The student should be assured that the RCC faculty will work to accommodate or with any student self-quarantining** to complete missed coursework (to the extent possible).
- The student should follow the guidance and advice of their healthcare provider or the RCHD regarding testing.
- After receiving their test results, students should notify Student Support Services.
- If the student lives in Robeson County the RCPHD will conduct the tracing process. If not, designated college personnel will conduct the contact tracing process to notify other exposed individuals.
Indirect Contact:
- After receiving advice from their healthcare provider, the exposed students must notify the faculty member(s) for each course in which the student is registered. The student should be advised that:
- The faculty will notify the department chair or program director, and responsible Assistant Vice President and/or Vice President.
- Patricia Clark with Safety/Security will contact the students to gather detailed information regarding their on-campus travels and contact with others on campus.
- Campus officials will follow the recommendations from the RCPHD.
- Students will be asked to self-quarantined for at least 14 days. The student should be assured that the RCC faculty will work to accommodate or with any student self-isolating or self-quarantining to complete missed coursework (to the extent possible).
- The student should follow the guidance and advice of their healthcare provider or the RCHD regarding testing.
Vaccinated persons with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria:
- Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine)
- Are within 3 months following receipt of the last dose in the series
- Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure
Persons who do not meet all 3 of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance after exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
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*Footnote-1: This is irrespective of whether the person with COVID-19 or the contact was wearing a cloth face covering or whether the contact was wearing respiratory personal protective equipment (PPE). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/public-health-recommendations.html
**Footnote-2: According to the CDC, quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.
- Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms.
- People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.
Who needs to quarantine?
Anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
This includes people who previously had COVID-19 and people who have taken a serologic (antibody) test and have antibodies to the virus.
What counts as close contact?
- You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes
- You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
- You had direct physical contact with the person (touched, hugged, or kissed them)
- You shared eating or drinking utensils
- They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you
What steps should you take?
Stay home and monitor your health
- Stay home for 10 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19
- Watch for fever (100.4◦ F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19
- If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19
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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html
